To Wipe or to Wash?

Now I’ve been to many different countries and done my business in many different places. When I first came to South East Asia I had absolutely no idea how to use this contraption and I often left the toilet with a soggy bottom whilst walking around like John Wayne.  

However after spending time here over the years, I’ve come to the realization that it’s a far superior way of cleaning your backside.  

Firstly, wiping every time you go for a number ‘two’ is not good for the health of your bum. Excessive wiping can cause hemorrhoids and can generally aggravate the downstairs undercarriage area. It’s far better to actually wash with the gun.

Its non abrasive, cheaper and more environmentally friendly. There are many environmental factors to consider when you flush paper down the loo, it has to go somewhere!

In the UK and other developed countries they have facilities that process this paper and separate it from the waste water. This however is not the case in Thailand. Thailand does not have the infrastructure to separate the paper from the poops and it will end up causing problems for the system further down the line. Not to mention that Toilet paper is generally made from a combination of hard and soft wood trees generally in the mix of 70 to 30 percent. Softwood trees have longer fibers that wrap around each other, giving the paper its strength, whilst Hardwood trees generally have shorter fibers that make the paper softer.

Other materials used in the manufacturing of loo roll include bleaches, chlorine, sodium hydroxide and peroxide which whitens the paper. As you can guess this is definitely not going to be healthy to wipe on your bits on a daily basis. All of the chemicals used in the manufacturing process have been identified as a threat to the environment.

You also have to consider the carbon footprint involved in the transportation of the paper to the suppliers and shops.

It just seems to me completely illogical to use such a product in this day and age.  What we need to do is let go of our cultural tradition in the west of wiping and embrace washing!!

Written by Gary Shoulders