Choosing a good quality toilet paper is not only important for your butt's health but it also has an impact on the environment you survive in.
Appreciating Tissue Paper Products: Have you ever really thought about them?
Think, if you will, about the last time you sat down in a restroom and realized there was no bathroom tissue. What went through your mind? I’d be willing to bet a large amount of money that it was NOT:
— how tissue paper products help human hygiene and health
— the positive environmental story these products tell
— the advanced science and technology used to make them.
Different Types of Tissue Papers Available in the Market
There are different types of tissue paper. You probably would have noticed the difference between the tissue paper at your dinner table and the one in your car. Here are the different types of Tissue paper which have utility in our daily lives:
Facial Tissues
Facial tissues or commonly referred to as paper handkerchief are used to clean the face. But the prime objective of facial tissue is to aid in the expulsion of nasal mucus in a hygienic way. The facial tissue paper is very soft, absorbent and disposable. Over the years the facial tissue paper has seen a lot of improvement in terms of strength and softness.
Table Napkins
One way to decorate your dinner table is to use table napkins which are available in different colors, style patterns, and size. The table napkins are made up of raw material that has varied de-inked and chemical pulp which depends upon the quality of the napkin being manufactured.
Paper towels
Paper towels, also referred to as kitchen towels are made up of the tissue paper. These can be used only for once and have to be disposed of. Paper towels are highly absorbent and can be used as an alternative to traditional towels or for cleaning windows, dusting. Paper towels rank second on tissue paper consumption list.
Toilet tissue paper
Toilet tissue papers are easy to use and are available online in the form of a roll. Toilet tissue paper are differentiated based on size, softness, chemical residues, water absorption, etc. Considering the demand for toilet tissue paper make sure to check out the online platform where you will find great discounts on the bulk purchase order.
The above mentioned are the prominent types of tissue paper which find their use in our daily lives.
Hygiene: The value and benefits of tissue
Despite often being overlooked, in most parts of the world, a day without tissue paper products is unthinkable. Bathroom tissue, paper towels, facial tissue, paper handkerchiefs, and table napkins all play a critical role in our basic daily hygiene, cleanliness, and comfort. They are marvelously efficient at supporting hygiene by preventing the spread of dirt, germs, bacteria, viruses, and disease.
Global health experts say Hygiene is the Number 1 factor in human health worldwide. Without hygiene you don’t have health and, without health, soon you don’t have life. Tissue often plays a key role in many ways. For example, just look at paper towels.
In a report in the respected Mayo Clinic Proceedings the authors state: “From a hygiene viewpoint, paper towels are superior to electric air dryers, and should be recommended in locations where hygiene is paramount, such as hospitals and clinics. Many studies have found friction and mechanical abrasive action to be a key component in hand drying for removing contamination, and microbiological testing after use has indicated that many bacteria were transferred from the hands to the paper towels.”
Further comments confirming the importance of paper towels came from the late Professor Hans Rosling of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. Rosling, who spoke numerous times at the TED talks and the Davos–World Economic Forum and was one of the world’s leading experts on public health, has confirmed that the last major outbreak of cholera in Chile was traced back to and spread by dirty textile kitchen rags. “Perhaps paper kitchen towels would have been useful in avoiding this tragedy,” he stated.
Discussed further below are several benefits of using toilet paper.
Easily disposable
Toilet paper is produced in a way that makes it very easily disposable. Different from making use of other heavy products that may clog up your drainage system, toilet paper is usually very light. It is thus easily passed through the drainage system, especially when used after urination or defecation.
Avoids direct contact
Tissue paper offers the best way of avoiding direct contact with waste after an individual has defecated. For most people, direct skin contact with waste is very uncomfortable and it might even prevent them from going to the toilet. Furthermore, this also avoids the spread of harmful bacteria from hands to mouth.
Suitable alternative
There are people who use water for washing their private parts following defecation. However, in areas where there are limited amounts of water for most parts of the year, then using toilet paper is the best option.
Luxury
Toilet paper, particularly when marketed like a luxury, might come with several useful extras. It can be embossed, colored, patterned, perfumed or medicated using anti-bacterial compounds. Some varieties of toilet paper are also naturally treated using aloe.
While toilet paper is very useful in the current world, it has some shortcomings also. For instance, it is very costly as you require purchasing them regularly.
What to look for when buying this household staple
Ply count
Toilet paper generally ranges from two-ply to four-ply. This simply refers to the number of layers of paper used. Generally, the higher the ply count, the thicker, softer, stronger and more absorbent the tissue should be.
Virgin vs recycled
Where recycled toilet paper is made by re-using a variety of materials, virgin toilet paper has no recycled or alternative fibers. The bottom line (no pun intended) – look for recycled products. The process of recycling is less damaging to the environment and keeps waste away from landfills.
Elemental chlorine-free (ECF)
Toilet papers are bleached to give them their whiteness and you may have noticed the claim "elemental chlorine-free bleaching" used on many products. Elemental chlorine gas produces dioxins which can be harmful not only to the environment but also to our health. ECF doesn't mean the product is chlorine-free but rather that the product has been bleached using chlorine dioxide (instead of elemental chlorine gas) which reduces the potential to form these harmful dioxins. It's best to look for a product that is "unbleached" or uses alternatives to chlorine (like oxygen or hydrogen peroxide) to achieve whiteness.
Other features
Printed, scented, embossed, quilted
These 'features' are all added for decorative and aesthetic appeal. Whether you choose to buy loo paper with these features comes down to personal preference.
Hypoallergenic
If you have a sensitivity to dyes or perfumes then look for a product without them and one that claims to be hypoallergenic.
Cost
If you base your decision on price – it might not seem like much when you look at it like this, but over time that's a lot of money to be flushing down the toilet.
No matter which type of tissue you’re talking about – Bathroom tissue, paper towels, facial tissue, table napkins, as well as commercial and industrial wipes – they all help prevent the spread of dirt, germs, and disease. Quite simply: Tissue is an easy and inexpensive way to achieve cleanliness and comfort.