Using your left hand to wipe

[Shad]

I was just wondering what it's like using your left hand to wipe, as is done on the Indian sub-continent. I wonder, because I have only about 6 rolls of toilet paper left and might soon have to find an alternate method. So is it sanitary? And if so, is this something people might have to get used to in the age of COVID-19..?

Are there any other options left. Especially considering that soap is becoming rare, can we use clay to wash our hands?

Go look for items at smaller stores. Costco is sold out of items here but there are stores with stock on shelves that people ignore or do not know about.

 

[ManSinha]

It's a well-known cleaning brand. Does some really good products. It's trusted.

And in the subcontinent as well

 

[Stanyon]

Hardwood ash in water will produce a weak lye solution in a couple of days. I used to pour hardwood ash and water on deer deer hides which were then rolled up to loosen the hair which scrapes off very easily after soaking in it doing it the "old fashioned" way. If it came down to it I imagine one could leave the water and ash solution soak for a longer period then boil it to concentrate the lye to a degree, if too harsh add water -probably a good idea not to breath the steam.
Thinking outside the box will go a long way methinks.

 

[ManSinha]

Hardwood ash in water will produce a weak lye solution in a couple of days. I used to pour hardwood ash and water on deer deer hides which were then rolled up to loosen the hair which scrapes off very easily after soaking in it doing it the "old fashioned" way. If it came down to it I imagine one could leave the water and ash solution soak for a longer period then boil it to concentrate the lye to a degree, if too harsh add water -probably a good idea not to breath the steam.
Thinking outside the box will go a long way methinks.

And what are you proposing be done with that solution? Asking out of genuine curiosity - as you know lye can be a desiccant and irritant and cause serious issues if ingested - allows reading of 2-3 paragraphs before one hits a paywall.

 

[Stanyon]

And what are you proposing be done with that solution? Asking out of genuine curiosity - as you know lye can be a desiccant and irritant and cause serious issues if ingested - allows reading of 2-3 paragraphs before one hits a paywall.

It's one of the basic ingredients in old fashioned lye soap. Works great on poison Ivy and oak, lather up really well and then let dry. Will soak up the irritant oils. (I can personally vouch for this)

 

[Aupmanyav]

Especially considering that soap is becoming rare, can we use clay to wash our hands?

Indians used clean soil (the cleanest they could find) before soap appeared on the scene. Did that in all my childhood. For bathing, Fuller's earth (Multani mitti - clay), natural soap-producing vegs/grasses were used. My Kerala friend tells me that in his state it was a weed/grass that grew in rivers which would create lather. Reetha (Sapindus mukorossi) is considered very good for hair or washing clothes. Ash was used for cleaning utensils.

I hugely dislike soaps or solutions which smell strongly or leave some oil on body/hands after wash - Dove, Dettol dispenser being the examples. Then shampoos, bath oils and body lotions. My spoiled son likes them, wants us to use them, and I hate them. IMHO, he is spoiling habits of his children. We have enough paper rolls in the house to last him for a year (others do not use them).

We also have umpteen deodorants in the house, camphor sticks, active carbon sacks, etc. At one time, my son got into the habit of keeping half an onion in every room of the house. He believed that it removed bad smell. And I would get nauseated with the smell. So I would search for the half onion and throw it away. Sapristi.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I was just wondering what it's like using your left hand to wipe, as is done on the Indian sub-continent.

Kindly remember that stools do not have bad bacteria unless one is ill. On the contrary, modern medicine has used poop pills to provide the useful bacteria that other people may lack.
So it is not all that bad. The steps include using a jet spray to clear the area, then using left hand (not all fingers) to clean it (one can use soap at that time), and then washing your hands with soap (in Indian house-holds, this soap is kept separate from what people will use for bathing).

 

[Cooky]

Indians used clean soil (the cleanest they could find) before soap appeared on the scene. Did that in all my childhood. For bathing, Fuller's earth (Multani mitti - clay), natural soap-producing vegs/grasses were used. My Kerala friend tells me that in his state it was a weed/grass that grew in rivers which would create lather. Reetha (Sapindus mukorossi) is considered very good for hair or washing clothes. Ash was used for cleaning utensils.

