How much toilet paper is enough?

As history is being written, there will likely be many images we’ll look back upon from the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020 — one being the photographs of empty retail shelves where packages of toilet paper would normally be stacked sky high.
While our country is faced with social distancing and potential quarantine, shoppers have been preparing to shelter in place. What does that mean? Well, for some it means gathering enough essential food, medicine and supplies to last two weeks — but for others it seems to mean buying every available single or double roll, quilted or single-ply, inexpensive or luxurious pack of toilet paper in the free world.
But is there really a possibility of a toilet paper shortage? Probably not. According to industry data, about 90 percent of the toilet paper sold in the United States is manufactured on our own soil. With that being said, the spread of the Coronavirus in the United States likely won’t affect our toilet paper supply.
In fact, if you are worrying about how much toilet paper is enough, a person with a stockpile of 10 rolls, who uses a typical 20 sheets of paper, say three times a day, should survive, give or take, at least 53 days. Still not sure? Check out the website got-paper.com where you can calculate your actual (and very specific) toilet paper needs.
So, the message is to simply keep calm and stop hoarding all the toilet paper. After all, anything will do in a case of emergency, right? Well, anything that doesn’t involve poison ivy.

Where does toilet paper come from?
Making toilet paper is a three-step process that includes pulp, roll and cut. To begin, the paper is created from recycled materials and then chopped and heated with warm water to create a pulp. Then, after a process to remove color, a harmless bleach is added to make it white. The pulp is then squeezed through rollers to remove all moisture and laid on a large, flat surface to dry. It is then fed onto a roller to be stamped with embossing for both strength and looks then a long cardboard tube is added to create a two-ply paper.
Once the two-ply paper is glued and ready, it is fed into a chamber and cut by a circular saw, then packaged for individual sales or wrapped for a multi-package.

What are some
recommended items
(besides toilet paper)
to have on hand?
People who contract COVID-19 or are quarantined will need to stay home for an extended period to avoid exposing others. Here are some items health officials and emergency personnel recommend:
 Have supplies for your family to get by for about two weeks. That includes nonperishable foods like peanut butter, canned foods, soup, energy bars, beans and rice.
 Medications. Have a 30-day supply of prescription medications and stock up on over-the-counter medication such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen which reduce fevers and are good to have on hand in case of infection. Also, have a thermometer on hand. If you already have one at home, there’s no need to buy a new one; but if you don’t, consider getting one. It’s an important tool for monitoring potential illness.
 Cleaning supplies and laundry detergent. Health experts say handwashing is always the most effective way to prevent the coronavirus, but they say hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes can be effective too. Although in short supply now, stock is likely to improve soon.
 It may not be necessary to stock bottled water for this crisis but it’s always good to have a supply on hand in case of a natural disaster.