I spend a lot of time in grocery stores. They're my leisure activity. I love a good grocery store like a University student loves a good kegger. Let me walk you through what a typical visit to the toilet paper aisle is like with me:
Karen: (subject strolling back and forth in front of toilet paper aisle) Hmm. HMMM. I will buy this toilet paper. It's on sale.
Other customer: Why are you telling me? I'm not concerned with what bathroom tissue you buy.
Karen: Bathroom tissue? Bathroom tissue??!! Aren't you fancy. I wasn't talking to you anyway, I was talking to myself. Basically you were eavesdropping on a private conversation with myself. Which makes you either rude or a spy. Are you a spy? You seem very spy-like.
Other customer: I'd prefer to be rude than suffer from logorrhea.
Karen: Wha ... what? Logorrhea? I'm starting to understand the whole "bathroom tissue" thing.
Other customer: (stares blankly)
Karen: I've decided you're not a spy. You could never fit any cool spy stuff in that ridiculously small spy kit.
Other customer: It's not a spy kit, it's my crayon box.
Karen: Either way, kid ... I'm still buying the toilet paper that's on sale.
Other customer: You're weird.
The End.
A similar scenario is likely to happen in the dairy, meat or cereal aisle.
This scenario is never likely to happen again because as of a few weeks ago I changed my attitude. And my toilet paper brand.
All because of my never ending plumbing problems.
ONE thing you can do to decrease the chance of any plumbing problems is buy the right toilet paper.
And do NOT buy the wrong one.
I wanted to know which was which, so of course ... I did an experiment.
If you have any sort of plumbing issues, the most important thing in toilet paper isn't if it has lotion, isn't if it's thick, isn't if it's soft, isn't if it's on sale ... the MOST important thing is ...
DOES YOUR TOILET PAPER DISSOLVE?
Toilet paper that doesn't dissolve just sits in a clump in your plumbing. And if it gets caught on something like a jagged edge or corner in your pipes it will stay there for a longggg time, allowing more and more paper to get stuck and caught on it, creating, eventually a big mass of undissolved toilet paper blocking your sewer line.
And then one day you'll flush the toilet and instead of the water in the toilet bowl going down, it will start to move UP. Towards you. As you stare in horror, desperately trying to remember what to do (turn the water supply to the toilet off immediately) you'll wonder why, WHYYYYYYYY is this happening to YOU?
Because you're using the wrong toilet paper.
In the olden days this wouldn't have been as large a problem but a lot of today's low flush toilets just don't have enough power to push the super luxurious toilet paper through.
So the experiment.
I went out and bought 3 brands of toilet paper.
I bought the cheapest brand possible at $5 for a whole whack of rolls. It was my store's own cheapo-brand.
I bought Charmin Ultra Soft which looked like a standard premium toilet paper. I bought it because this particular toilet paper had a claim right on the packaging that it's a "no plunger" toilet paper. Meaning it won't clog your pipes. Presumably that means it will dissolve easily.
I bought Cottonelle Gentle Care with Aloe which looked more like a blanket than toilet paper.
I put 2 sheets of each of the brands into a glass jar.
Then I added 2 cups of water to each jar.
Then I let them sit for half an hour.
After half an hour I stirred the toilet paper up a bit to see how it broke down.
The results were amazing.
Both of Premium and Super Premium brands (Charmin on the left and Cottonelle on the right) barely broke down. The cheap stuff broke down very well.
84% of households buy Premium and Super Premium brand toilet paper by the way.
The Charmin Ultra Soft which claimed on its packaging that it wouldn't clog your pipes, did dissolve but not nearly as much as the cheap stuff. After half an hour in water I could still pull out big globs of paper without it breaking.
The cheapest brand, as I suspected, dissolved away to almost nothing after half an hour. All that remained after stirring it a bit were tiny little bits. It almost broke down completely. This toilet paper would not cause your pipes to clog.
The Cottonelle with Aloe and ripples? This toilet paper almost didn't break down at all. And even after soaking it in the water it was still strong and not at all interested in breaking apart.
You might think this is a lot of thought about toilet paper, but the day will come, mark my words when you're staring a toilet bowl full of horrors and you'll wish you'd given toilet paper more thought.
