Family Cloth & Bidets: 6 Reasons to Ditch the Toilet Paper

Family cloth and bidets are not generally used in Western Society, however there are a lot of benefits to using them. It’s better for the environment using reusable toilet paper and a bidet. Plus it’s more hygienic and cheaper than toilet paper alone.

In my experience when you tell people you use family cloth also known as washable toilet paper they do look at you like you’re a crazy hippy. Which to some extent I sort of am.

Perhaps it’s just a British thing to be completely appalled at the idea of someone cleaning themselves with water and using reusable toilet paper not ordinary toilet paper like everyone else!

I heard about family cloth after I started using Cloth nappies for my son and it intrigued me so I researched more into washable toilet paper to find out more about it.

As I was already washing the nappies sometimes daily it didn’t seem that much more work to wash reusable toilet paper at the same time.

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Different Types Of Bidets

I know it’s not the norm in Western society to use a Bidet and reusable toilet paper to wipe after going to the toilet but in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southern Europe and France Bidets are used consistently to maintain good hygiene.

In case you didn’t know a modern Bidet is a stand-alone oval shaped basin designed low to the ground so that you have to crouch over it and clean your genitalia after going to the toilet.

You can get Bidet Attachments that go on the toilet as well so no need to plumb them in, they work by directing the water from the rim. Either electronically or by a valve.

Another way of using a bidet is a Bidet Shower, which is a hand-held device like a shower which you can spray after using the toilet. This is actually what I use but instead of being plumbed in, mine is a tap attachment as my toilet is quite small and the basin is very close to the toilet.

When I first started I made a make-shift bidet out of an old washing up bottle to clean myself. You basically fill it with water, slightly warm is better and aim and squeeze to clean yourself thoroughly. I suffered at the time from frequent cystitis and this method dramatically helped.

What Kind Of Towels Do You Use With A Bidet

For the most part it doesn’t really matter what you use to dry after using a bidet, absorbent soft materials work better like cotton or cut up towels. You do have to take into consideration how many you have and how quickly you want them to be dry though. These are often referred to as bidet towels but they could also be called family cloth.

My personal preference is something that is thin enough to dry fairly quickly so that I have a constant supply as I dry inside the house. However you might find that you prefer a thicker material so make sure you do a bit of research beforehand.

Family cloth

Family cloth is a strange name for it but it just means that you use reusable toilet paper or cloth to dry after using some sort of bidet. As the cloth is only used after cleaning yourself they don’t need a hot wash in the washing machine.

I bought a set of washable toilet paper from a company back in 2015. I can’t even remember the name of the company but to be honest I didn’t like them at all. They were far too small and after only a handful of washes they became quite stiff.

As I’d already used an old pair of pyjamas cut up for reusable wipes for my son’s face and bottom. I just cut up an old t-shirt and used these as reusable toilet paper. I wanted them to be large enough to fold into quarters and be a comfortable fit in my hand.

I did find that a cotton t-shirt doesn’t dry as quickly as the ‘pyjama’ wipes I’d made. As soon as I had another pair of pyjama bottoms I repurposed these into some wipes to use as washable toilet paper.

I like to use what I have before buying anything new, however if you don’t have anything you can re-purpose there are some reusable toilet paper wipes that you can buy:

Cheeky Flannel Wipes

These reusable toilet paper wipes are priced at £14 for 25 cotton flannels. There is also a kit which includes a storage box and essential oils as well for £49.99.

White Paperless Towels

On Etsy UK you can get 20 white towels, washable toilet paper for £29.99.

Colourful Wipes

Or 30 colourful wipes, washable toilet paper for £14.50.

Cloth Wipes

Alternatively, if you are in the United States or you don’t mind having things shipped you can get 10 cloth wipes for the equivalent of £7.68.

Benefits To Using Cloth

In the interest of full disclosure I am currently using the bidet tap extension andCheeky Panda toilet paper to dry for convenience.

I’ve reviewed this plastic free toilet paper by The Cheeky Panda, so if you were thinking of switching, watch my review below.

If you’d like to read more about The Cheeky Panda toilet paper that I’m currently using and my thoughts on Who Gives A Crap and Oceans as well, please check my blog post.

This year adjusting to having a school age child stuck at home and a small baby has come with challenges.

I have had to do some things out of convenience and for my own sanity but fully intend on getting back to my normal routine of using reusable toilet paper as soon as I can.

• So I’ve already touched on it but I did notice I was getting less occasions of cystitis. I’m not sure if this sort of thing is hereditary but I know other members of my family also get it so perhaps it is.

I know cystitis and urine infections generally are to do with bacteria being transferred. I seemed to get it regardless of good hygiene and wiping correctly. However, as I said using washable toilet paper stopped it altogether for me.

• I feel generally much cleaner, being vegan I’m certainly regular in my bathroom habits and using the bidet sprayer just makes me feel fresh.

• It’s much quicker using washable toilet paper as well. Once you’ve finished rinse, dry and you’re done.

• Environmentally it saves so much water (believe it or not) because it takes a lot of water to make toilet paper. Not to mention the paper from trees that’s used!

• There’s not a lot of irritation using this method. When I’ve been on holiday and have just been using toilet paper, I have noticed that within a few days I feel irritated. Perhaps my delicate areas just aren’t used to just toilet paper anymore!

• Using washable toilet paper been a life saver for menstruation. When the red devil is in your belly, it can make you feel uncomfortable to say the least. I love being able to fully clean when I go to the bathroom.

I am fully aware this is not a normal bathroom setup. Despite this, are you interested in trying out family cloth otherwise known as reusable toilet paper?

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