With the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak currently happening in the world, essential products are becoming hard to find everyone is wondering where to buy toilet paper. This is because people are panic buying products and hoarding products such as toilet paper and clearing store shelves. You might have noticed that the toilet paper aisle at your store is completely bare.

Why is there a toilet paper shortage? The answer to that is panic and anxiety about the outcome of this epidemic. This article is an attempt to explain why toilet paper is essential and to help you find where to buy toilet paper even during this crisis. 

What is Toilet Paper Made of?

Toilet paper is made from one of two sources – recycled pulp obtained from materials such as discarded copy paper that is reprocessed and turned into pulp or from virgin pulp from trees from Canada or the United States. 

The pulp is sent to paper mills that will turn it into large rolls of paper that can be over 100 inches wide. Then the rolls are sent to paper-converting facilities where they will cut and package the end product of toilet paper, paper towels, and more. 

How Long is a Roll of Toilet Paper?

The standard size of a sheet of toilet paper is around 4.5” x 4.5”, there are typically 1000 sheets in a roll for one-ply toilet paper and 500 sheets in a roll for two-ply toilet paper. Essentially, a toilet paper roll is about 302 feet long.  

How Long Does a Roll of Toilet Paper Last?

There are many variables when it comes to answering the question, “How long does a roll of toilet paper last?” When trying to figure out how long a roll will last you, it’s essential to know how many people are living with you; how many bathroom breaks you usually take; if you have any digestive problems; how large the roll is and more. 

Typically, a pack of 40 rolls of toilet paper can last about three months, but this can vary. For instance, if you have digestive problems, such as IBS, you might find that you go through around four rolls a week. If you have a family, then you’re looking at more rolls per week as well. 

If you want to know how long a roll of toilet paper will last you, there is a website called How Much Toilet Paper. This is a calculator that will help you figure out how long your toilet paper will last you. 

How Much Toilet Paper do you Need?

The toilet paper calculator will help you figure out how much toilet paper you need. All you need to do is plug in the number of people in your house and the amount of time being spent in isolation. Then it will work the numbers to figure out how much toilet paper you need. 

As an example, say you have a family of four stuck in isolation for about two weeks. For them to get through this time of isolation, they would need around 16 rolls of toilet paper. For a couple spending six weeks in isolation, they should have about 24 rolls, and so on. 

The goal of this calculator is to help people know how many toilet paper rolls they genuinely need instead of panic buying and clearing the shelves at the grocery store. They base these calculations on the fact that a single person will need about 0.27 rolls of toilet paper per day.  

Why is Toilet Paper Essential?

Tissue paper products, including toilet paper and paper towels, play an essential role in our daily lives. This is because they contribute to improved convenience, comfort, and hygiene. The design of toilet paper is to provide absorbency, softness, ultra-lightweight, and strength, all at the same time. 

Different types of toilet paper

The toilet paper industry is large, with many factories manufacturing different kinds of toilet paper. Because of this, there are many choices. We can choose toilet paper rolls based on softness, size, style, and cost. 

There are also technical factors, such as roughness, “finger-breakthrough” resistance, water absorption, and more, that can be deciding factors when choosing toilet paper. 

To make toilet paper less rough, manufacturers typically use a coating of wax, lotion, or aloe that’s worked into the paper. The number of piles determines the quality of toilet paper. You can find toilet paper in one- or two-ply, but every toilet paper made has one to four layers of thin paper. 

One-ply toilet paper has a single sheet and marketed as a bargain buy. Two-ply means that there are two layers bonded together and is often more expensive than one-ply toilet paper. 

There are also low-grade toilet papers, mid-grade two-ply toilet papers, and premium toilet papers. The low-grade paper has only one (or two) piles max and is very coarse. Mid-grade two-ply paper is texture to provide softness and durability. Premium paper is made from the best-pulped paper and has two to four piles. 

The style of toilet paper refers to how it is wound into a roll and the size of the roll. There are three main types: standard, jumbo junior, and jumbo. 

What Type is Right For You?

Individuals will use an estimated 57 sheets of toilet paper per day. But when we buy toilet paper, we don’t take into consideration what will be the nicest to our bottoms. Instead, we tend to grab whatever is cheapest and easiest to find. 

It’s time that we start considering the best quality and most comfortable toilet paper for our bathroom needs. So, below you’ll find three tips that will help guide you when you next shop for toilet paper rolls. 

Look for Toilet Paper That is Durable and Strong

To make sure that your toilet paper is strong and durable, look for a brand that boasts durability and strength. Two-ply toilet paper is going to be the strongest. It offers the most coverage and least likelihood of finger break-throughs while also be the softest. 

If you go with a one-ply toilet paper, realize that you will need double the amount of toilet paper to get the best coverage. 

