Mum Shares Toilet Paper Solution After No Stores Had Any Stocked

Of the many terrible consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, one of the perhaps more unexpected ones is the toilet roll shortage.

People across the world fearful of a life without their lavender three ply have been stockpiling bog roll, meaning many have been greeted with empty shelves.

One mum in Australia made four trips to the shops to acquire loo roll, but every time she went, she was greeted by the dreaded empty shelves. But they say necessity is the mother of invention, so she set about finding a solution, which she shared in a now-viral Facebook post.

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This solution came in the form of 20 microfibre cloths, which she bought from hardware store Bunnings for AU $11.95 (£5.94) before cutting them into 80 strips

After using a strip - aka the DIY roll - the family plonk them in a bleach-filled sealed bucket, which she also bought from Bunnings for AU $6.50 (£3.23).

Explaining the methodology, she said: "I made 80 of these microfibre cloths - after use they go straight into a bucket of bleach with a lid on it (which sits beside the toilet).

"When the bucket is full then they will be washed in a separate load with Napisan. It has reduced our use of toilet paper which we can save for more pressing toilet visits."

Clearly, this isn't an ideal solution, but it's better than wiping on the curtains, and much more forgiving on your delicate areas too.

What's more, it's more environmentally friendly and means the family are saving money on water as they are flushing less - though hopefully they are remembering to flush when, you know, you just need to.

She continued: "Environmentally friendly, reusable and reduces flushing so saves on water - think our household alone would save about 25 flushes a day so can justify a small load to wash every couple of days.

"If we could all do this it would reduce the need for toilet paper, save us all money in the long run and better for the environment. Just a thought."

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The system was met with a mixed reaction, with some praising her savviness and others questioning her cleanliness.

Mum-of-one Emily Hughes, from Melbourne, has taken it a step further though, colour-coding her microfibre wipes for each family member.

Ms Hughes said her seven-year-old son was well on board with the new system as he had been learning about sustainability at school, however, her husband needed 'some convincing'.

Speaking to news.com.au, she said: "With all the panic going on, I thought there has to be a better solution. I used the same reusable washers a lot when my daughter was a toddler.

"They are soft, light and better for the environment than baby wipes. You can wet the washers with warm water and they work similar to a wet wipe."

And if push really comes to shove, she added that 'there's always the garden hose for dire straits'.

Nice.

Topics: Interesting, Coronavirus, Community

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey