Okay ya'll.

I'm about to let you in on a secret that no one outside our immediate family knows!
Relatives and close friends do not even know this!

WE DO NOT USE TOILET PAPER.

There, I said it! It is true!

A few years ago, we made the switch to something called 'family cloth'.
AKA: reusable cloth wipes.
A year or so before that, I came across an article about family cloth. I thought it was interesting, and told my husband about it.
He thought it was interesting, but NOT for us!

Reusable butt-wipers?! Heck no! That's gross!!

Fast forward a couple years.
One week, at the grocery store, they were out of the usual brand of TP that we have always bought. (Scott.) I went with something else, I dont really remember what it was, Charmin, maybe?
Well, we started using that, and it was NO BUENO.
My daughter and I both developed a sensitivity to it.
(Talk about horrible itching! Yeah.. TMI, I know...)
So, horrified, we switched back to Scott. Well, that helped, but it seemed that since we awakened the sensitivity beast, it was not going away any time soon.
What to do?
We tried a few different brands, but nothing was good.
I remembered that article I had read so long ago.
I talked about it to my husband and said I would like to try it, at least for my daughter and me.
He shrugged and said, why not?

So we took the plunge!

I bought a pack of cutely patterned family cloths from a seller on etsy. (Many, many people on there sell them, so if you are not sewing-inclined, you can get them there!) They aren't super cheap, but hey, the cost of toilet paper adds up, so in the long run, this is definitely cheaper.
I put them in baskets on the back of the toilet and put a trash pail full of soapy water within easy reach.

THIS WAS A GAME CHANGER.

Let me tell you. Any and all itchiness went AWAY. Gone. For. Good.

It gets you cleaner.
Trust me here. Cloth cleans better than paper any day. What do you want to wash the dirty counter with, a paper towel or a cloth towel? Same thing.

Turns out, it isn't gross at all.

Most cloths are just slightly wet from number 1, and wash clean easily. The number 2 cloths, well, they aren't as dirty as you think they would get, and being soaked already in soapy water, they come clean easily too! The pail of used cloths is not stinky at all. It has a lid, and no one even knows what is in there unless they are nosy and look, haha!

Of course, for visitors, I keep a roll or two of the TP around, but even my reluctant husband came around and we ALL use the cloth now!
Now and then, we have to go out all day or something, and I have to use, (shudder), toilet paper, which is STILL irritating to my sensitive bits, and I am always glad to get home where I do not have to use it.

Washing family cloth is a simple affair.
I think when most people start using it, they wash it separately, but they almost always end up washing it with the clothes. That's what I do. Everything always comes out squeaky clean and fresh smelling.
If the cloth is extra dirty for some reason, (someone is sick, perhaps), I'll dump it into the washer for a pre-wash rinse cycle, then add in the rest of the laundry.

Family cloth actually isn't all that hard to make, if you can sew.
(Could be a start-your-own business idea!) It is basically a cloth made of two layers of cotton flannel. I have made a few myself, but not being a great sewer, mine aren't as nice as the ones I bought... Still, to wipe with, it doesn't have to be fancy.

Well, that about sums it up!

This is the story of how we began using family cloth and kicked the TP to the curb!
Not only is family cloth better for your bottom, it is better for the environment and better for your wallet!
Can't beat that!

Thanks for reading! Have a fantastic day!