Why You May Want To Avoid Buying Costco's Kirkland-Brand Toilet Paper

Shopping at Costco can be the ultimate convenience as you pick up your oversized ketchup bottles, a cozy sweatshirt, and, of course, a Costco hot dog, all the while enjoying the products sold under the company's exclusive private label, Kirkland Signature. Founded in 1995, Kirkland Signature has many consumer favorites, but one item may have lost its luster for some Costco fans. The Kirkland-brand toilet paper, once favored by many, now has reams of complaints. Shoppers note the product is no longer worth the buy, citing reasons including that it rips easily, causes plumbing problems, causes too much lint or dust, and is incredibly thin. 

Costco doesn't manufacture its own products under the Kirkland Signature name; instead, it contracts with factories for production. When it comes to where and who makes Costco brand toilet paper, the answer is they partner with multiple paper companies, which reportedly include Georgia-Pacific and Sofidel. The warehouse brand earns over $400 million annually in toilet paper alone. However, one thing is clear despite the manufacturer: some customers aren't pleased with their 2-ply and are unafraid to roll out their complaints.

The Kirkland Signature Bath Tissue 2-ply (380 sheets, 30 rolls) product listing reveals good reviews with an overall rating of 4.7 stars. Multiple reviews give the product five stars for its good value, softness, and price. Sift through them, however, and you'll see that customers believe there's a dramatic quality dip. One shopper claims the toilet tissue has "gone from the best to the worst" and is now the "strength of cotton candy." Others echo this, saying the tissue is "flimsy, shreds completely," and "the sheets are too hard to separate." Another Costco customer claims that the paper isn't even a good value, as they now have to use "50% more." Complaints address durability, too, as many mention the tissue leaving behind dust or lint in the bathroom and on the body. Still, others say that the toilet paper is now too rough for use. 

While some complain the toilet paper is too thin and "disintegrates upon contact to water," others say the opposite, blaming septic woes on the product. Other reviews blame the brand as a clogging culprit, with one saying his, along with his coworkers, septic system lines were also clogged. Kirkland Signature Bath Tissue is listed as "septic-safe," but some Redditors claim their plumbers advise avoiding the brand if they want a clog-free system. This is all anecdotal and there's no strict warning against using the tissue printed on any plumber's website that we can find. If you think that Costco toilet paper might be one of the reasons your toilet keeps clogging, you might want to use another brand.

If you want to switch to an alternative toilet paper but are flush out of ideas, you may consider another popular brand at Costco, Charmin. The 2-Ply Charmin Ultra Soft Bath Tissue with 30 rolls ($33.99) features 4.8 stars, higher than the Kirkland Signature tissue, and mostly favorable reviews. The 2-Ply Kirkland Signature Ultra Soft Bath Tissue is a comparable buy with 4.7 stars and similar reviews but at a cheaper price ($24.99) for six more rolls at Costco. 

Toilet paper isn't cheap, and if you want to save money, you might switch to a bidet. Since the rush on paper products during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, bidets have slowly grown in popularity in the United States, with sales of over $20 billion in 2024. Installing a bidet in your bathroom can help you cut down on toilet paper use, be more eco-friendly, and reduce clogs. Not every bidet is the same, so it pays to browse through features and reviews if you go this route. One of the most well-known "big bidet" brands is TUSHY, and the company's most affordable option is the TUSHY Fresh Bidet: Ultra Slim Toilet Seat Attachment (Non-Electric Self-Cleaning Hygienic Nozzle), which sits at 4.5 stars with 750 reviews.