The two most popular sections of my book have always been Building a Cabin, and page 210: Toilet Paper. What did people do when they didn't have nice rolls of bleached, tree-pulp paper to clean after using the outhouse, and what do they do now in other countries?
Newspaper: Crumble it in your hands to make it softer.
Paper: Treat it just like newspaper, but you might have to crumble it for longer.
Cloth: Old scraps of cloth cut into squares.
Mullein: Harvest the large velvety leaves of the mullein plant.
Your Hand: In India most people use their left hand, and then wash it.
Sand: Some people dip their damp hand in a jar of sand and scrub a bit with it.
Wisteria: Commonly used as toilet paper, harvested for the leaves.
Persimmon: These tree leaves have been used as toilet paper.
Oak: Oak leaves are also a common toilet paper.
Fig: Fig leaves not only do the job, they cure hemorrhoids.
Straw: A handful of clean straw can easily be put into a composting toilet.
Corn: The corn silk is much softer, but not having that even the ear leaves work.
Coming Next Year!
I'm considering trying out what is being called "family cloth". Basically, cloths instead of toilet paper. I found a couple of blog posts about it (sorry, can't remember the links). Sounds gross, but you just treat the cloths as you would a cloth diaper, and most people use it just for #1, not for #2. Trying to persuade my husband...he's dead set against using it for #2, still arguing about #1, lol. He did say that if I wanted to do it for myself and the kids, he wouldn't mind. I'll just keep a stack of clean home-sewn flannel squares of cloth folded neatly in a basket near the toilet, and keep a wetbag next to the toilet. Of course, there will still be TP for him and for guests...and we'll probably hide the cloth supplies when guests come to call. ;-)