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Question: Why are people stocking up on toilet paper? (Original Post) Blueplanet Mar 2020 OP
You are kidding, right? unc70 Mar 2020 #1
I think people are just stocking up on necessities so Lisa0825 Mar 2020 #2
I got some Ensure for my dad if he is in lockdown in his nursing applegrove Mar 2020 #10
I always get mine at Costco and was a couple weeks out from needing more. It's eastern Washington brewens Mar 2020 #38
Our costco was out of all t.p. and paper towels. nt Ilsa Mar 2020 #60
I went monday. I'm in a town of 50,000, in an area just big enough to have a Costco. brewens Mar 2020 #61
Costo by Tacoma was MFM008 Mar 2020 #115
One 12 pk last more than a couple weeks. Don't know why people need 4 or 5 or 6. LizBeth Mar 2020 #78
I suspect you don't take Metformin. With that, eating is a trigger for a lot of us each time we eat. Shrike47 Mar 2020 #87
Wrong place LizBeth Mar 2020 #90
If you're quarantined for a month or so you might need some. blm Mar 2020 #3
Good point blm Blueplanet Mar 2020 #14
Well, I got me my Charmin. 3Hotdogs Mar 2020 #20
I have a small house with not much storage space. tanyev Mar 2020 #50
If you and your family members need to be quarantined, it's best to stock up oregonjen Mar 2020 #4
I have been trying to figure it out ... CatMor Mar 2020 #5
Treat this like a natural disaster (e.g. hurricane) unc70 Mar 2020 #26
Apparently a lot of the paper products sold here are produced in China dflprincess Mar 2020 #63
Both Charmin TP and Bounty paper towels ... CatMor Mar 2020 #66
In case we self quaranteen for a month like they did in parts of China. applegrove Mar 2020 #6
as things go Skittles Mar 2020 #7
I have to put this here 2naSalit Mar 2020 #65
There are no phone books any more redstateblues Mar 2020 #8
Or Sears catalogs. Lochloosa Mar 2020 #15
I don't think that's what the Sears catalog in the outhouse was for. 3Hotdogs Mar 2020 #23
In my younger days that's what the catalog was for blueinredohio Mar 2020 #51
My stepfather tells me it was. That and corn cobs. underpants Mar 2020 #129
unless you're talking about Sears catalogs Nature Man Mar 2020 #121
Probably had to change the paper stock after complaints from Gymmy Swaggart. 3Hotdogs Mar 2020 #138
I have no intention of collecting dried leaves in the yard. sheshe2 Mar 2020 #79
:) As least you have some. Many millions of subdivisions Hortensis Mar 2020 #100
It's interesting you mention that... EarthFirst Mar 2020 #101
If we're sequestered in our homes for weeks at a time Dagstead Bumwood Mar 2020 #9
Ha! Blueplanet Mar 2020 #18
lol! eleny Mar 2020 #35
This makes sense for those who breath through their ass Jersey Devil Mar 2020 #11
Any port in a storm Goonch Mar 2020 #12
I hope that's 95N toilet paper. (nt) klook Mar 2020 #37
! montana_hazeleyes Mar 2020 #95
There seems to be a certain belief about Covid-19. Frasier Balzov Mar 2020 #13
I wondered about that Blueplanet Mar 2020 #16
It has been seen in a small percentage of those with CV. dewsgirl Mar 2020 #45
Well in Hawai'i where the tv news was posted from here, mahina Mar 2020 #17
I think I would use Kleenex, napkins, or paper towels Tipperary Mar 2020 #30
You know why they buy water bottles? at140 Mar 2020 #36
Gotta ask, what the hell could someone say in a thread about toilet paper rzemanfl Mar 2020 #19
It was rather graphic about tp unc70 Mar 2020 #31
Oh. Thanks. n/t rzemanfl Mar 2020 #32
Because this is the one thing that you will run out of - that will make you leave your house jpak Mar 2020 #21
Wouldn't you run out of food first? dem4decades Mar 2020 #56
I think I'd run out of food first DesertRat Mar 2020 #128
something is scaring the shit out of them? NRaleighLiberal Mar 2020 #22
Bottled water has to be the dumbest item in the hoarders lot. roamer65 Mar 2020 #24
I was at a Costco the other day, and people's carts were brimming over with plastic water bottles! klook Mar 2020 #40
Well . . . Ms. Toad Mar 2020 #74
Huh! The things you learn here. Hortensis Mar 2020 #102
I'm on a private well csziggy Mar 2020 #96
When we had flooding mercuryblues Mar 2020 #104
Yes, and I can see if the power is off due to lack of workers csziggy Mar 2020 #113
Ok, makes sense. klook Mar 2020 #105
After Hurricane Michael went through Mexico Beach csziggy Mar 2020 #114
:) Except for the smart and expensive part about Hortensis Mar 2020 #106
For flushing the toilet I fill one of my garden bins csziggy Mar 2020 #112
My big regret in building our house was not adding a propane Hortensis Mar 2020 #124
There are two kinds of LED lights to consider csziggy Mar 2020 #136
Oh, fantastic, thanks! I'm going shopping right now. Hortensis Mar 2020 #137
Then, there's leaves. Just make sure you know what poison ivy looks likee. 3Hotdogs Mar 2020 #25
Not running out while you're sick and miserable is fairly important. TygrBright Mar 2020 #27