Keep Comfort in Mind

You want a sturdy toilet paper that will hold its shape without ripping, but paper that is soft enough not to cause damage to the skin on your sensitive areas. In general, one-ply toilet paper isn’t going to offer you the most comfort. 

Take into consideration the wide range of things you use toilet paper for, including runny noses, taking off makeup, and wiping up small spills. This will help guide you in picking the brand that is most comfortable for all your needs. 

Think About Why Prices are Cheap

Far too often, you’ll find toilet paper deals for a reason: the quality of the paper reflects the cost. If you don’t pay much for your paper, then you shouldn’t expect much from it!

More often than not, cheap brands easily tear and are flimsy or uncomfortable to touch. While you think you’re getting more bang for your buck, you’re getting less toilet paper because you need to use more to get the job done. 

So, rather than settle for cheap paper, consider spending a little extra on a known brand to get a more comfortable product. Some of the best toilet paper brands that you can purchase are Charmin, Angel Soft, Cottonelle, Presto, and Scott. All of these are well-known brands that can be trusted to be comfortable and durable. 

What to Do When You Don’t Have Toilet Paper

With the ongoing scarcity of bath tissue, you might find yourself down to the last few squares and wonder what you’ll do next. There are alternatives that you can use if you run out of toilet paper, including paper towels, tissues, and water. Below you’ll find a list of some of the best products to use if you find yourself out of toilet paper. 

Tissues and Paper Towels

Tissues and paper towels are the closest products to toilet paper, and they might be ones that you’ve already considered using. But if you decide to use these alternative paper products when you run out of toilet paper, you mustn’t flush the tissues or paper towels after using them. Bounty paper towels are a great option if you go this route due to their strength.

Despite them being texturally similar to toilet paper, the fibers in tissues and paper towels don’t break down the same way and can cause clogs in septic systems and plumbing. You should instead toss used tissues and paper towels into a garbage can with a lid lined with a garbage bag. When full, throw them out with the rest of the trash. 

Paper

Upcycled paper can also come in handy if you’ve run out of toilet paper. The best kinds to use are white printer paper, catalogs, or phone books. Avoid using glossy paper, like magazine pages. The colored ink can rub off in sensitive places. 

You can even use newspaper as toilet paper but exercise the same caution with the inks. Avoid using receipts covered in chemicals like BPA. 

Just as if you were using tissues and paper towels, avoid flushing these products down the toilet. Instead, toss them into a lidded garbage can and take out with the rest of the trash. 

Cardboard Toilet Paper Rolls

Avoid throwing away the toilet paper rolls or even the paper towel cardboard roll. Peel off the layers of the roll until you have enough to wipe with. You can also get them wet in the sink before using them to take it more comfortable to use. Again, throw the used pieces away in a garbage can to avoid clogging your pipes. 

Cloth 

You can use a variety of clean t-shirt rags, face towels, or dishcloths to use instead of toilet paper. Make a stack of cloths and use each one only once before throwing them into a sealed garbage can or hamper. 

Make sure to avoid washing these cloths with regular clothes. Cloth might be the best option if you have a septic system that can get clogged from tissues and paper towels. 

Sponge 

Ancient Rome used sponges instead of toilet paper in the bathroom. With this method, you must remember that sanitation is critical. Sponges can pick up bacteria and filth very quickly, so start with a brand-new sponge (ideally without the abrasive scrubbing material). 

After you’ve cleaned up with the sponge, submerge it in boiling water or diluted bleach for five minutes. Dry thoroughly before you use the sponge again. 

Flushable Wipes

These are wipes made for the bathroom. But while they say that they’re flushable, you should avoid flushing them because they can cause clogs. Instead, throw them away in a closed garbage can and throw away with the rest of the trash. 

Water

When everything else fails, water is a great, efficient, and sanitary option. You can purchase inexpensive bidet attachments online or make your own handheld bidet with a spray bottle, peri bottle, or perineal irrigation bottle. 

For this method, all you have to do is drip dry or shake yourself clean. 

Bamboo Toilet Paper

If you want a sustainable alternative to toilet paper, you might want to consider bamboo toilet paper. Bamboo toilet paper is eco-friendly because bamboos grow and flourish until they flower, then they make seeds and die. Unlike trees that need to be replanted after harvesting, bamboo needs to be harvested to stay alive. 

The only downsides to bamboo toilet paper are that it’s expensive, and it’s hard to find with the coronavirus outbreak. 

Where to Buy Toilet Paper

Like many essential products, most local stores are sold out of toilet papar. Luckily, Essential Goods keeps an updated list of toilet paper and shows you when they’re back in stock on Amazon. You can check them out below and sign up to our site to receive notifications on when products are back in stock.