Out of toilet paper amid coronavirus outbreak? Here are your emergency alternatives

Thanks to the coronavirus outbreak, many Americans are facing the prospect of running out of toilet paper.

Shortages are ongoing, mostly because we’re hoarding it, emptying store shelves as soon as it’s stocked.

Older generations have been through this before, and have countless tricks up their sleeve.

Former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee alluded to this when he tweeted March 20 that people from the rural South now how to skillfully use a corn cob. “Just don’t flush them,” he said.

More realistic options among Baby Boomers were newspapers, brown paper grocery bags and pages from the phone book, but they had to be ripped and wrinkled to make them more pliable.

Given all three of those options are in short supply, here are some toilet paper stand ins that will work in a pinch, so to speak:

Paper options

There are other types of paper in the house that are usable, but still may need the old rip-and-wrinkle technique. This is not just to make them softer. It’s also necessary to keep from clogging up the toilet.

Napkins, paper towels and baby wipes are all your first line of defense, according to a recent Parade.com article. However, baby wipes are as difficult to find in stores as toilet paper as COVID-19 spreads.

And don’t forget notebook paper, printer paper, envelopes, sanitary napkins and Kleenex, UrbanSurvivalsite.com says.

Store receipts are also an option and even the cardboard toilet paper tube, according to Homesurvivalsite.com. However, if you’re thinking it might come to that, the site recommends first soaking the tube in water. If it’s an emergency, “just grab the dry roll, tear it in half” and do what you need to do, the site says.

Fair warning: Popular Mechanics advises against flushing paper towels, napkins and anything else you wouldn’t put down a garbage disposal.

Other possibilities around the house

• Water is an option and it’s easier when you have a squirt bottle or spray bottle. Holding water in your hand and splashing it in the right direction is also an option.
• Sponges work, but it’s complicated. They can breed bacteria easily, so they need to be boiled, or soaked in a bleach/water mixture and rinsed before using again, says UrbanSurvivalist.com. Who has time for that?
• Cloth towels, washcloths, diapers and cut up shirts can also work, says Apartmentprepper.com. Old socks also work and they can be washed and reused, TheProvidentPrepper.org says.
• Cotton balls or cotton pads from your beauty supplies or first aid kits are options as well, SHTFPreparedness.com says.
• Your hand. Yes, as horrifying as this sounds, multiple outlets recommend this as a possibility. “Many people around the world still use their hand (the left one usually),” Crisis Equipped says. “Be extra hygienic if this is the method you have to resort to and make sure nothing gets stuck under your nails. Sanitize your hands thoroughly- a couple of times if possible.”

This story was originally published March 23, 2020 at 3:18 PM with the headline "Out of toilet paper amid coronavirus outbreak? Here are your emergency alternatives."