It assuages one of our most basic-level fears, dealing with bodily waste. That, along with chia Mar 2020 #28
I got a bidet and it does the job kimbutgar Mar 2020 #29
Interesting, thanks! How do you connect water supply? at140 Mar 2020 #41
They have ones that just connect to the water line going into the toilet. Luciferous Mar 2020 #43
Got it, thanks!! at140 Mar 2020 #44
You can also get "travel bidets" jmbar2 Mar 2020 #54
LMAO used those for 20 years at140 Mar 2020 #64
You're kidding jmbar2 Mar 2020 #89
I have used water for 20 years and paper for 50 years at140 Mar 2020 #107
It took me awhile to realize that jmbar2 Mar 2020 #123
You are a smart individual.. at140 Mar 2020 #125
Wow. I never knew. I put one in my Amazon shopping cart for future consideration. Hekate Mar 2020 #86
Stick with the new... jmbar2 Mar 2020 #88
Does it warm the water? Buns_of_Fire Mar 2020 #97
When you run out of Kleenex. Hoyt Mar 2020 #33
Duh..when scared one shits in the pants? j/k at140 Mar 2020 #34
I ordered two toilet mounted bidets which ought to greatly cut down on the TP used. Kaleva Mar 2020 #39
My people.... Happy Hoosier Mar 2020 #42
It's what you do when shit be getting real... Wounded Bear Mar 2020 #46
This message was self-deleted by its author Wounded Bear Mar 2020 #47
It's not just TP. GP6971 Mar 2020 #48
Out of all canned vegetables Blueplanet Mar 2020 #49
Spam.. .ugh. haven't tasted it since I was a kid. Can still imagine the taste and consistency Demovictory9 Mar 2020 #55
I understand all of that except radical noodle Mar 2020 #80
Rice would last for years but is almost always used up Hortensis Mar 2020 #109
Are you geographically near any of the cases? rainin Mar 2020 #84
Because Americans don't have bidets. TeamPooka Mar 2020 #52
Expecting the squirts? BusyBeingBest Mar 2020 #53
People in small towns also have to prepare for possible supply interruptions jmbar2 Mar 2020 #57
To wipe up tRump's bullshit off everything across America. KY_EnviroGuy Mar 2020 #58
Preppers use it as legal tender. They barter with it. nt Ilsa Mar 2020 #59
Bwah! Got singles for a five? VOX Mar 2020 #71
Charmin is the premium paper! nt Ilsa Mar 2020 #99
Every time we get a prediction for a couple inches of snow people go out and doc03 Mar 2020 #62
Lol, War of the Worlds with toilet paper. Hortensis Mar 2020 #110
So they don't have to leave their homes multiple times. gibraltar72 Mar 2020 #67
That's my reason. There may be a period of time in particular hard-hit areas when going wiggs Mar 2020 #127
I have always firmly believed, Bayard Mar 2020 #68
I agree, at least as to the TP - Ms. Toad Mar 2020 #75
Same here. A must-have that'll never go to waste. Hortensis Mar 2020 #111
+1. It's not like it goes bad and when you need it you need it. meadowlander Mar 2020 #83
I went to Trader Joe's on Monday stopwastingmymoney Mar 2020 #69
Before my response, I have to preface it. About my wife... GulfCoast66 Mar 2020 #70
You must use Charmin Ms. Toad Mar 2020 #76
I mean if you go out in the woods... jcgoldie Mar 2020 #72
Everyone should get a bidet Dem2 Mar 2020 #73
They even clean out the depends.... Historic NY Mar 2020 #77
Newspaper can work in a pinch. snort Mar 2020 #81
I was in Costco yesterday in the Bay Area and EVERYONE was buying toilet paper DonaldsRump Mar 2020 #82
Yeah craziness, but if you really need some and Costco is out, Big Lots and Meijers each had plenty Captain Zero Mar 2020 #130
Absolutely right...think a little outside of the box DonaldsRump Mar 2020 #135
Whatever you would do for an impending natural disaster, do now? Quarantine without notice... Hekate Mar 2020 #85
Everyone I know will not be quarantined at the same time. I will promise them, and they can promise LizBeth Mar 2020 #91
People with the virus must have their house papered to warn others. Kablooie Mar 2020 #92
u.uuu.u. nomorethoughts78 Mar 2020 #93
This message was self-deleted by its author rampartc Mar 2020 #118
Interesting first post brokephibroke Mar 2020 #120
a juror does not see the posters id or post count rampartc Mar 2020 #122
What does that mean? (n/t) PJMcK Mar 2020 #119
If people are preparing for a colonoscopy nitpicker Mar 2020 #94
Great thread! Very entertaining and informative !!! PCIntern Mar 2020 #98
i asked that too!!!!! and I live at ground zero for this virus....i watched the news and saw all the samnsara Mar 2020 #103
future weeks long or months long quarantine is real possibility, unless you have beachbumbob Mar 2020 #108
Because they're full of sh*t cbdo2007 Mar 2020 #116
My SIL, a Physicians Assistant, asks the same question... brooklynite Mar 2020 #117
To blow their noses Ferrets are Cool Mar 2020 #126
Had some good hearty laughs here Blueplanet Mar 2020 #131
Reading this thread has been informative and given me some good chuckles. llmart Mar 2020 #132
It has a long shelf life customerserviceguy Mar 2020 #133
Because the general populace is ignorant titaniumsalute Mar 2020 #134

