Toilet Paper: A Roll Through Time

Did you know it’s National Toilet Paper Day today? While you’re here, join us as we take a moment to reflect on this innocuous yet influential feature of our lives!

It wasn’t so long ago that empty toilet paper shelves threw our world into panic and filled us with a dread we never expected to feel. If modern history has proved anything, it is that our society is resilient in the face of danger yet weak in the face of a toilet paper shortage. This National Toilet Paper Day, we’re taking a moment to reflect on how we got to this point and what the future holds for this irreplaceable part of our lives.

How did we wipe up like this? A brief history of toilet paper.

It’s impossible to roll a history (we won’t apologize for the puns here) of human progress into just a few sentences, but we found a few highlights we’d like to share:

Some of the earliest evidence of a “hygiene product” being used after ablutions has been found in ancient Greece, Rome, and China.

The Romans employed an object known as a “tersorium,” which seemed to be a sponge tied to the end of a stick. So far, so good. Unfortunately, however, it appears that tersoriums were viewed as public property and shared between family, friends, and foes alike. The Greeks took a harder line with toilet hygiene, preferring small ceramic tools to wipe personal surfaces clean. And similar objects have been found in even older archaeological sites in China, with small bamboo sticks fashioned to look like tiny spatulas revealing evidence of their sanitary use.

Fast forward through most of mankind’s history, and we finally find the first record of paper being used in water closets during the 19th century. Credit has widely been given to Joseph Gayetty, who first marketed “Medicated Paper for the Water Closet.”

Fun facts about TP

– Did you know that the average person uses around 100 rolls of toilet paper a year?
– People from many places in Europe and across much of Asia use either a bidet or a “bum gun” (a water hose attached to the toilet) to reduce the amount of paper they use.
– Astronauts use specially compressed and vacuum-sealed toilet paper that’s been designed specifically for use in space.
– COVID-19 saw a global shortage of toilet paper on our shelves. The real cause of this shortage has been attributed to panic buying.

Too much of a good thing?

So let’s get one thing straight: experts agree that we should be using 8–9 sheets per time. If you’re using a lot more than this and you live in a home with other heavy users, don’t be surprised if your toilet fights back.

If you happen to be on the ugly end of a toilet clogged with too much paper, here are a few things to remember:

– Stop Flushing! Please. You are unlikely to clear the blockage by flushing, and the water rushing into the bowl has only one place to go: your bathroom floor.
– Find your plunger. If the paper has caused a simple tangle in the floor flange, a few strong pumps with the plunger should clear it easily.
– Don’t be a hero. If it’s looking more complicated than step 2 to clear your toilet, it’s time to call in the Roto-Rooter pros. It’s easier, simpler, a lot less stressful, and more cost-effective than trying out a more intrusive DIY fix. And please don’t feel shy. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before, and we absolutely believe you when you tell us that the dog did it.

We hope you have a dry, 3-ply soft, national toilet paper day and happy flushing!