The basic facts about the history of toilet paper
Someone recently asked me what people used before the invention of modern toilet paper rolls. Being a survivor, I have been asked this question many times and I always try to answer it as honestly as possible.
It is logical to assume that our modern toilet paper did not exist before the 19th century. The notion of Charmin or Cottonelle is a fairly recent concept. Although when it was first introduced it was more of a novelty than a necessity as it is now our current contemporary home.
Original items previously used for our cleaning pleasure ranged from various sticks and leaves to ears of corn and pieces of linen cloth. Before the first known toilet paper product was introduced in the late 1800s, people were looking for items that were commonly found in their environment.
It is rumored that people who lived in the northern parts of the world generally used tundra moss during the summer and resorted to handfuls of cold snow during the winter months. For those people who lived in the tropics, old coconut shells and mussel shells were commonly used.
The Greeks used clay pieces and stones while the Romans had the most logical method of cleaning that I have found. In ancient Rome they used a sponge that was attached to a stick and then dipped into a container of salt water.
In the 14th century, Chinese emperors used scraps of rice paper, and Europeans began using hay, grass, straw, and old rags. Many primitive societies in the Far East used the left hand to clean themselves. This was considered acceptable practice and has led to the theory of why the right hand is extended in friendship and not the left.
During our own colonial era, the ear of corn was a popular item found within the common home. The first paper products used for personal cleaning were mail order catalogs that were hung in the private area. The Old Farmer’s Almanac had special holes placed in it so that it could be hung neatly on toilets.
The first real toilet paper product is credited to the German Hans Klenk, an American named Arthur Scott, and a British gentleman named WC Alcock. History has dedicated toilet paper to these three men.
In 1928, Hans Klenk became the first European to roll up paper bands; however, the American Arthur Scott had previously achieved the same effect in 1890. WC Alcock created an alternative to the current use of popular newspapers in the 1880s.
The modern toilet paper roll has definitely made life much easier and more hygienic for all of us. At last count, there were more than 5,000 companies producing toilet paper in various parts of the world.
The same person asked me how much toilet paper they should store for emergency use. As survivors, we believe in storing food for a year and as such we should also store extra toilet paper. You can roughly base your storage on the rate of 1 roll of 1,000 sheets per person every three days. So a rough count would be for a year’s storage of 100 rolls per person.
Every family is different and these figures may very well change from one family to another. When in doubt, stock more as it will make great trading material when needed.
Copyright @2008 Joseph Parish