Lisa0825

(14,487 posts)
2. I think people are just stocking up on necessities so
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:22 PM
Mar 2020

they won't have to go out to the grocery store if/when the virus reaches their area. I didn't buy a huge amount, but I did stock up on enough tp, cat food, and non-perishable foods/ingredients to last me if I felt the need to stay away from people a couple weeks.

applegrove

(118,008 posts)
10. I got some Ensure for my dad if he is in lockdown in his nursing
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:27 PM
Mar 2020

home or for me and other family if we are self quranteeing here in ottawa. All stuff i can use if they are not needed for fighting novel coronavirus. I don't want to mix with the public if i am still allowed to visit my dad. I also hope masks i ordered on amazon get here in 3 weeks as my dad has private health care aides and i want them all to be safe - again if they are allowed in his building. If his nursing home doesn't allow visitors then we can all share the masks as one of them has a big family and most take publuc transit that i don't have to take as i can walk everywhere.

brewens

(13,392 posts)
38. I always get mine at Costco and was a couple weeks out from needing more. It's eastern Washington
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:54 PM
Mar 2020

state, so I thought we might be seeing cases here soon. Might as well get it now. Th only other thing I grabbed was extra coffee. I can go to our local Winco supermarket at zero dark 30 to avoid crowds. I'm single and retired, so I can go hermit other than that. My consumption of massed quantities of fresh veggies and fruit require me to shop at least every third day.

I go for a walk every day and don't need to get close to anyone. I don't have to let anyone in my house and can used drive-thru's for pretty much everything else, including beer. It might be good to make myself one more person no one needs to worry about. It will kind of suck to not get to go out for awhile, I just hope it's the kind of thing that comes through and goes away before long.

brewens

(13,392 posts)
61. I went monday. I'm in a town of 50,000, in an area just big enough to have a Costco.
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 11:00 PM
Mar 2020

I got there about a half-hour after they opened and it was dead. One lady may have been loading up for possible trouble, but she also could have been some kind of vendor or café owner.

MFM008

(19,776 posts)
115. Costo by Tacoma was
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 10:11 AM
Mar 2020

Out of everything like that.
Try stores like Lowe's , my son works there
And said the only thing that they don't have
Are face masks they also have water and cleaning supplies.
The Dollar stores to.
Not Walmart. Target,
Etc.

Shrike47

(6,913 posts)
87. I suspect you don't take Metformin. With that, eating is a trigger for a lot of us each time we eat.
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 03:06 AM
Mar 2020

tanyev

(42,356 posts)
50. I have a small house with not much storage space.
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 10:29 PM
Mar 2020

I don't keep a month's worth on hand--maybe two weeks. So I did get some extra last time I was at the grocery store. Don't know why people are stocking up on giant quantities at Costco, but there are only two people in my household. If you have a bigger family, Costco's going to be a more economical place to stock up on things.

oregonjen

(3,316 posts)
4. If you and your family members need to be quarantined, it's best to stock up
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:22 PM
Mar 2020

Along with tissues, I think it’s prudent. Should there be a natural disaster, one would want to have a stock anyway.

CatMor

(6,212 posts)
5. I have been trying to figure it out ...
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:23 PM
Mar 2020

paper towels too and even food. Do they expect the factories to stop producing TP and paper towels. I just don't get it.

unc70

(6,094 posts)
26. Treat this like a natural disaster (e.g. hurricane)
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:45 PM
Mar 2020

If you and your family have to self quarantine or isolate for 2-3 weeks your perspective might change rapidly. When your whole town is quarantined with armed roadblocks like in China, what will you do? Or when most people are too sick to work?