The least of your worries is an overflowing toilet before you can get the plunger to work. The worst of your worries is sewer lines that need to be snaked at a cost of around $400.
Actually, that's not the worst. The worst of your worries is spending thousands of dollars replacing your sewer lines that keep getting clogged when all you needed to do was buy better (worse) toilet paper.
Jennie Lee
I'd like to give thanks to whoever designed and built my house. It is 66 years old, and to my knowledge, has never had a clogged toilet. It has a huge copper pipe that it drains into. I had 2 new toilets installed 2 years ago. I use Charmin Ultra-strong, because it doesn't tear while I'm using it, but I only use a few sheets at a time, because that's all you need. I also use Cottonelle bathroom wipes, but never more than one at a time, and I do flush them. I've found that they keep my bum cleaner and happier. The new toilets usually work well, (and quickly!), but if they don't flush completely, I do it a second time. In the 70s I had a landlord who forbid his tenants to use Cottonelle toilet paper, so I've been aware of the situation for a long time. In my experience, most clogging problems are caused by people using WAY too much toilet paper. And it's hard to blame them, when the paper tears to bits while you're wiping! After having that happen, no wonder people use a huge wad! Houses are like people; they're all different. Your article will undoubtedly help people with drain problems to THINK about why it happens, which is the first step toward a solution.
Karen
Hi Jennie! I just want to clarify. Using too much toilet paper isn't the issue. It isn't. You've got a lucky situation where you have good pipes and probably a good slope to your sewer. But it's definitely the brand of toilet paper and whether or not it dissolves that's the important issue. Not how much you use. Trust me. I've done way more research than anyone should have to do on toilet paper for this post. :) ~ karen!
Jennie Lee
I respect your opinion, Karen. One reason I blame using too much, though, is that I used to work in a drug store which was in an old building. It was small and didn't have a public restroom, but at times we would let a customer in immediate need use the employee restroom. Over the course of a number of years, the ONLY times it ever clogged up was when a customer used a ridiculous amount of toilet paper. The employees knew better, and never caused a problem. We used toilet paper provided by the company; always the same kind.
Eileen
It's a little scary to me that your former landlord forbid his tenants to use Cottonelle! I understand his concern but wow! That's crazy!
Eileen
As much as I love the premium brands, I've never bought them. I've used Scott all my life. It's not my favorite but I know what damage the premium brands have caused especially with the low-flow toilets. We have 2 (out of 4) toilets that are high speed flushers (Gerber- they're like airplane toilets - hold on tight!) so I could probably use the good stuff but hubby does the Costco/BJ's shopping in our house we buy TP by the case. Several people I know who used Charmin, etc. had major plumbing problems because of them. I know a few plumbers who try to discourage people from using the expensive brands. (You'd think they'd wanna keep quiet so they could make more money by doing the repairs. Darn plumbers. Too honest.)
Karen, I bet you never expected so many responses to your post!
Also, your posters/responders have such a great sense of humor. I particularly like the PTSD (Post Toilet Stress Disorder) designation!
Valerie
Karen,
Given the number of replies to this post you have scored a royal flush.
JackieVB
Good info here, I'm definitely going to do the water test with my Kirkland brand that I use. A few years ago I had to replace the toilet and my son was always clogging the other one - his method is to spin the toilet paper roll so he gets all that he thinks he needs. Anyway, I opted to get a Toto (the cheap end not the high end one) that has a vacuum system that helps push the water out. But as you've proven here, it isn't helping with any problem of the TP getting stuck in the pipes where it becomes an expensive mess.
Nancee
Once again, I got a good laugh out of your post! I'm afraid I have similar conversations, we several different voices and opinions. Unfortunately, I sometimes talk aloud, so I must sound pretty odd.
However, as much as I'm sure the cheapo TP dissolves more, and is easier on the plumbing, I prefer to NOT use TP that feels like sand paper. And because it's so thin, it usually takes more to do the "job".
If I were a normal person, with a normal internal system, I might be able to use the sand paper TP. But I'm "blessed" to have a seriously whacked out internal system, so I'm in that water closet a lot. I want the middle brand~~soft on the tush and still dissolves sufficiently.
