[HN Gopher] Why toilet paper keeps getting smaller and smaller -...
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Why toilet paper keeps getting smaller and smaller - The Hustle
Author : Anon84
Score : 23 points
Date : 2024-08-18 11:26 UTC (11 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (thehustle.co)
(TXT) w3m dump (thehustle.co)
| vanous wrote:
| Next thing we will see is a roll of 1000 sheets... Just really
| tiny ones...
| upon_drumhead wrote:
| just wait until they realize they can perforate down the middle
| and double the sheet count!
| xnx wrote:
| $/pound would be a more sensible metric to price compare. Still
| gameable, but less so than rolls/sheets/double/mega/ply/etc.
| tanseydavid wrote:
| Looks like a roll of cash register receipt paper these days.
| antisthenes wrote:
| What about thickness?
|
| There's no a way a roll of toilet paper that's 3x as long would
| fit in a standard holder.
| xnyan wrote:
| The thickness of TP is manipulated upwards by adding voids
| between the layers, this is marketed as "air pockets, air
| cushions, etc) but it's nothing more than a marketing trick to
| explain the cheapening of TP
|
| While it's true you don't want an very dense paper to maximize
| absorbency, the large voids in TP don't affect it's absorbency
| in a significant way because they are thin and weak and
| completely colapse when wet. Get rid of the gimmicky air
| pockets and you'd decrease the thickness by half at least.
|
| Edit: you can see this for yourself with a little experiment at
| home. Get yourself a air-puffed TP (Walmart's house brand is a
| particularly egregious example) and drizzle a little water on
| on it, you'll be able to see it's volume actually decreases as
| it's fluffy air pockets colapse when wet. Compare this to the
| behavior of a non-scam fluffy absorber like Sodium Polyacrylate
| (diapers) which will swell in size when wet.
| xyst wrote:
| I switched to bidet at home anyways. Keep a pack of baby wipes in
| my bag for when I unfortunately need to use public (or private)
| restrooms stocked with the inferior toilet paper (all TP is
| useless in comparison to bidet or wet wipes).
|
| Single ply, double ply. No difference to me. I still feel
| dirty/unclean after wiping my ass with dry af TP that has a
| strong tendency to tear
| georgel wrote:
| I would get one, but my apartment lease forbids them on "water
| damage" reasons. I've only seen a clause like this in my most
| recent lease.
| xnyan wrote:
| The reason for this is that bidets have had a massive upswing
| in popularity, and unfortunately many are poor quality and/or
| fit, installed incorrectly, or both. My family mostly works
| in the trades and I did as well in college, would not call
| myself a pro but I'm the friend you call when you have a
| plumbing problem and want an opinion before calling in a real
| plumber.
|
| The number of poorly fitting bidet attachment seats that have
| been badly installed I've seen is quite high. If I owned the
| bathroom and someone wanted to add a bidet, I too would have
| my concerns. A ban is crazy, but I think it's totally valid
| to at least have a plumber inspect and sign off on the work.
| lancesells wrote:
| Not sure what you mean by poorly fitting. I've only
| purchased one bidet attachment but i don't see how it could
| do any damage unless you don't turn the water off or empty
| the toilet tank on install. Are you saying the water line
| leaks on some bidets after install?
| javagram wrote:
| Not a plumber but I've installed a few bidets in my homes
| and it's easy to see how the flexible supply line could
| leak if tightened too much or not enough. Toilet braided
| steel supply lines themselves are supposedly supposed to
| be replaced every 5-10 years to reduce the risk of
| bursting.
|
| I put water alarms connected to my security system behind
| each bidet equipped toilet.
| xnyan wrote:
| Maybe TMI, but...you don't pat dry with toilet paper after you
| use the bidet? I love my bidet, but I'm using approximately the
| same amount of TP in both cases.
| xyst wrote:
| I keep a stack of small hand towels next to the bidet.
| Organized in clean and dirty towel stacks.
|
| Keep a few rolls of TP for guests. Mostly sits unused
| otherwise. Last time I bought rolls was last year.
| vr46 wrote:
| But... you can't flush baby wipes, unless you want to be a
| monster that contributes to sewer pipe fatbergs or local
| blockages.
| PhasmaFelis wrote:
| > The note from P&G on my 1992 toilet paper said Charmin Ultra
| had shrunk "because it is so thick we couldn't put as many sheets
| on and keep the rolls the same size."
|
| > Uh-huh.
|
| I mean...that makes plenty of sense. My parents love this ultra-
| thin single-ply crap that gets plenty of footage on the roll, but
| it doesn't really matter when you have to pull off six feet and
| fold it a dozen times to get a good wipe.
| pupppet wrote:
| Thank goodness for Costco, their rolls are huge. The abundance of
| paper dust that comes off their rolls however I can do without.
| jasomill wrote:
| To align with numbers cited in the article:
|
| Kirkland Signature 30 pack[1]:
|
| 380 sheets/roll
|
| 4.5"x4" sheets
|
| $23.49 cost per pack
|
| $0.016/square foot
|
| Kirkland Signature Ultra Soft 36 pack[2]:
|
| 231 sheets/roll
|
| 4.5"x4" sheets
|
| $24.99/pack
|
| $0.024/square foot
|
| Charmin Ultra Soft 30 pack from Costco[3]
|
| 213 sheets/roll
|
| 4.5"x4.2" sheets
|
| $27.49/pack
|
| $0.033/square foot
|
| [1] https://www.costco.com/kirkland-signature-bath-
| tissue%2c-2-p...
|
| [2] https://www.costco.com/kirkland-signature-ultra-soft-bath-
| ti...
|
| [3] https://www.costco.com/charmin-ultra-soft-bath-
| tissue%2c-2-p...
| tedunangst wrote:
| How much money are people spending on toilet paper? Worrying
| about cost per wipe seems like one of the least economically
| productive things one can do.
| DonHopkins wrote:
| Stinkflation.
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(page generated 2024-08-18 23:01 UTC)