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Catherine Lane

Catherine Lane

Happy 15th Birthday To 3-Ply Toilet Paper

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Author Catherine Lane
(Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

My Daddy used to tell me this funny little poem when I was small. It goes like this.  “Oh, the out house is the same as it sits on down the lane, that old two seater that we used to sit on.  Sometimes, we’d make it, other times we’d fake it and that’s why the grass it grows so green at home”.  Everybody goes!  Happy 15th birthday to 3-ply toilet paper.

If 2-ply toilet paper is good then 3- ply is surely better.  Fifteen years ago this month it all happened when a team of toilet paper researchers at Georgia Pacific’s Innovation Institute came up with a 3-ply version of its most popular paper.

Today you can even buy 4-ply.  Now that might be a bit much!  Here is a fun fact about toilet paper.  The first use of something like our modern toilet paper was recorded in China. The year, 6th century AD.

At our house we are fine with the 2-ply. There is something for that discerning potty goer that needs a little more.   Happy 15th birthday to 3-ply toilet paper.  Wanna know what the New York Times thinks about the best toilet paper you can buy?  Get details right here.

TikTok Bathroom Cleaning Hacks: Fact or Fiction?

I love cleaning. Legit, I clean every day. You might think I am insane, but I find it fun. Sanctuary Bathrooms team up with a cleaning expert to help separate TikTok cleaning facts from fiction.

From shaving foam on fittings to putting fabric softener down the loo these viral trends get tested to save you from a cleaning mishap Search queries for ‘TikTok bathroom cleaning hacks’ have spiked by +50% over the last 12 months as the app sees a sharp rise in ‘cleanfluencing’, but how do we know these tips are credible?

To help TikTok’s 1 billion monthly users clean with confidence, the experts at Sanctuary Bathrooms have teamed up with an experienced cleaner, Sarah Dempsey from MyJobQuote to help separate facts from fiction. So, from flushing fabric softener to using shaving foam to clean your heated towel rails, this is what the experts say.

  • @shellslittlehome: ‘blotting the mold out of grout’

    Tip: Use bleach and cotton pads to soak and bloat moldy grout, leave overnight, and watch the mold disappear.

    What the experts say: Although this hack works, we would caution leaving undiluted bleach products on surfaces overnight as could damage your bathroom. Instead, use products made specifically for removing mold and mildew, let them do their job for at least 30 minutes and use a stiff toothbrush to scrub the mold away, and then rinse and repeat as necessary. What’s more, you won’t need to blot the product with cotton, saving both time and resources. Richard Roberts, Director at Sanctuary Bathrooms adds: “Unfortunately, porous shower grout is a favorite place for mold to grow – and a tricky area to clean!

    “Chlorine bleach, white vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide are all effective cleaning agents, but some may be more suitable for your tiles than others. Before you start, ensure what you’re going to use won’t damage your tiles (and bear in mind that bleach products can fade colored grout).”

  • @Vicolsfamilyhouse: ‘Fresh smelling toilet water hack’

    Tip: Add lavender-scented fabric softener to the toilet’s water tank, so when it flushes, it smells like lavender.

    Our experts say: Although this leaves a nice scent, fabric softener isn’t designed for sitting in toilet cisterns. Even if it doesn’t clog inside your tank, it may clog further down the drain line with consistent use. What’s more, it’s not eco-friendly. An environmentally conscious alternative would involve mixing white wine vinegar and baking soda in equal parts, then allowing the mix to sit in the toilet basin before scrubbing is an effective way of eliminating toilet odor.

  • @cleaning_at83: ‘Use shaving foam on metal surfaces’

    Tip: Use shaving foam on the metalware in your bathroom.

    Our experts say: Shaving foam is an incredibly popular cleaning hack. The mix of acid, emulsifier, and surfactant seems to work well on metal and glass. While it’s no problem to use it on stainless steel, it may cause long-term issues on metal coatings or plating such as chrome. Buffing clean taps with a dry microfibre cloth works just as well to create a good shine and reduces the need to use aerosol cans, which are sometimes harder to recycle and can end up in landfills.

    Richard adds: “Vinegar can also be used to clean bathroom taps, it’s an effortless and straightforward method. That said, we wouldn’t recommend on gold plated or chrome-plated taps as it can damage the finish.”

  • @carolina.maccauley: ‘DIY toilet bombs’

    Tip: Make toilet bombs by freezing baking soda, citric acid, and essential oils into little cubes. Drop the toilet bombs into the toilet as and when you please.

    Our experts say: Homemade toilet bombs are a great eco-friendly and low-cost alternative to commercial products. However, these toilet bombs won’t thoroughly clean your toilet so don’t ditch that toilet brush, it’s vital for scrubbing the bowl and cleaning around the rim. Don’t forget you still need to clean the seat and flush the handle.

    Richard adds: “We recommend cleaning the toilet at least once a week, but this is dependent on the number of times it’s used and by how many people. If more people use the same loo, try to clean it 3 – 5 times a week to keep germs at bay.

    Watch on TikTok

  • @lauradebarra: ‘Use half a lemon to scrub the whole bathroom

    Tip: Cut a lemon in half and clean your entire bathroom with it.

    Our experts say: Lemons are an eco-friendly and great light-weight remover of limescale with evident anti-bacterial properties. However, it would take a few lemons to clean a full bathroom. To get the most out of your leftover lemons, make sure they’re not chilled and if you’ve got a whole lemon, roll it along your worktop a few times, pressing on it. This will help you utilize all the juice. Alternatively, you could squeeze it and dispense it from a spray bottle.

    Richard adds: “Lemons obviously have a wonderful scent and do have excellent cleaning properties due to their natural acidity. This acidity will help to remove hard water stains on your bathroom’s metal fixtures.”

    Watch on TikTok

  • @cleanwithjen ‘DIY cleaning solutions’

    Tip: Make a DIY multi-surface spray using vinegar and dish soap, diluted with water to remove marks on the shower door.

    Our experts say: Add a sprig of rosemary or eucalyptus into the mix to improve the smell of this mixture! Richard adds: “Vinegar makes a great household cleaner as it’s made from acetic acid – an ingredient in store-bought household cleaners – however vinegar is more eco-friendly and a lot cheaper.

    “Vinegar is good for cleaning because it’s acidic which means it’s able to dissolve dirt, grease, grime and kill bacteria, making it perfect for cleaning your bathroom, although we would avoid using it on mirrors, wood/stone flooring, stone/granite countertops or electronic screens.”

    Finally, Richard advises “ When it comes to objects with finishes, some substances can damage things like showers and taps. We would always recommend referring to the cleaning advice provided by manufacturers and trust that over any cleaning hacks you see online, particularly any involving acidic and abrasive substances.”

    Watch on TikTok

Catherine Lane is the morning show co-host and midday host on Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has been with the station for the past 24 years and is a recipient of the Academy of Country Music Major Market Personality of the Year award. Catherine has been on air in both radio and television in the Queen City for 38 years. As a content creator for Country 1037, Catherine writes blogs on local events and restaurants. She also writes about great travel spots and out of the way places in the Carolinas. Anything outdoors, travel, food, animals or the many country artists from the Carolinas.

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