I have a really bad habit of disappearing for long periods of time, don't I? Well, it's about time for a blogging streak again! Of course, I never know where the day is going to take me, and I never know what I'm going to blog about until I sit down and do it. Today, you get toilet paper and wet wipes.

I know what you're thinking. Why in the world would I want to talk about how you wipe yourself? Well, there are two reasons today. First, Crowdtap and Cottonelle were kind enough to send me very generous samples of Cottonelle's 'Clean Routine' products. Have you seen the commercials? The ones that ask how things like washing your car without water is different than wiping without wet wipes? They sent me an 18 pack of toilet paper and a little container of wet wipes for me, plus 4 packs of toilet paper and small packs of wipes for two friends. I'd like to tell you what I think about the samples.

Reason two is facebook doesn't like me very much. I originally wrote my review on a picture there, and it disappeared. I wrote it and reposted the picture, and it disappeared again. Now I'm going to share here instead! Really, it's kind of cool, because I love to write, and on this blog, I have a better opportunity to write as much as I want.

So, what did I think? Let me explain in pictures.

First, how does the roll start? With four kids now, three of which are no longer in diapers, this is really important, because if it starts hard, we end up with even more waste. Considering my 3 year old, JJ, went through a phase, where he would take a roll off the holder, wipe, and throw the entire thing in, we wasted more than enough for this lifetime...

Yes... I do have four brands of toilet paper in my house right now. I'm a bargain shopper, ok? So, what did it come down to? Cottonelle, Charmin Ultra Soft, and Quilted Nothern Ultra Plush all started at least pretty easily. Scott Extra Soft... By about layer 2 or 3, you'll get it going.
Durability was also put to the test, as I wrote on the rolls, so I didn't remember which was which. Charmin Ultra Soft and Quilted Nothern Ultra Plush both tore like crazy. Scott didn't, but it's also super thin, so you need more to keep from plunging through, especially if you're wiping a little bum. The Cottonelle held up best for the durability test. It's not as soft as the Charmin or Quilted Northern, but we found it comfortable.

So, the next thing. How much do you get on the roll? The Charmin and Scott were disqualified from this example, because they were triple rolls. Here's a comparison of the Cottonelle v the Quilted Nothern. I think the Cottonelle actually has a little more.

Back to the whole waste thing. I go nuts when I get to the bottom of a roll, and a round or two sticks to the cardboard in the center. It wastes toilet paper, and it's annoying to get off, so I can use the cardboard for crafts with the kids. I was excited to see the Cottonelle cardboard totally clean at the end. No comparison here, because I didn't have rolls for all of them.

We also had the child-friendliness test.  This is my adorable four year old, who has recently decided she WILL wipe on her own, and nobody can even be in the bathroom with her. By her age, one would expect them to pretty much have the wiping thing down. She does a pretty good job, but once in a while, she misses some. Wet wipes were a big thing to try with her, but would they be easy enough? My concern was how most wipes stick together, and it's hard to use them one-handed. These weren't. They were easy to separate with just a one-handed tug.

So, what is the overall review? Besides what I posted above, the system was actually really nice. Since we've been using the whole system, I haven't noticed streaky underwear. Personally, I feel cleaner after using wet wipes, too. We have already purchased more of the wipes, while on sale and with coupons, of course! The toilet paper that was given to us wasn't quite as soft as others we've tried, but it wasn't scratchy either. We liked it, but it's not something I'll go out of the way to pay more for. The whole system is well worth trying, especially if you can get a deal on it! Regardless of which toilet paper you find fits with your family, I would really recommend the wet wipes above any other brand.