Wet wipes or not to wet wipes

totally agree with her !! Inspiring that youth are taking on our concerns!

Well what i want to talk about is the subject of wipes. In the days pre loo paper it was common to find a container of rags to be used for toilet cleanups. I dont think i would go so far as bowel clean ups but the idea struck me we need to wash after urinating so its not such a silly idea to have a container ready of wet wipes for after a wee. How hard would it be to do?  And when you need to travel put some in a zip lock bag and take. It beats using chemically bleached paper all the time and also removes the offending wee from skin. Also those wipes you buy are expensive and can cause flushing and skin problems. 

My neice and i also made up some pretty neat reusable pads that clipped into her knickers for menstruation. She just soaked them then put them through the wash. I think i am going to go make myself a bag of soft wipes to use esp when i am in so much pain down below. 

Just a thought and easy to do. 

Wet wipes are wonderful for removing stains from clothing, and should be shunned for undercarriages..... and door private drainage systems...eg septic tanks! Your idea is great for long stints away from home where access to washing facilities is poor, however I wouldn't want to carry a urine smelling cloth around so perhaps the material should be dispos able, urine that comes from the body has little odour unless infected, however once exposed to the air and oxidation takes place a rank cowshed type smell is difficult to conceal....and urine is hygroscopic, meaning it attracts moisture and that will speed up the process. You will need to have sealable plastic bags! (Not very planet friendly) and they could be a foci for infection. I don't want to be a bah sucks person, I just think one needs to be aware of possible embarrassing circumstances...

 

Wipes of any kind should not be put down the toilet, regardless of whether it's a septic tank or mains drainage. They are the scourge of the poor guys who have to clear blockages from sewage pipes.

Sue makes a good point about the resealable bags. You couldn't count on washing them clean enough. And in the days when I washed cloth diapers, I was bleaching the heck out of them and using very hot water. Both of those things aren't too green. But I used to take a wet face cloth in a plastic bag when I went for a doctor's appointment that involved my undercarriage.

So, occasionally when things are really bad, I think carrying a wet square of cloth in a plastic bag is a good solution. Or we could keep some dry ones and a little spray bottle of water. And put the cloth in the garbage. No plastic bags or washing necessary. Just get old T shirts from the thrift store and cut them up.

Hi, for those who do want to use wet wipes.

I just wanted to let you all know that there is a wet wipe on the market which actually states that it is just like water. It is meant for newborn prem babies and their exceptionally delicate bottoms. If you do want to use these do not throw them down the toilet, I place them into the sanitary disposal units that are meant for that kind of stuff. At home I place in old newspaper and dispose of it in my refuse bag. Regularly emptied so no smell.

Just another thought. It is difficult to be green with this problem. I like the idea of cloths just not the idea of how to get them home without the smell. I kind of think that throwing dirty T shirt material isn't that green either. You would soon run out of old T Shirts and buying new is not that green.

I think plastic is a far worse problem for the enviroment although is does after a hundred years or so eventually degrade. In the long term I actually don't see the problem as some natural products like trees take many more years to degrade and become the oil, coal and other natural products we use today. I sometimes wonder why we worry so much. I worry more about emissions although recently I have read some literature on how the ozone layer is repairing itself already. What do we believe? I am not saying anything I have written is correct just repeating what I have read and heard.... so confusing!!!!!