Is using wet toilet paper more hygienic and healthier?

There are many kinds of toilet paper products on the market. With the improvement of living standards, people's demand for toilet paper has further increased. Softer and more comfortable paper towels such as face towels and wet toilet paper have become popular.

Wet toilet paper has entered thousands of households, but do you really understand it?

As an innovative product of toilet paper, what are the advantages of wet toilet paper compared to ordinary toilet paper? Why is it more and more popular? Can wet toilet paper only be used to wipe after going to the toilet? Can it be used for other purposes? Are there any other alternatives to wet toilet paper?

1Will I get hemorrhoids from using wet toilet paper?

To clarify this issue, we must first understand the causes of hemorrhoids.

The cause of hemorrhoids is not yet fully understood, but it may be related to a variety of factors, mainly increased abdominal pressure, obstructed rectal venous blood return, eating spicy food, taking too long to defecate, sitting for a long time, and constipation or long-term diarrhea caused by indigestion. In short, the formation of hemorrhoids is related to improper bowel habits and eating habits, and has nothing to do with the use of toilet paper.

But this does not mean that we can use paper towels to wipe the anus at will. Improper selection and use of toilet paper may also lead to bacterial infection.

First, if there are quality problems with the toilet paper itself, such as inferior production materials or a polluted production environment, it may cause bacterial infection around the anus and trigger vaginitis in women.

Second, incorrect wiping techniques may cause feces to remain in the folds around the anus, which can easily breed bacteria.

Third, using toilet paper that is too rough or wiping too hard may cause the delicate skin around the anus to rupture and bleed, increasing the risk of bacterial infection.

Compared with ordinary toilet paper, wet toilet paper has the advantages of being softer and having a higher water content, which can better fit the skin of the perianal folds and fully remove the residual feces. In addition, wet toilet paper has a sterilization function, which can kill Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, etc. to a large extent, making it cleaner and more hygienic.

From this point of view, wet toilet paper will not only not cause hemorrhoids, but also greatly reduce the risk of bacterial infection. Moreover, wet toilet paper is a product that meets national standards. As long as it is a genuine product purchased through formal channels, there will be no problem.

2How to use wet toilet paper?

Can wet toilet paper, which is both soft and has excellent bactericidal effects, only be used to wipe buttocks? Isn't that a waste of resources?

After a meal, my hands and mouth are greasy, and I don't have any wet wipes. Can I use wet toilet paper to wipe my hands and mouth?

As wet wipes for human body, wet toilet paper and ordinary wet wipes both use the GB/T 27728 wet wipes standard issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardization Administration of China in 2011. In other words, according to the wet wipes standard promoted by the state, wet toilet paper meets the requirements for human body use and can naturally be used to wipe the skin.

Source: China Industry Standards

Many people still have this question after using wet toilet paper: Do I need to wipe off the remaining moisture with toilet paper?

The water content of wet toilet paper is 60% to 80% of that of ordinary wet wipes, which is just enough to clean the skin without leaving a greasy or wet feeling. The water can be completely evaporated within a few seconds after use, or refer to the usage steps on the wet toilet paper packaging. In most cases, you don’t need to wipe it dry again. Of course, if you want a drier experience, you can use toilet paper again.

In public toilets, you can often see signs saying "Please put your trash in the basket" because too much debris cannot be degraded and can easily clog the sewer pipes. However, there is no such worry about wet toilet paper because it can be dissolved in water and biodegraded in the toilet, will not clog, and can be safely decomposed into raw materials and completely returned to the environment, truly realizing a sustainable ecological cycle and being more environmentally friendly.

3Can other paper towels be used instead of wet toilet paper?

Wet toilet paper certainly has many advantages, but its price is also significantly higher than ordinary toilet paper. So can wet toilet paper be used instead of wet toilet paper?

Let's first look at the difference between toilet paper and wet toilet paper:

1. Different materials. Ordinary toilet paper loses its toughness after getting wet and is easy to break, making it easier for your hands to get feces on them, which is unhygienic. In addition, wet toilet paper is made of degradable materials and can be flushed directly into the toilet after use without clogging.

2. Different pH values. The pH value of wet toilet paper is weakly acidic, which will not destroy the acid-base balance of the human body and is friendly and does not irritate the skin.

3. Different sterilization capabilities. Toilet paper does not have sterilization capabilities after being wetted, and cannot kill bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, the toughness of toilet paper is greatly reduced after being wetted, so be careful when using it.

Alcohol wipes are also used by many people to replace wet toilet paper, because the skin will feel cold after using alcohol wipes, which is because alcohol evaporates and absorbs heat. Many people like to use alcohol wipes to relieve the burning feeling in the anus after eating hot pot. So can alcohol wipes replace wet toilet paper?

Both alcohol wipes and wet toilet paper have the ability to disinfect and sterilize, but there are still many differences:

1. Different water content. The water content of alcohol wipes is higher than that of wet toilet paper. After use, the skin will feel slippery and may need to be wiped dry with toilet paper.

2. Different antiseptic ingredients. Anal tissue is relatively tender, and the surface skin is similar to the soft skin of lips, which is a single layer of squamous epithelium. Alcohol wipes use alcohol to sterilize, and alcohol may irritate the delicate skin here. Some alcohol wipes clearly state on the packaging that "cannot be used on sensitive areas such as private parts", so be careful when using them.

Having said so much, it does not mean that wet toilet paper is necessarily better than regular toilet paper. Under the premise of ensuring compliance with the standards, users are free to use any type of sanitary products. In short, as long as the product can ensure hygiene, it is a good product~

Review expert: Zong Jiayin, chief physician of the anorectal department of Benxi Central Hospital, Liaoning Province