If the number of cases explodes like it may, then all bets are off. Keep your eyes on Italy. They are a couple of weeks ahead of us. They have towns totally quarantined; have closed all schools and colleges; banned group activities, concerts, sports; closed museums, churches, and most meetings; and advised everyone to stay home for 2-3 weeks.

dflprincess

(28,057 posts)
63. Apparently a lot of the paper products sold here are produced in China
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 11:11 PM
Mar 2020

including Charmin and other Procter & Gamble products (I'm sure other brands as well, but I heard P&G). So it is not out of the realm of possibility that there could be a shortage if the supply chain is disrupted. Add that to being locked in your home for a couple weeks and it may explain stocking up.

CatMor

(6,212 posts)
66. Both Charmin TP and Bounty paper towels ...
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 11:57 PM
Mar 2020

are made in the US from both domestic and imported materials. So I guess the imported part could halt the production here. I concede its possible you can be locked in your home for a couple of weeks. I'm not in that mode so I do have a hard time understanding. With on-line shopping even with food now I guess I would go that way if need be.

2naSalit

(86,037 posts)
65. I have to put this here
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 11:49 PM
Mar 2020

I hope you don't mind but watch to the end. I always laugh hysterically every time I watch this but there's a toilet paper reference in here that is just too funny to pass up placing in a thread about TP. I usually lose it about 90 secounds in and can't stop laughing long after the clip is over...






3Hotdogs

(12,204 posts)
23. I don't think that's what the Sears catalog in the outhouse was for.
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:41 PM
Mar 2020

50's Homer & Jethro record mentioned stuff in Sears catalog about ladies wearing stuff under their dresses

blueinredohio

(6,797 posts)
51. In my younger days that's what the catalog was for
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 10:29 PM
Mar 2020

after my mom ordered our two new school outfits from it.

Nature Man

(869 posts)
121. unless you're talking about Sears catalogs
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 10:41 AM
Mar 2020

from the 1910s, a Sears catalog from 1975 would tear your asshole apart from the glossy stock it used to be printed on.

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
100. :) As least you have some. Many millions of subdivisions
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 08:14 AM
Mar 2020

don't, and even the grass is too short to use. Sure, foundation hollies are ubiquitous in most parts of the nation, but...!

EarthFirst

(2,877 posts)
101. It's interesting you mention that...
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 08:17 AM
Mar 2020

On Sunday; under the melting piles of snow near our front doorstep; laid a small book in a plastic sleeve. To my surprise and shock; it was a phone book. Albeit a much smaller version of what used to be; however a recently delivered phone book laid in wait to be directed towards the recycling tote...

Dagstead Bumwood

(3,524 posts)
9. If we're sequestered in our homes for weeks at a time
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:26 PM
Mar 2020

running out of TP is a major issue.

When I was a kid I used to wonder why people cleaned out the supermarket of bread and milk when snow was forecasted. I mean, was everyone making french toast?

Jersey Devil

(9,862 posts)
11. This makes sense for those who breath through their ass
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:27 PM
Mar 2020

Alternately, they can stuff up their butt crack with guze and surgical tape

Frasier Balzov

(2,598 posts)
13. There seems to be a certain belief about Covid-19.
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:29 PM
Mar 2020

That it causes diarrhea.

But the distress is respiratory, not intestinal.

If I correctly understand the true symptoms.

dewsgirl

(14,961 posts)
45. It has been seen in a small percentage of those with CV.
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 10:16 PM
Mar 2020

Source, one of Dr.John Campbell's first videos on Coronavirus.

mahina

(17,502 posts)
17. Well in Hawai'i where the tv news was posted from here,
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:35 PM
Mar 2020

We all remember the dock strikes and wiping butts with the Sears catalogue and the newspaper.

But now no mo Sears catalogue OR newspaper

If there is a worker shortage it’s a shitty situation.

Why they buy plastic bottles of water beats the hell out of me. We all have coolers and water heaters, yo.

 

Tipperary

(6,930 posts)
30. I think I would use Kleenex, napkins, or paper towels
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:48 PM
Mar 2020

before I would dream of using a newspaper. Or rags even. Large leaves, anything

Yuck and eek.

at140

(6,110 posts)
36. You know why they buy water bottles?
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:54 PM
Mar 2020

Because they don't trust the water coming out of faucets. Little do they realize the so called "purified water"
is just tap water run through filters. Why not just buy a Brita filter jug or similar.

rzemanfl

(29,540 posts)
19. Gotta ask, what the hell could someone say in a thread about toilet paper
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:37 PM
Mar 2020

that would draw a hide???????????????

jpak

(41,741 posts)
21. Because this is the one thing that you will run out of - that will make you leave your house
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:41 PM
Mar 2020

During a quarantine.

Yup

roamer65

(36,739 posts)
24. Bottled water has to be the dumbest item in the hoarders lot.
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:43 PM
Mar 2020

If ur really that fucking worried about tap water, just boil it and then chill it. This isn’t a hurricane, it’s a virus.



