The subject of "Bathrooms" is still something we exclude from polite conversation. Yet according to ABCNEWS.com, a typical American spends about 1 hour a day in the bathroom whether that be brushing teeth, or showering, which adds up to almost two weeks a year [1].That is equivalent to a typical North American's vacation allowance. Canadians should not be far behind (or ahead) in this matter. Since a person spends so much time in quiet solitude, the questions of, "I wonder what is the meaning of life..." or "What is the history of toilet paper?" has definitely been pondered. Hopefully, some of your curiosities with the latter question will be answered with the exploration of toiletries.

So how can this story start? It is certain that toilet paper was not around forever; thus, it is believed by many that people "cleaned" with leaves and sticks. However, the material of choice is based on where you live. According to a book titled, "RE/Search Guide to Bodily Fluids", coastal people used mussel shells for tidying while Hawaiians made use of coconuts prior to toilet paper [1]. In India and the Arab world, people continue to use their left hand, which of course they clean after they perform their action. They consider the use of toilet paper to be filthy as it does not get everything [1]. Some have even suggested that this may be the reason we shake hands with our right hand! [1]

In Ancient Rome, people used a sponge attached to the end of a stick, which soaked in salty water [2]. If you were rich, you used wool and rosewater. In fact, if you were born into royalty, such as Louis XIV, you had the comfort of wool and lace for your cleaning pleasure [1]. However, did you know that Chinese Emperors used paper for their bottoms? Perhaps, this is the first known record of toilet paper usage [3].

In colonial America, the settlers preferred corn cobs, but when daily newspapers began to emerge in the 1700s, people gradually switched to news clippings [2]. This practice became commonplace even up to the late 19th century as the Sears catalog provided absorbent, uncoated paper. You can imagine the fuss that arose when Sears started to print on glossy, clay- coated paper [2].

Then in 1880, the original toilet paper was introduced in England where individual squares of coarse paper were sold in a box and not a roll [2]. The soft, fluffy type was introduced in 1907 since Americans preferred the comfort of such paper. This development has led to the introduction of soft, two-ply paper that comes in rolls, which is the standard in homes today [3]. So what holds for the future of toilet paper? The production of paper products is certainly not sustainable today based on the level of consumption, and the supply and re-growth of trees. Thus in 1999, Japanese inventors came up with the paperless toilet, which washes, rinses, and blow-dries for the user with a heating element [3]. I guess the old saying, "The paperless office is as likely as the paperless toilet" can be flushed down the drain!

[1] The history of toilet paper and the associated statistics come from the very unusual book RE/Search Guide to Bodily Fluids by Paul Spinrad. It is published by RE/Search publications (San Francisco, CA, 1994).

[2] The Great Toilet Paper Shortage story comes from the book Uncle John's Bathroom Reader by the Bathroom Readers' Institute (The Bathroom Readers' Press, Berkeley, CA, 1995, pages 217-218). It's actually a reprint of a TV Guide article from 1974.

[3] Wolf, Buck. Great Moments in Toilet Paper History. Wolf Files, ABCNEWS.com, April 23, 2003. Accessed January 2004.