Have you ever had to find a substitute for toilet paper?

Oh, I hate when we run out of toilet paper. What we do is use tissues. We keep a box in the bathroom. If we didn't have either, I might use cotten balls too. That really was a good idea.

I would use Kleenex first, and if that was not available I would use a napkin. If I was out of both a paper towel. if I happened to be out of all of those things I would use a washrag or my daughter's baby wipes I guess. I never thought of using cotton balls.

It's funny you should bring this up. lol I have used paper towels as a replacement. However, I rarely ever run out of toilet paper. It is one of my most important supplies, so I always buy extra. lol However, I came home, today from work, and the toilet was piled with paper towels, because my goofy husband, was too lazy to walk in the next room and get toilet paper, and used paper towels instead. Now, thanks to him, the toilet is stopped up. We have plunged it so many times, that both of my plungers are broke. I am so mad, I could spit fire.

I grew up on an island where we would play in the jungle or the ocean pretty much every day. In the ocean, you just have to let it rip and there's no real need to "wipe." In the jungle, it usually was leaves (you have to be sure to pick the right ones--some have fuzzy prickers) or sticks (which work well, but don't feel too nice).

well my friend i have ran out of toilet paper as well and for a substiyute i have used paper towels which i threw in the garbage when i was done so that my toilet wouldn't clog and i have also used baby wipes which come in handy as well since i have 3 babaies.pattie

I know all too well about being broke Ambie! Luckily I dont run out of toilet paper too often, I have and Ive used paper towels from the kitchen. But I buy cheap ones and I dont recommend them AT ALL!!! Now if they had been Bounty or something, that might have worked better. On the road with hubby a couple of times Ive missed a rest stop and he had to pull over, thank goodness it was dark! But I used his bandana. LMAO And I have used a McDonalds sack as well. Just my luck, the one time they didnt put any napkins in the bag!! Ive also just shook really hard when Ive had to go outdoors. Once in JR High, I went camping with my best friend and her mom for the summer. We were down by the lake with some other kids we knew and it was late at night so instead of walking to the bathrooms she squatted in some weeds. She didnt wipe, but she squatted over some poison oak. The next morning when we woke up, her face was huge and her eyes were swollen shut, not too mention it was all over the insides of her thighs and on her bum!! The doctor told us that was the worst case of poison oak he had ever seen. So glad that I didnt have to pee too. Bay Lay Gray xx

In the woods I have used leaves before and once I had to use one of my pads (you know the female kind). I think the worse I had to do was tissues at home and once the card board roll the tp came on in desperation because I couldn't get to where the tp was. My great grandmother who came through the depression and all she would use her old crossword puzzle books and rip off a sheet when she needed one. She of course didn't flush it down the toilet. She would save all kinds of things like that for use as toilet paper. Nothing got wasted even when the had money. She would reuse paper towels too.

When my youngest was in her flushing phase (she flushed anything that wasn't nailed down) she flushed my last three rolls of toilet paper. After I plunged the toilet we had a potty emergency and I had no paper left. I used coffee filters. It worked, but it isn't something I would want to do again.

well a shower might be fine, but who has time to jump in every time ya go pee? certainly not me! i have used kleenex in the past when we have been out of toilet paper or just didnt have any handy!

I have used paper towels, tissues, and even in more dire situations coffee filters and newspaper. I have had to use outhouses on occasion when I was a kid, and they always had newspaper in the outhouse...I guess to read and then wipe! Also, when I was in South Korea, my grandmother lived without indoor plumbing her entire life and this was not uncommon even for wealthier families there. So, to the outhouse I went when I visited there. Again with the newspaper lol, so yes, I have to say that we have been there as well. I ran out of toilet paper, paper towels and tissues and that's when the coffee filters came in. It wasn't too bad actually, pretty absorbent and not to rough! It's no Charmin but it will do in a pinch! LOL

Oh yes I have had this trouble before. I have had to use paper towel, napkins, newspaper and even once a towel. I live 30 miles from the nearest store and when you run out you can't just get some quickly.

I don't remember running out of toilet paper at home, but I have gone out somewhere and there was no toilet paper in their toilet. Like when I was shopping and had to go. I have used one of my socks. I couldn't help it, I had to poop and there was nothing else I could use. So I took off one of my socks and used it. I was just glad one was enough. Or maybe if I had to I could of used both of them, but what if that wasn't enough. My socks are pretty small as I wear only ankle socks.

Aw, my heart went out to you when I read your post - I have been there too! (Totally understand the internet connection, I could not survive without my eBay sales!) Anyway, back to toilet paper. Read some of the replies about Kleenex - yeah, if you can buy Kleenex you can buy loo roll - my loo roll was my Kleenex! So if I am out of loo roll then I am also out of Kleenex! Practically speaking, I have resorted to nicking loo roll from work or from public toilets (shame)! Not by the roll you understand (although I may have done were they not locked away inside dispensers!) but just by reeling off a few extra-generous sheets and tucking them in my bag. I've never used kitchen roll, newspaper or paper towels because the cost of a plumber to unblock my loo would be more than the cost of a loo roll! But I have in desperation grabbed used tissues out of my handbag (Gross! Blow your nose then wipe your bottom!) That's OK for drips but not really for anything extra, if you get my drift! Interestingly, when I holidayed in Turkey the toilets all had little taps over them. Looked like little filtered water thingies. I asked a couple of the local people about this and they told me that they considered the Western habit of using paper to be filthy, and that their culture expected that they would use running water to clean themselves after using a toilet. Not sure how accurate this is - and maybe someone can comment - but this would lead me to deliver the following advice to you hun, if you are ever really desperate again: Do the business: flush the loo: jump in a hot shower! There you go - what can be cleaner than that?

when the worst comes to the worst and all u have left is the cardboard tube u open it up and use it. although its more of a scraping than a wiping

I love it!LOL And you know what my friend I know this has happened to everyone one of us.LOL So funny! Wow I would have never thought of cotton balls.LOL Ive used tissues or paper towels. But you have to careful with paper towels because you could over flow the toliet. And thats a whole other problem.LOL thanks for sharing that with us.LOL

Cotton balls? You are very talented. Let's see, I have used a wash cloth, sock, newspaper, diaper wipes, paper towel, napkin, tissue, old t-shirt, that went in the trash afterwards. If I can wash something or throw it out immediately, if I have to use it I will. I have never used cotton balls though. I would not be able to keep them all together.

We save old shirts, socks, underwear, sweats, bath towels/hand towels when they are no longer useful for their original purpose and use them as rags for wiping up spills, cleaning, and, when the need calls for it, as toliet paper. lol But I've used newspapers as well as leaves that have fallen off trees as tp on occasion when I'm out on the back roads and really have to go.

This is a great post. LOL I have had to use paper towels, klenex, and baby wipes. I remember once when my kids were little and I had no money....I went to the laundry mat and stole a roll of theirs....I know that is bad, but I needed it and didnt know what else to do. So I completely understand.

Well I'm pretty ashamed of this topic. Its kinda a embarrasing topic. I've been really poor so I've stolen toilet paper from public restrooms. I've borrowed it from my parents and thats no big deal. The worst is when you go to the bathroom in a public restroom and then you notice there is no toilet paper. I have taken the cardboard part of the roll off and used that before in desperate times.

LOL You are funny, when i was still a child, that time in China, we didnt have toilet papers, so most of the time peopel used normal papers of books, but sometimes when i was playing with my friends outside, we used to use big leaves and if many grass lol..and if there was a river or a pond near, then we would use water. This topic reminded me my Childhood, we were poor that time, but full of happiness, its my best memory :)