Leave the bottled water for those who really need it, people...like the people of Flint.

klook

(12,134 posts)
40. I was at a Costco the other day, and people's carts were brimming over with plastic water bottles!
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:59 PM
Mar 2020

I mean, like, 100 16-oz. water bottles apiece. So this virus is creating a LOT more plastic waste.

People were also stocking up on wine and beer, bigtime.

The store was completely out of TP and paper towels. Fortunately we had a pretty good supply of both already.

Ms. Toad

(33,915 posts)
74. Well . . .
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 01:33 AM
Mar 2020

I know for a fact that not all of the Costco water sales of 100 16-oz bottles in the last were due to Covid.

We had to buy a supply to take to support our bar exam alumni - the bar exam was last week. It's one of the few things we can give them to take into the exam. We bought about 120 bottles.

Don't know how many schools buy water for their alums, but the bar exam is the same days all across the country.

csziggy

(34,119 posts)
96. I'm on a private well
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 06:36 AM
Mar 2020

If things go south enough that I don't have power, I don't have water, either. After hurricanes, that is especially true. I have had to go out to buy bottled water to have any to drink - even though we fill gallon jugs and pack them in the fridge and freezer to keep them cold as long as possible they do eventually get used up.

After losing power and water for up to a week due to hurricanes and storms three years in a row, last year I finally bought a portable propane generator for my well. Of course, it is still in the box since we didn't have a storm last year here. Part of the addition to the house is adding a whole house generator - hooking up a portable and keeping it running is beyond my capabilities so this makes better sense.

ETA - Oh, there have been years that even the city water system was down after a bad storm and running water was not available for days at a time.

mercuryblues

(14,489 posts)
104. When we had flooding
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 08:30 AM
Mar 2020

My sis came and stayed with me. I live far enough out of the flood zone so I wasn't impacted to much. She had no power for a week and lived in the flood zone. Luckily her neighborhood did not get flooded. But her water and gas were turned off. The water coming through the tap was non potable.

Like she said water, water everywhere and none of it to drink.

csziggy

(34,119 posts)
113. Yes, and I can see if the power is off due to lack of workers
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 09:36 AM
Mar 2020

The water in many cities will not be potable. I do not want to think of the sewage problems in a big city with no power or water. In the middle of a pandemic with no way to keep sanitary, that would be a nightmare!

klook

(12,134 posts)
105. Ok, makes sense.
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 08:31 AM
Mar 2020

Probably not too common a situation in metro Atlanta. Hope those who really need it will be able to get it.

This is also a good case for those large refillable water bottles.

csziggy

(34,119 posts)
114. After Hurricane Michael went through Mexico Beach
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 09:41 AM
Mar 2020

Ninety miles west of here, parts of Tallahassee had no power for days. Same for when Hermione came through here. That affected water and sewer services.

If power systems are affected because critical workers are ill, then everything else is shut down.

We save up gallon milk and distilled water jugs before hurricane season, wash them out and fill the freezer. They are a convenient size and free. If a storm is expected to come at all close, we also fill the refrigerator with water jugs, the more cold mass the better. And we will have cold water to drink if needed.

I mentioned in another reply that I fill a muck bucket with water in the bathroom to flush the toilet. Unless the power is out for a long time, that works just fine.

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
106. :) Except for the smart and expensive part about
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 08:38 AM
Mar 2020

installing a whole-house generator, sounds like us. Power outages are not exactly unusual here either. We have a portable, but play hell getting it started and haven't tried in some while. Last time a hurricane (Irma) took the power down for an extended time, we hooked up the travel trailer and went fishing.

For the really serious prep, we keep a few bottles filled with water in the powder room closet since flushing the toilet's always the first (and usually only) "emergency" when the power goes.

csziggy

(34,119 posts)
112. For flushing the toilet I fill one of my garden bins
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 09:34 AM
Mar 2020

Which is really what we used at the barn and called a muck bucket. It's about five - eight gallons - I just set it in the shower, fill it up, and use a smaller bucket to fill the toilet tank. Once the power is back, I can bail it out into the shower drain and it can go right back outside for garden use.

Two fo the three storm outages, I was here alone and some friends got me set up with their old portable gas generator - but it conked out due to goo build up. That's why I bought a propane generator for the well - propane does not deteriorate like gas so is better for short term, far apart usage.

But I am not able to do the chores necessary to run a portable and my husband is no good with mechanical stuff, so for the house the whole house generator that is self regulating is our best bet. It will also be propane, though I have not decided what size tank to get. I'm thinking of big enough to run for a week at least. I can get it refilled after the worst of the recovery is over. The longest our power has ever been out has been a full week so that should be adequate.

