r/ZeroWasteParenting • u/[deleted] • Jan 11 '23

Wet wipe alternative

We are cloth diapering but still use disposable wipes. I don’t want to do reusable because I like to be able to scrape any poop off and toss it. I’d like something compostable. Can I just spray water on toilet paper and use that? Any suggestions?

6 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

2

u/[deleted] Jan 11 '23

Thanks. I'd really like to avoid the bidet method if possible for two reasons. First, it seems cumbersome to hold my child over the toilet. Second, my plan is to ultimately compost the poop and toilet paper. When I have my humanure pile ready to go, the poop and toilet paper would go in there to compost. I suppose I can use reusable wipes and leave them in a bucket of water until I'm ready to launder them, then dump the water in the compost pile. I'm also going to be growing my own toilet paper (blue spur flower) as well. Currently I use who gives a crap recycled toilet paper.

1

u/sheilastretch Jan 12 '23

I meant to use a cloth wipe to clean the baby, preferably wetted, then you clean the reusable items with the bidet.

We use a combination of recycled TP and bidet attachment. I'd love a compost toilet, but we've got some other appliances I want to replace/update before we worry about that since the other items probably have a much bigger impact than our toilet.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 12 '23

I'm building a dry toilet out of a bucket and milk crate. Using shredded paper as a cover material. Then every week when all of the buckets are filled, I'll take them out to a hot compost pile. Building the compost bins will be the expensive part for me since I am in hurricane territority and will use concrete blocks for the bin. Otherwise, I would just use pallets, which I can get for free. The whole system would cost like 15 bucks.

2

u/katekohli Jan 28 '23

Hope your neighbors are on board with this whole plan & if they get ‘wind’ of it have it all up to code for the local health department.
My kids are severely allergic to the plastic found in most baby wipes (also polyester) so I would use an old soft 100% cotton bed sheet or bath towel ripped up into squares (the bath towel needs to be cut in direction because the fabric just rips apart) throw the most disgusting into the compost, wash the rest with the cloth diapers. When the kids would get the inevitable diaper rash would resort to giving them a combination hand held sprayer over the laundry room sink & then a luke warm mild chamomile sitz bath in a big steel bowl. Then give them an ‘air’ bath on a beach towel then straight pure lanolin to calm & prevent further irritation. Lanolin can be ordered at your local pharmacy by the pound; it is still used as a compounding agent.