5 Common Problems With Costco's Kirkland Signature Toilet Paper

There are plenty of Costco secrets, hacks, and trends you definitely need to know to maximize benefits when shopping with the bulk brand, but when it comes to the company's Kirkland Signature toilet paper, what you'll experience might not be the best. There are plenty of complaints about the paper across product reviews and social media. People say that it just falls apart, so it can't really get the job done. Some claim the paper is really dusty and seems lower in quality than it used to be or that it tears weird, making use difficult. There are other complaints, too, so we've rounded up five of the most common issues with the tissue here. 

Sure, there are plenty of Costco fans who swear by the stuff, praising the size of the rolls and how soft the squares are. But for every pro, there is always a con. That said, before you start questioning if your Costco membership is worth it anyway, know that your experience might be completely different, plus this is just one product out of many. It's just better to shop informed.

Good toilet paper shouldn't bead up when wiping and should dissolve only when dropped into the toilet bowl. It also shouldn't shed while it's still in the package. Unfortunately, some long time fans of the brand say that although the price is great, especially for the amount of product that you get, the sheets are different than they used to be. Now, they are messy and dusty. "[The rolls were] so fibrous it looks like it snowed in the bathroom with ALL the PAPER FIBER FUZZ that explodes out of the package when opened," customer Jo Mac shared in a review on the Costco. "It is everywhere it's horrible. [It] makes me sneeze and it covers the baseboards, floor etc. WHY? It used to be better, it never made this mess, these fibers can't be good on the hiney, or for the lungs when opening the package."

And this customer didn't have an isolated experience. Over on Reddit, others have posted about a similar experience. "The TP absolutely sucks now. The newest pack I bought is extremely messy & dusty, and leaves an unprecedented amount left behind when wiping," SignalSubstantial590 ranted on the Costco sub. "I've never had this high of an issue from theirs before. I'm at the point that I'm ready to throw away what's left of the pack." Both of these reviews seem to have been posted in late 2024 or early 2025, indicating that before that time, perhaps this dustiness wasn't an issue. 

You might be someone who just blindly pulls a clump of toilet paper off the roll, or you might be someone who carefully tears the squares you intend to use along the dotted line. Either way, both camps can agree that a ragged end to a toilet paper sheet looks a little tacky when left on the roll. Apparently, a common issue with Kirkland toilet tissue is that it breaks off in between, instead of tearing cleanly away. "I love the Kirkland Toilet Paper, but when I tear it, it doesn't always tear along the perf," WoodlandElf11 posted on the Costco Reddit.  "It ends up shredding into long strips. It's actually pretty annoying."

This person isn't the only one running into this issue. An anonymous user also left a review, stating that they've been a member of Costco since 1985 in Kirkland, Washington (yes, where the brand name itself comes from).  The review goes like this: "I am not a disgruntled member, I absolutely love Costco, however I don't know what has gone on with the toilet paper. [F]or the past several years it has not been tearing correctly at the perforations but it does tear very easily when you're trying to do business which is not a good thing." They went on to say that this tearing issue has even caused them to switch brands. 

There's nothing worse than when you've been buying a product for years, and suddenly, it's not the same anymore. That's one of the main complaints for this toilet paper. It's just not what it used to be. "We have bought Kirkland toilet paper for several years and [from] our most recent purchase, it is clear that Kirkland has changed [the] manufacturer for [their] toilet paper," customer Braydon92 shared on the Costco website in 2024. "This new toilet paper is absolute garbage. The old TP was soft and strong. It was my favorite! This new TP I would compare it to wiping with newspaper! Prisons would supply this TP! It's rough and thin!" He goes on to say that he misses the old manufacturer and begs Costco to resume doing business with them.  

If you're wondering who actually makes Costco's Kirkland brand toilet paper, it's not just one manufacturer. Many different companies, like Georgia-Pacific, Sofidel, and even the Clearwater Corporation, produce paper products for the Kirkland brand. "Costco has my full and utter respect – EXCEPT whoever choose the supplier for their most recent Kirkland toilet paper," theheatherashely posted on Threads about this same quality issue earlier this year. "Whoever that was, we need to have a chat." It's possible that if the quality suddenly changes like this customer experienced, you've picked up an option from another manufacturer. However, this is still an issue as you would also expect quality to be the same across the board for the same product. 

Customers have noticed that the toilet paper in the packaging looks like it's already been through the wringer. "Quality is way down hill. I've used this for years and bragged how it was as good as Charmin. Now, the toilet rolls have dirt, or "something" dirty on the actual paper the outside layer mostly," customer Lori posted on the Costco website last year. However, it wasn't just one roll! "Peeking into the sealed pack I could see they ALL looked like they had rolled on some dirty floor before being packaged! Again, these rolls were still 'sealed!'"

On social media, user cdels__ reported that her new pack of Kirkland toilet paper had small specks of mold on the rolls, even though it was sealed. "Mine had literal dead bugs in between the plies," another user chimed in on her comments on TikTok in 2024. On a Reddit thread from this year, multiple users also state they've found mold in their Costco TP. We can assume these issues come from a compromised point in the creation or packaging process, causing debris (or bugs!) from the machines to be present in the packaging. The mold could be due to poor storage after packaging, allowing mold to infiltrate the bag. But whatever is causing the grime to show up, it's widespread enough to be reported multiple times.  

Starting a new roll of toilet paper shouldn't be tricky, but Costco customers have warned others that sometimes, Kirkland rolls make it this way. "Why did Costco begin using so much glue to keep the rolls from unraveling?" customer Bob_in_Indy asked on the Costco website. "It's become nearly impossible to start a roll! This also likely ties into the paper being too thin and not tearing along the perforated lines. When you have to really work to start a roll, you can lose a lot of the paper in the process, leading you to feel like you're not really getting your money's worth. 

TikTok user, piilaa95, agrees. "Who else hates this? Look at this!" he posted on TikTok late last year, showing the frustration of trying to start a new roll, as he is just creating shreds of paper. "I just get another roll at that point," a commenter chimed in, sharing his pain. It's easy to see just how shredded the paper can get as you try to open it. This task can be especially difficult if you don't have both hands available to peel the roll, or are in a rush, making it a real problem for Costco customers.