My other prep for storm season is a good LED light - the two I have for needlework are both broken, but with them a set of AA batteries lasts a week or more. We used to use oil lanterns when regular flashlights and D batteries only lasted hours, but the oil stinks and you have to maintain the wick, plus there is always fire hazard.

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
124. My big regret in building our house was not adding a propane
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 10:47 AM
Mar 2020

tank for power backup, and to have a gas range. I knew better. Propane had once allowed us to stay warm in a rental during a very extended winter power outage while hundreds of thousands of people had to evacuate homes with only electric power, many nice subdivisions virtually emptied. But we'd allocated a little fortune to an EPA-rated wood furnace/fireplace my husband wanted (the woods provide a lot of fuel), and I was spending-shocked.

Thanks for the (new) idea of a battery-powered LED lamp. With heat and cooking (camp stove and grill) covered, for us the other big discomfort in losing power is not being able to read paper books after the sun's gone, and I know my husband would like to be able to go work in his basement shop anytime. Right now we're limited to cave exploring with a flashlight to find our way to the TP.

csziggy

(34,119 posts)
136. There are two kinds of LED lights to consider
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 01:39 PM
Mar 2020

Book light types that provide light to specific tasks, and more general lights for just having some light in the room. You also get ones that clamp on - which is what I like for doing needlework. The ones that connect by USB to a power source are really useful since you can plug them into a wall outlet adapter when things are good, or if no power is available, they can plug into a battery when no other power is available.

I have this magnifier light for needlework:


This one plugs in as I described above.

And this one, actually intended for lighting sheet music: Kootek 2 Pack Clip On Reading Light - 10 LED Rechargeable Book Lights, Music Stand Light Piano Orchestra Lamp with Adjustable Neck USB Desk Lamps

This one plus in to recharge the built in battery.

TygrBright

(20,733 posts)
27. Not running out while you're sick and miserable is fairly important.
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:45 PM
Mar 2020

If you're ill, knowing your toilet paper supply will hold out takes one anxiety off the list, anyway.

Even if you're not ill, if your community is under a don't-go-out advisory, knowing you won't have to use a paper towel or a washcloth or something is comforting.

helpfully,
Bright

chia

(2,235 posts)
28. It assuages one of our most basic-level fears, dealing with bodily waste. That, along with
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:46 PM
Mar 2020

hunger, thirst, a need for warmth - these come down to our very basic functions. Actively doing things which will protect those basic-level needs is probably reassuring for a lot of people.

kimbutgar

(20,871 posts)
29. I got a bidet and it does the job
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:46 PM
Mar 2020

Easy to install on your toilet. You can get one cheaper for under $40.

If you don’t want to deal with Amazon I use this website.

Properwash.com

jmbar2

(4,828 posts)
54. You can also get "travel bidets"
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 10:32 PM
Mar 2020

They are essential water bottles with a little spigot. I have one in my camper. It makes a difference if you are not showering every day.

https://www.amazon.com/TP70-Handheld-Personal-Portable-Capacity/dp/B00O92IF6Q

at140

(6,110 posts)
64. LMAO used those for 20 years
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 11:19 PM
Mar 2020

growing up in India. Never had seen toilet paper until arriving in USA.
I still prefer using water over paper but my American wife only wants paper!

jmbar2

(4,828 posts)
89. You're kidding
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 03:26 AM
Mar 2020

I had no idea that you could live without toilet paper. The things we learn on DU....

at140

(6,110 posts)
107. I have used water for 20 years and paper for 50 years
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 08:49 AM
Mar 2020

Water cleans much better, like when you shower. If paper could clean well, we would be taking showers with toilet paper?

jmbar2

(4,828 posts)
123. It took me awhile to realize that
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 10:45 AM
Mar 2020

Completely agree. Once you've gone bidet, you never go back to just paper.

Hekate

(90,189 posts)
86. Wow. I never knew. I put one in my Amazon shopping cart for future consideration.
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 02:13 AM
Mar 2020

Although I have to say the option to return and the option to buy used gives me pause.

Buns_of_Fire

(17,119 posts)
97. Does it warm the water?
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 06:51 AM
Mar 2020

I'm having a hard time envisioning my daily constitutional ending with a blast of cold water on my bum. Just sitting on a cold seat is bad enough, and I figure the only thing to do if quarantined is eat and crap, eat and crap, eat and crap...

at140

(6,110 posts)
34. Duh..when scared one shits in the pants? j/k
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:51 PM
Mar 2020

Yeah I don't understand it either. I would just use the long water hose in shower if I ran out of paper.
The same thing happens here in Florida every time a hurricane passes by. They sell out water bottles, toilet paper, canned goods, etc. I just make sure there is enough beer in the house.

Kaleva

(36,145 posts)
39. I ordered two toilet mounted bidets which ought to greatly cut down on the TP used.
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 09:59 PM
Mar 2020

If shit got real, I could go without TP although I'd be walking around with a damp, but clean, butt. As long as I still had village water.

