Mum Shares Video Explaining Why Her Family Now Use Washable Cloths Instead Of Toilet Paper

We’ve all noticed the cost of living increasing day by day and while we’ve all had to make sacrifices, one family seems to have gone that extra mile. You see, they haven’t used toilet paper for over three years, instead opting to use ‘family cloths’ which get washed and reused. Yes, seriously.

The Sun reports that Amber Allen, along with husband Joseph and their three kids, decided to try and save money by giving up unnecessary expenses. One of those was toilet paper.

“We started not using toilet paper for several reasons. We were trying to get out of about £70,000 [$A100,000] of debt, so we cut anything out of our budget that we could.”

Other things they cut out were Netflix subscriptions and any kind of unnecessary shopping like toys, treats etc. “One day it occurred to me, why are we using toilet paper? We are literally throwing our money down the toilet,” she said. “I just couldn’t wrap my head around why we were doing that.”

The YouTube video was accompanied by this explanation from the frugal mum: “We don’t use toilet paper, or buy it! It’s actually better for the environment and more zero waste, as it’s more sustainable and uses what you have in your home! It’s cheaper, more frugal, and saves a ton of money as well. It’s very easy to clean. We call it family cloth, but it has other names, like cloth wipes, cloth toilet paper, cloth toilet wipes, etc. I figured I’d make a video all about it for you guys! I hope I answered most of your questions, but if I didn’t I may make a second vide! Enjoy!”

Amber says the best way to use the cloths is to sew the edges so they don’t fray. That way they last longer and can have more uses. She estimates in doing so she’s saved between $1200 to $2100 over the past three years.

But what happens when visitors come over, I hear you ask? Fear not. The family has a special stash for guests only. Phew!

“We used to have a BYOR (bring your own roll) rule in our house,” she joked. But thankfully the family decided a cloth wasn’t for everyone.

But how do the cloths get cleaned? The mum explained that they keep a bucket in the bathroom with water in it “to keep things nice and liquidy”. Then they put them into the washing machine where they come out nice and clean. But she warns people to “please wash your cloth wipes in a separate load from your clothing”. Explaining that her husband has made that mistake in the past. “There’s no coming back from washing your soiled cloth with clothing or bedding without soaking everything in the bathtub with baking soda,” she said.

So, what do you think? Are you ready to give up toilet paper and give the cloth a go??

Images: The Fairly Local Family via Twitter