I'm sharing your blog; I feel sure others have these conversations too. And I'm sure my friends will enjoy seeing your experiment. I experiment like this a lot too, so they'll like seeing someone else doing this for once.
Bols
No surprise there. I think that the addition of the aloe vera is also a factor. It prevents the TP from absorbing water (or at least it slows the process down). Did you every try use to a kleenex with added lotion to wipe up a spill? It does not absorb water (coffee, tea, any liquid) nearly as well as regular kleenex. And when I say kleenex, I mean any brand, not just Kleenex.
I never buy expensive TP because it's literally money down the toilet. :-)
This week, Food Basics has a 24-roll pack on sale for $3.99 (the store brand). That's the one I am buying.
Shannon
Well thanks a lot, I just stocked up on fancy toilet paper yesterday! ;)
This makes so much sense, and I never even thought about it. I'm with some other commenters who mention how the cheapo stuff breakdown down on your rear (leaving little blobs of paper behind, stuck where you can't see...uh, yuck), but maybe I have to reconsider. Tough choices here!
Rondina
Two-ply?
trish
Just had Roto Rooter service last week...your TP info is greatly appreciated !!!
Ditto on the Baby wipes that do major clogging damage !
Lynn
Just to way in on TP subject, cheap tp uses short strands in sheets there fore they break down faster . The plush tp uses long strands so (a) they feel softer (b) take longer to break down (c) if they have lotion it takes even longer to break down due to the oils infused in the tissue . What feels good on your bottom does not come close to how it feels having money to get something you love , rather than flushed down the drain !
SusanO
The problem with the cheap stuff is that it starts to dissolve while it's still in your hand and on your... well you get the picture. That can be very irritating in more ways than one. I would say go with Charmin.
BG
Invaluable research! As I type I'm water-testing my 100% bamboo toilet paper and 100% recycled "Who Gives a Crap". After 10 minutes I can already tell that the bamboo toilet paper is behaving like a dish rag -- still quite strong and I can pick it up out of the glass in a whole piece. The 100% recycled paper is already very crumbly! We have sensitive plumbing so THANK YOU for this simple test!! And may I add... what sort of person feels the need to sacrifice a virgin tree to wipe their bum. 70% of the world's people don't have access to toilet paper. Toilet paper is so destructive to the earth. Toilet paper made from virgin trees is shameful.
Mike
Thanks for the invaluable research, Karen. Now I'll have a scholarly-sounding answer when house guests ask why I buy cheap-ass toilet paper.
Jan in Waterdown
You have guests who ask that?? I'd be tempted to tell them to go take a crap somewhere else! Sheesh! lol . . .
Cred
Never had given this much thought so thanks for the research. I usually follow the sale price and stock up. I think the past, I had used enviro-friendly TP, to do my part but had stopped recently due to info about what recycled paper may go into that TP. (that's a different story that most people wouldn't worry about)
Since switching to conventional brands, I had noticed that some of them break down before flushing- the paper appears shredded are it swirls away. I never thought of it as an advantage, it was just an observation. Now I will have to check which brand it was since it was a sale, it wasn't the cheapy kind but I just don't know which one.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention, you may have spared many a great disaster and expense.
Cred
Just did a quickie test with what I'd last bought on sale. Royale original- 2 ply double rolls. I just ran the tap over it in the sink and it immediately broke up (mind you that had some force from the tap but still that without any time- so pretty good).
This one does claim to be flush friendly- dissolves 5x quicker. Had never read that before; however, as you prove with the Charmin, marketing claims cannot always be relied on)
And as you explain, it does the job without breaking apart beforehand. It's not pillowy soft but it's not that wretched scratchy stuff either. I'd say it's a pretty acceptable compromise for your plumbing's sake.
Barb
Good information, especially for those of us with septic systems. Now for the "other" great TP controversy...do you hang it with the loose end over the roll or under? You can tell at our house who filled the roller last!
Karen
https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/just-for-fun-fridaythe-great-debate/ ~ karen!
Josephine
Left handed people (like me & hubby) the tp is under. Right handed people the tp is over (like my 2 boys)
If I am visiting my mother-in-law and I need to change the tp I automatically put it under. The next time I go to the loo it has been change to over. lol
Barb
Thanks, Karen. I figured you'd addressed that issue before I found this great blog! After years of "battling", I finally went to the dark side since my husband outlasted me in his determination to go under!
