Imagine you’re sitting on the toilet, going about your business. You reach for a piece of toilet paper and *gasp* there is none left! It’s okay, we’ve all been there. Today toilet paper is one of those household items most humans take for granted, except when we run out and are left hanging on the toilet seat. A long time ago in a land faraway, toilet paper didn’t exist and humans were left to fend for themselves when it came to wiping their behinds. You may be wondering how people could have possibly lived, and the answers may surprise you.
Wiping in the Medieval Times
Humans have been wiping their butts for ions. Before toilet paper was even a concept, people just used whatever was available to wipe. This included items such as hay, wood shavings, corn cobs, and even iron cables. Ancient Romans used a sponge soaked in salt water that was shared by everyone. The wealthier families would use lace, doilies, and other more quality fabrics.
The concept of using paper to wipe dates back to medieval China. Chinese emperors began using long sheets of paper, and paper became popular for bathroom duties. When newspapers started to become available in the 15th century, paper became a more common wiping method for all socio-economic classes.
The Evolution of Commercial Toilet Paper
1857: Joseph Gayetty designed the first packaged wiping product. Packaged in Kleenex-like boxes, the sheets were made from hemp and infused with aloe. At first, not many Americans wanted to hop on the bandwagon. They simply wanted to use the newspapers and catalogs that came in the mail for free!
1871: Seth Wheeler from Albany was the first to create the toilet paper roll sold by Albany Perforated Wrapping Paper Company.
1879: The Scott Brothers arguably popularized the concept of paper on a roll, and had an idea to customize rolls for every merchant-customer they had. After this they began bulk packages of small rolls and sheets. The Scott Paper Company began making toilet paper under its own brand name in 1896.
1928: Charmin took a different marketing approach by using a feminine logo and an image of a beautiful woman to conjure feelings of comfort and softness. This was one of the catalysts to transform toilet paper into a household item rather than a medicinal product.
1935: Splinter free tissue was created by Northern Tissue. The traditional paper-making procedures failed to remove small splinters from the finished product, but Northern Tissue created the process called “linenizing” which allowed for softer paper to wipe with.
1942: The first 2-ply tissue was created by St. Andrew’s Paper Mill.
2015: Bim Bam Boo was born! The first free-and-gentle formula, made free-from major irritants and allergens . Our toxin-free TP is made of fast-growing bamboo, a regenerative grass with anti-microbial qualities. Bim Bam Boo tree free TP is revolutionary for your health, and our earth.
Toilet Paper in the 21st Century
The United States spends $6 billion per year on toilet paper, which is more than any other nation. While this may delight the executives behind the toilet paper industry, it is causing deforestation. Over 27,000 trees are cut down daily, solely for toilet paper manufacturing.
So how can you help? Make the switch to bamboo! Bamboo is an incredibly sustainable alternative to tree products because of its fast-paced renewing properties. While it takes trees up to 30 years to reach maturity, it takes a bamboo plant 3-4 months. When you switch to bamboo toilet paper, you’re helping preserve our earth’s forests, and all the ecosystems that depend on them. Try Bim Bam Boo today!
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FAQs
Before toilet paper was even a concept, people just used whatever was available to wipe. This included items such as hay, wood shavings, corn cobs, and even iron cables. Ancient Romans used a sponge soaked in salt water that was shared by everyone.
What did people use to wipe with before toilet paper? ›
Leaves, sticks, moss, sand and water were common choices, depending on early humans' environment. Once we developed agriculture, we had options like hay and corn husks. People who lived on islands or on the coast used shells and a scraping technique.
What did Native Americans use instead of toilet paper? ›
Corn cobs. Dried corn cobs were plentiful in rural agrarian societies throughout history. From colonial Americans to ancient Mayans — the corncob worked by turning on its axis to clean the region (you get the picture). According to our official internet sources, some outhouses in western US states still use this method ...
What did cowboys use for toilet paper? ›
After closer inspection, the plant we were looking at was Common mullein or Verbascum thapsus. Emily was quick to respond that locals refer to the plant as Cowboy's Toilet Paper.
What did the Chinese use before toilet paper? ›
Among tools people used in the past were moss, sponge on a stick, ceramic pieces and bamboo 'spatulas. ' At the onset of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, store shelves were quickly emptied of toilet paper, revealing the commodity's prominent, yet unspoken role in modern-day society.
What did people use to wipe in the Middle Ages? ›
And though sticks have been popular for cleaning the anus throughout history, ancient people wiped with many other materials, such as water, leaves, grass, stones, animal furs and seashells. In the Middle Ages, Morrison added, people also used moss, sedge, hay, straw and pieces of tapestry.
When did people start wiping after pooping? ›
The use of toilet paper first started in ancient China around the 2nd century BC.
What do amish use instead of toilet paper? ›
Corn Cobs: Historically used in many rural areas, including Amish communities, corn cobs are a readily available resource after harvesting. Newspapers: Old newspapers are repurposed as a practical and accessible alternative.
What did pirates use for toilet paper? ›
As toilet paper had not been invented the men would either have to use bits of old rag or rope to clean their back sides or sometimes there was a communal bucket and sponge. Urination was either into buckets or directly over the side.
What did Roman soldiers use for toilet paper? ›
But instead of reaching for a roll of toilet paper, an ancient Roman would often grab a tersorium (or, in my technical terms, a “toilet brush for your butt”). A tersorium is an ingenious little device made by attaching a natural sponge (from the Mediterranean Sea, of course) to the end of a stick.
The Romans cleaned their behinds with sea sponges attached to a stick, and the gutter supplied clean flowing water to dip the sponges in. This soft, gentle tool was called a tersorium, which literally meant “a wiping thing.” The Romans liked to move their bowels in comfort.
How did Victorians wipe their bottoms? ›
Options included rocks, leaves, grass, moss, animal fur, corn cobs, coconut husks, sticks, sand, and sea shells.
What do Egyptians use for toilet paper? ›
Empty rolls AGAIN?!!
Egyptians think we foreigners are the gross ones. While we stick (sometimes, quite literally) to toilet paper, Egyptians have their beloved shatafa.
What did the Romans wipe their bums with? ›
The Romans cleaned their behinds with sea sponges attached to a stick, and the gutter supplied clean flowing water to dip the sponges in. This soft, gentle tool was called a tersorium, which literally meant “a wiping thing.” The Romans liked to move their bowels in comfort.
What did the founding fathers use as toilet paper? ›
In George Washington's time, toilet paper had not yet been invented (sponges, rags and newsprint sufficed for the rich while the poorer classes relied on corn husks or cobs and, more often than not, their left hands).
Do amish use toilet paper? ›
Use of Toilet Paper Among the Amish
In the Amish community's approach to using toilet paper, there is a distinctive balance between traditional practices and the need for modern hygiene. Many traditional Amish communities view toilet paper as an indulgence, prioritizing essential needs like food and clothing.
How did tudors wipe their bottoms? ›
People would wipe their bottoms with leaves or moss and the wealthier people used soft lamb's wool. In palaces and castles, which had a moat, the lords and ladies would retire to a toilet set into a cupboard in the wall called a garderobe. Here the waste would drop down a shaft into the moat below.
