Highlights
- Australians' panic buying on toilet paper makes it difficult to find.
- Cleansing with water as an alternative to substitute the need of toilet paper.
- An expert agrees that water cleanses better and has less impact on the sensitive part of our body.
Even though supermarkets in Australia have given , it is not as easy for the public to find the basic necessities.
of some women's altercation over toilet paper in a supermarket in Chullora depicts residents' panic amid the difficulty of getting these items, which affect most Australians.
Donny Verdian, who lives in Epping, NSW, also found it difficult to find toilet paper but claimed not to make excessive purchases.
"There was time when we had to move quickly just to make sure that we could meet our needs for the next two weeks," he told SBS Indonesian via WhatsApp text. "When we finally got it then that was it, didn't look for more."
Donny said that he thinks the panic felt by some people is caused by several factors.
"The first panic is because people think that toilet paper is very important," he said. "The second one is what makes it worse, because seeing people buying it up leave some people worry if they're running out, so then people go along with buying up."
In addition to hoping that Australians would no longer buy more toilet paper than what is needed, the designer and blogger also said that this might be the right time for Australians to learn using water for toilet time.
"I hope that people buy [toilet paper] in reasonable amount and learn to wipe using water," Donny said.
In some countries, including Indonesia, people usually cleanse using water with the bidet or use a water dipper with a pail full of water.
Empty shelves in Balmain Woolworths, Sydney, Saturday, March 7, 2020. Australians are stockpiling toilet paper over coronavirus fears. Source: AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi
The habit of water cleansing is strongly attached that even though someone has lived abroad for a long time can't shake it off that easy.
"Even I who have been living here [in Australia] for more than twelve years still use water to cleanse," wrote Donny Verdian on his blog page.
"For me, if it's not washed with water, that means it's not cleansed clean enough.
"I'll use the toilet paper when I am outside [the house]. But at home, I only use a small amount of toilet paper just to wipe it off and then cleanse the rest properly with the water."
Apart from culture and habit, some people may argue that cleaning with a toilet paper is not as effective as using the water.
Is it the time for Australians to learn using water instead of toilet paper? Source: Getty Images/MonthiraYodtiwong
Dr Evan Goldstein, a rectal surgeon based in New York City shares the similar sentiment.
In an interview with the , he says people think that toilet paper is hygienic whereas in fact it's not. And not only does toilet paper do a less-than-ideal job of cleaning, but the butt-wiping tool can actually lead to injury.
"Dry toilet paper can be abrasive, so if someone wipes too hard or too many times, the thin and delicate skin on your anus can tear, causing bleeding or pain," wrote the article.