Response to Blueplanet (Original post)

GP6971

(31,013 posts)
48. It's not just TP.
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 10:20 PM
Mar 2020

Our local Costco posted the following;

Out of Stock.

All Brands of TP
Arrowhead Water
Glaceau Smart Water
All Kirkland Signature Water
Kirkland Signature Paper Towels
Kirkland Signature Surface Wipes
Clorox Disinfecting Wipes
Clorox Bleach
Clorox Clean Up
Hand Sanitizer
Lysol Disinfecting Spray
Kraft Mac & Cheese (cases)
All canned vegetables
Cup of Noodles (Chicken)
Canned Chicken Noodle Soup
Baked Beans
All 25 lb bags od rice
Spam







radical noodle

(7,990 posts)
80. I understand all of that except
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 01:55 AM
Mar 2020

the 25 lb bags of rice. WTF is that for?

BTW, we went to Sam's on Monday (sadly, no Costco nearby) and they had plenty of food but not paper supplies or cleaning supplies. There was no hand sanitizer anywhere we went, but I finally found some in one store. It's not something we usually keep on hand.

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
109. Rice would last for years but is almost always used up
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 09:11 AM
Mar 2020

routinely. Like toilet paper. No waste, just larger amount purchased ahead of use.

Anyway most anxiety comes from feeling not in control and stocking up is a way of taking control. So those people are buying more than just rice.

Local Walmart and Publix were cleaned out of hand sanitizer, sprays, wipes, but Lowe's had plenty of the last two in its cleaning aisle.

jmbar2

(4,828 posts)
57. People in small towns also have to prepare for possible supply interruptions
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 10:36 PM
Mar 2020

If a pandemic got hit really hard, you could get slower restocks. Imagine the Costco above having to wait a week or more for some goods. That was my thinking at least. I stocked up on TP mostly, soap, and soup and bread makings.

KY_EnviroGuy

(14,483 posts)
58. To wipe up tRump's bullshit off everything across America.
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 10:44 PM
Mar 2020

Actually, as a man when I was growing into old age, I found a pack of TP gifted to any lady always brings a smile......

doc03

(35,143 posts)
62. Every time we get a prediction for a couple inches of snow people go out and
Wed Mar 4, 2020, 11:10 PM
Mar 2020

buy toilet paper, milk, bread and eggs. I am 71 years old and I have never been unable to get out and buy that stuff
in my lifetime because of the weather or the flu. Years ago I think it was Johnny Carson made a joke about a shortage of toilet
paper and it actually created a run on toilet paper.

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
110. Lol, War of the Worlds with toilet paper.
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 09:21 AM
Mar 2020

I don't remember that, but the prospect of two children and no TP would have had me alarmed.

wiggs

(7,788 posts)
127. That's my reason. There may be a period of time in particular hard-hit areas when going
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 10:52 AM
Mar 2020

out to a public place or supermarket won't be wise.

I have two weeks' worth stashed for the two of us, over and above the normal supply amount that we currently use.

Bayard

(21,801 posts)
68. I have always firmly believed,
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 12:55 AM
Mar 2020

You can never have too much chocolate or toilet paper on hand.

Some things are just sacred.....

Ms. Toad

(33,915 posts)
75. I agree, at least as to the TP -
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 01:39 AM
Mar 2020

Which is actually why the run on TP surprises me. We've probably got 48 rolls on hand (and we haven't bought any in a while). Whenever our brand is on sale, we stock up. We typically already have enough to last months.

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
111. Same here. A must-have that'll never go to waste.
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 09:28 AM
Mar 2020

It also saves the bother of always having to pick more up. We're empty nesters, and neither of us uses it to stuff bras or make paper flowers, so one of those "family" supplies is on our shopping list once, twice at most, a year.

meadowlander

(4,358 posts)
83. +1. It's not like it goes bad and when you need it you need it.
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 02:01 AM
Mar 2020

Plus at a certain point everyone elses' hoarding plus disruptions to the supply chain from sick workers is going to cause shortages.

stopwastingmymoney

(2,027 posts)
69. I went to Trader Joe's on Monday
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 01:00 AM
Mar 2020

And they were out of two things: toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Everything else fully stocked.

I thought it was weird too

GulfCoast66

(11,949 posts)
70. Before my response, I have to preface it. About my wife...
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 01:06 AM
Mar 2020

Who is smarter than me, makes more money and is a better manager than me and looks much better than me. We’ve been together for 33 years.

But she somehow finds a way to use 1/3 of a roll a day. She insists we keep 3 twelve packs in waiting at all times.

Just reporting the facts from my home.

We recycle, eat local, try to keep our waist at a minimum. But all that goes out the window with TP. Obviously, she does not read DU!