Lavendershrub
Over, definitely over. Even got my husband and children to put a new one hanging over!
Wendy
Okay. I get that you don't want your toilet to clog. But, the trouble with the cheap stuff is that it also disintegrates while you're using it, doesn't it? I mean, it feels awful, and then you can't actually clean yourself because it shreds as you're going.
I work in a school. Cheap, cheap, cheap. And the toilets are always being plugged by wretched children.
I think cheap shoes, cheap bags and cheap toilet paper aren't worth the savings. But that's just me.
Wendy
Karen
It's not about saving a few dollars on cheap toilet paper Wendy. It's that cheap toilet paper can indeed and has on many occasions lead to either a quick $500 fix or in a lot of cases the digging up of your entire sewer system at a cost of anywhere from $5,000 - $15,000, when in fact, all you needed to do was buy the right toilet paper. It's not about cheap. It's about the "right" toilet paper. In this case the fact that's it's cheap is secondary to the fact that it actually behaves the way toilet paper is supposed to behave, which is to dissolve. And not all cheap toilet paper dissolves in your hand while using it. The stuff I've bought doesn't. ~ karen!
Ellen
But...but think of your poor bottom?!? :O
If it's one "luxury" I afford myself it's a soft bathroom tissue. I dare say if you've never suffered from a fissure...you can't relate. ugh
Kim from Milwaukee
I buy the store brand and it's soft enough to use on the nose, so don't discount them because they're inexpensive....I wouldn't waste money on the brand names.
Phyllis Kraemer
Is there a relation between the "ply" #...and the "cheapie cost"....
Karen
No ma'am. Cheap can either be one or two ply. It has more to do with the thickness of each individual sheet and I suppose how they're held together. Maybe the length of the paper strands? Dunno. But the cheap stuff I'm using is 2 ply. ~ karen!
awesomesauciness
$12K...TWELVE THOUSAND DOLLARS...CASH MONEY...
Yep, replaced every inch of sewer piping under my house. The details involved tunneling and cameras, and more tunneling, and pipe hangers, and pipe, pipe, and more pipe, then backfilling and stomping.
There were also a LOT of tears.
Alas, the pipes were not clogged with TP (I use the Charmin, btw), but were 'bellied' by the shifting foundation - hello good ol' Texas clay soils.
I still hyperventilate at the memory, so thanks for the recurrence of PTSD (post-toilet-stress-disorder), Karen.
marilyn
great post karen, we are on a septic system so always have to be aware. the only bad thing about the cheapies is that you tend to use twice or three times as much which can sometime negate the positive! however there are some middle brands which are a happy medium..thanks for spotlighting something that most people would not even think about!
Karen
Hey Marilyn! Using twice as much doesn't really matter actually because it will always dissolve. The better stuff just doesn't dissolve no matter what. It just sits there. Like a toilet paper statue for all eternity. ~ karen!
Mel
Yay! Good to know that me being cheap also is better for my plumbing. Thanks for doing this post!
Okay so I'll be the first to admit that I'm a bit of a hippie (the cloth diapering, breastfeeding, kombucha making, rag weilding, menstrual cup wearing, toxin avoiding, herb taking, granola baking kind). I use cloth wipes on my two sons that are in cloth diapers so I thought, hmm, why I use cloth wipes for myself? So I repurposed some old fabric by cutting and sewing into squares and I use that. Only for number ones though. Number twos get (cascades or kirkland) toilet paper. I'm not that green, lol. I have a wet/dry bag I store them in and wash with the diapers. It isn't gross at all. And you are washing every 2-3 days so I don't find it gets stinky. It saves tons of money, reduces all the transportation and processing issues AND it won't clog your pipes!
Karen as well
Although my children are in their 20's and eek! early 30's, I have followed the same path as you Mel, for environmental reasons. Now, trying to stop all the disposables coming into my home! I have been considering using cloth wipes just as you do, but your post has been the nudge I needed. Otherwise, I have to give a big thumbs up to Cascades (Ultra Quilted) which has just passed Karen's Mason Jar test with complete disintegration and has always used recycled fibres.