Saving Your Butt During a Survival Situation: Alternatives to Toilet Paper by Josh When reading through common preparedness concerns, humble toilet paper is seemingly worth its weight in gold. Rough and rugged men, prepared to spend weeks in the wilderness foraging for grubs to survive, are near to panic at the thought that they might run out of that most precious wiping material. Of course, I would always recommend keeping some extra rolls on hand: its convenient, you already use it, and it might be one of the more valuable barter items should a long-term emergency arrive. But what happens when even your extra rolls fail you? What happens if you simply don’t have the space for all of those bulky rolls, or if they’re too expensive to stock? Let’s look at some practical alternatives to toilet paper so you don’t have to become too “handy” when that last roll is used up. Naturally Available Solutions This is probably the first thing most people think of as an alternative, since you can just grab some leaves or grass and clean up! However, there are a few considerations before you grab whatever comes to hand: Never, ever, apply any plant known to be poisonous to your behind.Although this should go without saying, many people underestimate just how easy it is to poison yourself through the “back-door” if you’re not careful. Some leaves are somewhat less desirable for use as toilet paper For the sake of your hind-end, check the leaves you’re going to use. Poison ivy obviously should be avoided, but certain famous “toilet plants” aren’t as safe as they may seem either. Both Lamb’s Ear and Mullein have a reputation as great natural wiping material owing to their large size and velvety texture, but many people can react to the tiny hairs on the leaves and get itchy rashes from them. I recommend rubbing a leaf from any potential specimen on your inner arm or below your knee to ensure that it won’t irritate your skin before applying it to more delicate regions. With that said, lets look at some common natural TP solutions. Moss Moss can actually be great stuff if you can find it, particularly if if is thick and slightly moist. Beware peat moss: again, commonly recommended owing to its softness but it is a potential vector for Sporotrichosis, which can cause extreme discomfort, damage to the body, and in extreme cases even death. Sticks and Stones They can break your bones…and also wipe your bottom? Odd as it may seem, many people recommend using smooth stones and de-barked sticks for when nature calls. Corn Cobs and Husks Finally, a home-grown solution to keep yourself clean. One source even recommended using two: standard corn for initial cleansing, then a sweet corn husk to finish with. Apparently the texture of the sweet corn husk was nicer on the skin and helped reduce irritation from scrubbing. Washable/Reusable Solutions Of course, many people would rather not take risks with plants, particularly if they want to be able to survive even during the winter or in an area they don’t know. For that, we come to the reusable methods for maintaining bathroom hygiene. Sponges I’m not a fan of sponges largely because they are too absorbent and difficult to clean thoroughly. However, if you could find a very thin sponge and tie it to a stick, you might have a durable, reusable butt scrubber. Be sure to wash it vigorously in a mixture of vinegar and hot water to remove all traces of harmful substances. Family Cloths Before you jump ship, no, you do not share one cloth with the whole family each day. Ideally you would have an entire stack of cloths available for the convenience of everyone in the home. These cleaning rags are made from anything: old ruined clothes, blankets, ripped up towels, you name it. If you have time and some basic sewing skill available, some work adding a hem to the edges of these cloths will make them last much longer, since they’ll need to stand up to daily vigorous hot water washings There are many methods of using a family cloth: some prefer to wet it first before wiping, for example. Once you’re finished, however, the method of cleaning it is pretty simple. 1. Have a dedicated bucket near the toilet that contains a mixture of water and vinegar. All soiled cloths should be tossed into that bucket in order to begin the cleaning process and to keep the smell down. 2. Take the day’s cloths out of the bucket and let them sit in very hot mixture of vinegar or laundry detergent and water for an hour. During this time, agitating the rags with a plunger or a stick to dislodge particles is optional. 3. Wash vigorously in hot water until clean. 4. Dry in the sun. Dispose of all waste water away from water sources and never throw it on your garden or into a compost heap. Alternatively if the grid is still available, simply take the cloths out of the bucket and throw them into your washing machine separate from other laundry. Again, very hot water is recommended. I do not recommend bleach because of the damage it does to the cloth and the fact that its much more useful for greater necessities like purifying water. This is the method I personally would choose for keeping clean during a survival situation, since it’s simple, reusable, and the cloths can be used for a variety of other purposes when clean. Forget Wiping: A Solution for Washing Directly An electronic bidet. Note the jet of water intended to be fired at your behind. Thus far you’ve seen different materials that can replace the mighty power of toilet paper. However, there are many countries that go without wiping altogether! Instead, they turn to a simple hygienic rinsing for their cleanliness needs. Many modern homes can have their toilets equipped with a bidet: basically a nozzle that directs water in an arc that thoroughly cleans any mess right off your behind. However, when it comes to preparedness relying on an electronic bidet drawing on pressurized water to clean you is unrealistic. That’s why many have created their own manually powered versions of the concept. These can range from a small squeeze bottle with a squirt nozzle on the end (useful for bug-out bags or for minimal water use) to a full size hand-pump with a gallon-sized reservoir to draw upon. All you need once you’re clean is a small cloth to dry off with which can be washed along with all your other clothing since it won’t be soiled with leavings. The only issue I have with these is the total reliance on a supply of water to keep these in use. Cloths can be used dry and left to be cleaned at a later date if necessary, but a pump only works if there’s water available to spray. If you have constant, easy access to clean water these are great, but if water is already a burden on your planning I would stick with wiping over spraying. As much as we rely on toilet paper for our cleanliness, its days are numbered once an emergency sets in. Keeping your options open is vital to staying clean and comfortable, and these reusable solutions might keep you from trading your valuable preps away to save your butt. Any suggestions? Plenty of campers ,travelers, and preppers alike experiment with alternative TP, so let us know if you have any ideas.
Posted on: Thu, 05 Sep 2013 00:14:11 +0000
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