I hugely dislike soaps or solutions which smell strongly or leave some oil on body/hands after wash - Dove, Dettol dispenser being the examples. Then shampoos, bath oils and body lotions. My spoiled son likes them, wants us to use them, and I hate them. IMHO, he is spoiling habits of his children. We have enough paper rolls in the house to last him for a year (others do not use them).

We also have umpteen deodorants in the house, camphor sticks, active carbon sacks, etc. At one time, my son got into the habit of keeping half an onion in every room of the house. He believed that it removed bad smell. And I would get nauseated with the smell. So I would search for the half onion and throw it away. Sapristi.

I really like camphor sticks too. They seem to have the ability to 'remind' me of something, though I'm not quite sure how that works or why. These are interesting things to know, and I'm thankful that you were willing to share this information, because I always wondered how it was done exactly. I don't think I would like the onion idea either.

 

[Spirit of Light]

I was just wondering what it's like using your left hand to wipe, as is done on the Indian sub-continent. I wonder, because I have only about 6 rolls of toilet paper left and might soon have to find an alternate method. So is it sanitary? And if so, is this something people might have to get used to in the age of COVID-19..?

Are there any other options left. Especially considering that soap is becoming rare, can we use clay to wash our hands?

If you live near the forest/bush you could go the natural way of using moss or wipe your deary rear with leaf then wash it with water after that

 

[Cooky]

active carbon sacks

My wife bought some small carbon sacks, and she loves them. I just saw this online, and thought what a good invention this was too for the whole house:


20x20x1 Astro-Sorb Activated Carbon AC / Furnace Filter | Air Filters, Inc.

 

[Aupmanyav]

These are interesting things to know, and I'm thankful that you were willing to share this information, because I always wondered how it was done exactly.

Thanks, Landon, for your appreciation of my post.

My wife bought some small carbon sacks, and she loves them. I just saw this online, and thought what a good invention this was too for the whole house:

I do not know about their efficacy. Air has to be passed through active carbon for them to be effective. However, recharging them is easy - Keep them in sun (and there is no problem about the sun in India. It burns bright for eight months of the year).

I really like camphor sticks too. They seem to have the ability to 'remind' me of something, though I'm not quite sure how that works or why.

Pleasing smell. We use it for fragrance, in worship (aarti) and in sweets also. It imparts particular taste in them.

 

[Cooky]

A re-post from another thread:



It was only $30. Not sure what that comes out to in toilet paper rolls.

Think it's 3 now.

For $30. that's pretty good too. Thanks.

 

[stvdv]

I was just wondering what it's like using your left hand to wipe, as is done on the Indian sub-continent. I wonder, because I have only about 6 rolls of toilet paper left and might soon have to find an alternate method. So is it sanitary? And if so, is this something people might have to get used to in the age of COVID-19..?

Are there any other options left. Especially considering that soap is becoming rare, can we use clay to wash our hands?

I spend 10 years in India, and got so used to do it the Indian way, that I still do it. Never used toilet paper since probably 1992 or so. So much cleaner. So much easier. I don't even have a special toilet, just the regular one, and squatting on it. Took some time to find my balance while squatting, but got the hang of it. And to squat is the perfect way to get my bowels to move (I have a bit constipation, and this does work best for me).

 

[columbus]

I spend 10 years in India, and got so used to do it the Indian way, that I still do it. Never used toilet paper since probably 1992 or so. So much cleaner. So much easier. I don't even have a special toilet, just the regular one, and squatting on it. Took some time to find my balance while squatting, but got the hang of it. And to squat is the perfect way to get my bowels to move (I have a bit constipation, and this does work best for me).

That's way more information than the internet needed.
Tom

 

[stvdv]

That's way more information than the internet needed.
Tom

Thanks. I forgot that ****ting is still taboo. All do it times a day, but talking about it is still a bit too much.

I try to keep it in mind next time, better not over burden the internet too much