“Family cloths” reusable toilet wipes: gross or great?

Many of us who try to lead eco-conscious lifestyles are likely already using many reusable, washable fabric items for both household and personal use, but what about reusable toilet wipes?

Cotton dish cloths, washable baby diapers, handkerchiefs, and Glad Rags-type menstrual cloths are growing in popularity, but there's one area in which we may all be eco-offenders: the 'loo.

Enter "family cloths", also known as reusable toilet paper. These are washable strips of cotton flannel that folks can use to wipe with, but are they just too gross for most people to consider?

There aren't many of us who would truly balk at the thought of using washable cloth diapers for babies and toddlers, but the thought of wiping away our own excretions with strips of flannel cloth and then washing them later seems to be an entirely different story.

Most pro-cloth websites do a good job of dispelling the hideous imaginings that many may have about whether the practice is sanitary or not.

Advocates have described a variety of methods that they use for keeping things clean and tidy.

In theory, using family cloths seems to be a great idea—they're eco-friendly, reusable/sustainable, and would save us hundreds of dollars a year—but how many of us would actually go this route? Some people seem to be "okay" with the idea of using the wipes solely for after urinating, but would never consider them for any other use.