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Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe (2009)

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Re: Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe (2009)

#31

Post by usaphp »

electic wrote: post #30

This might be TMI but I never understood toilet paper. Think about it. You are taking a piece of paper and just spreading it around. No matter how hard you try it's still there. It's not clean. Gross. In fact, the use of toilet paper has spurred a whole new industry that most other countries don't have...the ointment industry. Washlets or bidets are far cleaner and preferred.

But when you use water - don’t you get your hands dirty? At least with paper you have paper to do all the work instead of your fingers?

Re: Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe (2009)

#32

Post by kyrra »

thomastjeffery wrote: post #25
giancarlostoro wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could also just try using Baby wipes?

It's a bad idea to flush those. They don't degrade, and end up blocking sewers and ruin septic systems.

There are flushable versions.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Huggies-Pull-Ups-Big-Kid-Flushabl...

Re: Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe (2009)

#33

Post by usaphp »

thomastjeffery wrote: post #25
giancarlostoro wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could also just try using Baby wipes?

It's a bad idea to flush those. They don't degrade, and end up blocking sewers and ruin septic systems.

There are flushable wipes: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N288ZXE/

Re: Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe (2009)

#34

Post by ajross »

electic wrote: post #30

This might be TMI but I never understood toilet paper. Think about it. You are taking a piece of paper and just spreading it around. No matter how hard you try it's still there. It's not clean. Gross. In fact, the use of toilet paper has spurred a whole new industry that most other countries don't have...the ointment industry. Washlets or bidets are far cleaner and preferred.

Seems like that same logic would obviate the dish cloth/sponge, dust cloth, mop, and towel too. Since these devices actually work, I suspect you're thesis is kinda wrong. Needless to say, when you wipe with an "clean" cloth, some of the material you want to remove sticks to the cloth and gets removed, leaving less on the surface being cleaned. Some number of repetitions pushes the concentration down below whatever it is you want to consider your target.

It works no differently for poop or spilled gravy.

I'll take no position on the bidet vs. paper debate.

Re: Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe (2009)

#35

Post by dingo_bat »

usaphp wrote: post #31
electic wrote: post #30

This might be TMI but I never understood toilet paper. Think about it. You are taking a piece of paper and just spreading it around. No matter how hard you try it's still there. It's not clean. Gross. In fact, the use of toilet paper has spurred a whole new industry that most other countries don't have...the ointment industry. Washlets or bidets are far cleaner and preferred.

But when you use water - don’t you get your hands dirty? At least with paper you have paper to do all the work instead of your fingers?

You can wash your hands with a nice antibacterial soap. It's easy and very clean.

Re: Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe (2009)

#36

Post by Dylan16807 »

kyrra wrote: post #32
thomastjeffery wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a bad idea to flush those. They don't degrade, and end up blocking sewers and ruin septic systems.

There are flushable versions. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Huggies-Pull-Ups-Big-Kid-Flushabl...

They sure do say that.

Don't believe them.

Re: Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe (2009)

#37

Post by eyelidlessness »

usaphp wrote: post #31
electic wrote: post #30

This might be TMI but I never understood toilet paper. Think about it. You are taking a piece of paper and just spreading it around. No matter how hard you try it's still there. It's not clean. Gross. In fact, the use of toilet paper has spurred a whole new industry that most other countries don't have...the ointment industry. Washlets or bidets are far cleaner and preferred.

But when you use water - don’t you get your hands dirty? At least with paper you have paper to do all the work instead of your fingers?

My hands get dirty using shit tickets. I hope you know yours do too. You do wash after rubbing a highly porous sheet of paper around in your poops, don't you?

Re: Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe (2009)

#38

Post by [deleted] »

giancarlostoro wrote: post #23
GreaterFool wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate traveling outside Japan! Can't live without "shower toilets" (that's how they're called here). It's hardly a luxury. It's an essential household equipment! I feel like I'm going to barbarian lands when I leave Japan (for the sake of full disclosure, I'm not Japanese)

You could also just try using Baby wipes?

[deleted]

Re: Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe (2009)

#40

Post by Jach »

Tried a Japanese toilet, I like the combination of spray + paper. Spraying alone would be gross, I'll take the paper alone over the spray alone (Japan seems to agree at least with public toilets that don't have sprays). It's just like your hands not being clean until you dry them. But really any method that doesn't use soap is leaving you dirty until you can shower.

What I don't get is why anyone wants to take cleanliness advice from cultures that still follow a "one hand for eating, one for wiping" custom.

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