Apparently many people are stocking up on toilet paper. I'm concerned (I live in an apartment)

[raccoon]

that some people might be using substitutes for TP such as kleenex, paper towels, or napkins.

Can the plumbing handle that, though? That is the question.

I definitely don't think plumbing could handle newspaper or magazines torn up, etc.

Any plumbers here? Can you help out?

[Roland99]

1. Kleenex tissues and paper towels do not break down like tp

Reuse plastic trash bags, if you can

I learned that this week

[Cirque du So-What]

2. Don't do it

Not even Kleenex or paper towels or napkins. They’re made to remain intact for awhile when wet. They’ll clog your plumbing sure as...well, you know...

[pwb]

3. If you have running water

You can always do as the Romans did and use a sponge or rag and rinse. Very old but mothers do it everyday.

[intrepidity]

4. It's the corn cobs I worry about nt

[Kaleva]

5. If you live at or very near the top floor, things won't be so bad.

[nilram]

6. I think in a week or two it'll be back on the shelves, imo.

And even Italy isn't prohibiting people from going to the grocery.

[Totally Tunsie]

7. Exactly. Once the initial stock-up surge has passed and everyone's

pantry is loaded, stores should have the opportunity to re-stock and continue business as normal. The current problem is just that everyone went shopping for the same items at the same time. There will be a saturation point where demand/supply evens out again.

[nilram]

8. And somehow they got fixated on TP.

For a respiratory virus that doesn't often cause diarrhea. Bizarre.

[Totally Tunsie]

10. True, but you might be stuck in the house for a while,

and TP is something you don't want to run out of. Most of the substitutes for it aren't good for the plumbing.

It's not so much about the symptoms of CV, but more the idea of not being able to get out to shop if self-isolating.

Stay well!

[nilram]

13. In my area there's delivery services and most people have friends who

could drop something by. Sure, make sure you're stocked up, but the vast quantities people are buying? pfft

[Kaleva]

11. They are thinking of the possibility of going into isolation and don't want to run out of tp

[kairos12]

9. Have to wait for the disaster capitalists to have their run.

[zackymilly]

12. Plumbers are going to be making a fortune if people are flushing paper towels. n/t

[SmartVoter22]

14. Learn what humans did before disposable paper...

I am old enough ( 60+) to know what cloth diapers were, and how they were used and cleaned.
They were mainly for babies, but that simple knowledge can easily be applied today, if paper products, are suddenly not available.
If you had to, how would you adapt or do you already know what to do?

I guess the point here is...
Can you make a (sterilizing) cleaning solution and pre-treat cloth, that has had feces or other contagions, as part of your daily and/or laundry routine?

PS: I guess a pandemic brings out some pretty odd situations for people. I found this one pretty funny and enlightening that I do know what to do.