Historic NY

(37,449 posts)
77. They even clean out the depends....
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 01:44 AM
Mar 2020

my niece went to a Sams club (Fla.) that look like a major storm was coming bare. She said even the Depends were all gone...picked clean.

snort

(2,334 posts)
81. Newspaper can work in a pinch.
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 01:58 AM
Mar 2020

Get it, in a pinch? Anyways tear it into strips (duh) and then crumple a strip into a tight ball, then straighten it out, then wad it up again, keep dooing it. Get it? Dooing it?? It softens and even gets a bit fuzzy. Its great fun.

DonaldsRump

(7,715 posts)
82. I was in Costco yesterday in the Bay Area and EVERYONE was buying toilet paper
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 01:59 AM
Mar 2020

No idea what I'm missing, but i just bought some strawberries and a few non-survivalist sundries.

Captain Zero

(6,714 posts)
130. Yeah craziness, but if you really need some and Costco is out, Big Lots and Meijers each had plenty
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 11:13 AM
Mar 2020

in my area yesterday. I bought a 3 pack of paper towels because it is what I needed. I guess I'm weird.

DonaldsRump

(7,715 posts)
135. Absolutely right...think a little outside of the box
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 01:32 PM
Mar 2020

Stores like Big Lots, Dollar Tree, smaller hardware stores etc have tons of stuff. It might not be exactly what you want in terms of brands etc, but it will most definitely do.

And absolutely don't freak about not getting hand sanitizer. Get some rubbing alcohol and some aloe gel, and make your own!

The one thing I have to say is with these idiots like Trump who says the best way to get over COVID-19 is to go to work and Pence's prayers, we are in for a bad time in the US, so I don't think the concern is unwarranted. If we had better leaders, I wouldn't worry so much.

Hekate

(90,189 posts)
85. Whatever you would do for an impending natural disaster, do now? Quarantine without notice...
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 02:04 AM
Mar 2020

...could leave you and yours up Shit Creek without a paddle.

Because West Coast natural disasters tend to be fires and earthquakes, water lines may be broken. I think that's why we reflexively get some bottled water.

LizBeth

(9,946 posts)
91. Everyone I know will not be quarantined at the same time. I will promise them, and they can promise
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 03:30 AM
Mar 2020

me that if we are quarantined, we can text each other and leave it on the porch. Problem solved.

Kablooie

(18,571 posts)
92. People with the virus must have their house papered to warn others.
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 04:09 AM
Mar 2020

They expect,a lot of people to get it.

Response to nomorethoughts78 (Reply #93)

rampartc

(5,263 posts)
122. a juror does not see the posters id or post count
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 10:43 AM
Mar 2020

but, after further review, maybe the alerter knows more than i did?

nitpicker

(7,153 posts)
94. If people are preparing for a colonoscopy
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 05:31 AM
Mar 2020

They will NEED TP and/or incontinence garb.

Or continuously do laundry.

samnsara

(17,570 posts)
103. i asked that too!!!!! and I live at ground zero for this virus....i watched the news and saw all the
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 08:23 AM
Mar 2020

...people running around like crazy with huge piles of tp. So I asked hubby whose job puts him at viral risk every day and he said its just so you dont have to leave the house for days and days at a time esp if the stores or schools close. More butts to wipe if the kiddos are home from school. Hell we ran out of Costco paper products a week before this hit and i still havent gone to stock up.


Grabbed a 4 pack at Safeway..it will do.

 

beachbumbob

(9,263 posts)
108. future weeks long or months long quarantine is real possibility, unless you have
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 08:56 AM
Mar 2020

stacks of newspapers around, you really don't want to be without toilet paper

llmart

(15,499 posts)
132. Reading this thread has been informative and given me some good chuckles.
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 01:11 PM
Mar 2020

I must be either "weird" or "different" or just a laid back, not anxiety ridden sort of person because it hasn't even crossed my mind to stock up on anything. I live alone now, but in the past I have lived through one hurricane where as a family of four at the time, we were without power for two weeks and I don't remember either starving to death or not being able to buy t.p.

Maybe it's just me, but doesn't all this hoarding and worrying just make your emotional health worse? Do people who stock up like this really feel like whew, I can now just go about my life and not worry about this virus? Or are they only temporarily satisfied; i.e. have a sense of control (even though we know that there's very little we control in this life) and then they start to worry about what happens when they've used up that month's supply of t.p.? I always keep clean, bleached rags and laundry soap on hand, so if I had to I could use those and rewash them if need be. Or just old washcloths. As someone up thread has already said, washing that area with soap and water is more effective anyway.

I guess I'm just not the worrier type. I'm so glad I have never had that issue.

customerserviceguy

(25,183 posts)
133. It has a long shelf life
Thu Mar 5, 2020, 01:25 PM
Mar 2020

Even if you don't need it in the next few months, you can work off of a stockpile for a long time.

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