Toilet Paper, Toilet Paper, Everywhere?

If you have found yourself checking the grocery stores, pharmacies, dollar store and even gas stations searching for any signs of the illusive item we know as toilet paper, you are certainly not alone.

Let me let you in on what should be, but probably isn’t, a widely known fact. There really isn’t a shortage or the product. What is the case stems from excess buying and hording. Same goes for meat, napkins, paper towels, pasta, canned good, tissues and more.

While you may or may not realize this, it doesn’t resolve the issue. And if you are among the millions that are worried about running out before you can restock, let me tell you that it’s really much less of a big deal than you think. I know that may sound dismissive but hear me out for a bit.

Toilet paper wasn’t even invented until 1857. That means that for thousands of years, people didn’t have it and got by. For the most part, they used something else. That being the situation, I thought I’d make several suggestions as to what you can use in place of toilet paper that you either probably already have in your home or will likely not have any trouble finding at stores.

Let’s start off with the obvious, or at least what I would think would be. The scare but still available options have already been mentioned. Some of these are facial tissues, napkins and paper towels. But some other rather obvious items are rags from around your house, baby wipes and old clothing. None of these should be flushed but you can simply discard them into a closed trash bin or if you are not too grossed out, you can soak them (except tissues) in soapy water to get the nasties out, then add them to your laundry.

There are also some other things you might not have considered in terms of cloth materials. Almost any large retailer and even dollar stores frequently stock bandanas and handkerchiefs. These are both soft and east to store or carry with you. They are also really cheap. You can take things even further by stopping in the automotive section and picking up a shammie that you would typical use to dry your car.

Now, let’s get a little more creative. You know that tissue paper that comes in gift packages each year around Christmas and the holidays and is even used for birthday gifts? That is soft and is made of exactly the same materials that public restrooms use as seat covers. You can also opt for regular paper, newsprint or even pulling a page out of a book you haven’t read in years. Sure, these options aren’t quite as comfy but beggars can’t be choosers.

Perhaps you can opt for a wet sponge. Unless you get one with one of the rough sides, these are soft and durable. If you get a cheap brand, you can get a bunch in a package for only a few dollars. And like a lot of the other things on this list, there’s a good chance you probably already have some.

And if you have absolutely nothing else, which is highly unlikely, there are trees and plants pretty much everywhere. Leaves can do the trick. Rip off some of those big ones and go old-school hiker style.

Last but not least, the simplest solution of all. If you are at home, like we all are supposed to be most of the time at this point, you always have the option of jumping in the shower right after having a bowel movement.

Don’t make things more complicated than they need to be.