What did they use for toilet paper back in the 1800s?
What Did They Use for Toilet Paper in the 1800s? A Historical Look at Hygiene Before Toilet Paper
Toilet paper is something we take for granted today, but before its widespread availability in the late 1800s, people had to use whatever materials they could find to clean themselves after using the bathroom. While we may consider toilet paper a basic essential of modern sanitation and hygiene, it was not too long ago that having a steady supply of toilet paper was a luxury.
Let’s take an in-depth look back at what people used before toilet paper became ubiquitous in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Understanding the toilet paper substitutes of the past provides an insightful window into how our ancestors managed their hygiene and sanitation needs without this product we now consider indispensable.
The Evolution of Toilet Paper Through History
To give some historical context, toilet paper’s origins can be traced back over 2000 years to the 6th century AD in China, where the first documented use of paper for hygiene and cleansing occurred. Paper was invented in China long before it made its way westward via the Silk Road, so the Chinese had access to this material centuries before Europe.
In 589 AD, the scholar-official Yan Zhitui wrote about the use of toilet paper in his writings, remarking on the soft, perfumed type used by the imperial court in the 6th century. So China holds the honor of first using paper specifically for wiping!
In the Western world, various ancient civilizations had their own ways of practicing anal cleansing and hygiene. The ancient Greeks and Romans used materials like stones, broken pottery, sticks, sponges and water to clean themselves. Sea shells, moistened hay, and animal furs were also employed.
It was not until the late 1800s that toilet paper as we know it today started to be commercially produced and sold. Before then, alternatives and makeshift solutions were the norm across the Western world.
The first modern toilet paper was introduced in 1857 by New York entrepreneur Joseph Gayetty, who sold packs of medicated flat sheets of manila hemp paper. But it did not catch on widely until the 1880s and 1890s.
The Spread of Toilet Paper in the 19th Century
In the 19th century, toilet paper slowly gained acceptance, first among the upper classes in Europe and America, then spreading to the masses by 1900. By the early 1900s, splinter-free toilet paper was being mass produced, and toilet paper use spread widely across Europe and America.
According to research by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, in 1834 the British Perforated Paper Company patented perforated paper rolls for toilet use, but it did not succeed due to market resistance against the product. Most people saw little need for toilet paper at the time.
It was not until 1857 that commercially manufactured toilet paper really took off in Britain, fueled by the inventor of the modern flush toilet, Thomas Crapper. Crapper‘s new flush toilet designs helped popularize the use of toilet paper in British homes.
Toilet Paper Becomes Mainstream in America
In America, toilet paper was slow to gain acceptance. Many people continued using pages from catalogs, almanacs, newspapers and magazines well into the late 1800s.
According to Bustle magazine, it was not until 1890 that toilet paper became a mass market consumer product, thanks to the Scott Paper Company. Led by brothers Edward and Clarence Scott, the company heavily marketed its product and undertook innovations like making toilet paper on rolls and adding splinters.
The widespread adoption of indoor plumbing and flush toilets in American homes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was a key driver in the success of commercial toilet paper. The Scott brothers capitalized on this revolution in sanitation systems to push toilet paper into the mainstream.
According to Statista, toilet paper sales in the U.S. totaled about $6 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, showing just how mainstream this product became over the last century or so.
So what did people use before toilet paper became widely available? Let‘s take a look at the regional differences and common materials employed in the era before TP.
Toilet Paper Substitutes Used in Different Regions
In Europe
Before toilet paper was commonplace, Europeans improvised with what they had on hand. Among the working classes, moss, leaves, grass, and water were frequently used for cleansing after defecation. Sea sponges and lace were also utilized.
Those who had the means would use wool, hemp, linen strips, or lace. Softer, more absorbent fabrics like silk were preferred among aristocrats who could afford it.
The French were known to resort to using pages from the Bazeries military code manual once paper became available. This may seem odd to us today, but paper was scarce at the time, so repurposing used books and manuals was clever improvisation!
In America
Early American settlers adopted the hygiene habits they grew up with in Europe. Leaves, rags, and paper were common wiping materials in rural areas.
A unique American technique was to use dried corncobs to scrape and clean after bowel movements. Native Americans introduced Europeans to using corncobs for this purpose.
By the mid-1800s, the Sears Roebuck catalog became a popular bathroom accessory in rural outhouses. The thick catalog pages served as a handy source of free toilet paper. Almanacs, newspapers, and other paper materials were also common in outhouses.
In cities, used paper was collected from hotels and public buildings to be recycled into toilet paper.
Toilet Paper Options in Asia
In India and other parts of South Asia, people traditionally cleaned themselves using water and their left hand. This ritual cleansing was done with a small pitcher of water rather than dry paper.
Sticks, leaves, stones, and other natural materials were also utilized in ancient times. Rags, coconut husks, and corncobs were some other cleaning tools.
In the Middle East, Muslim cultures dictated using water for ritual cleansing and purification. Stones were also used historically throughout the region.
Creative Solutions in Ancient Rome and Greece
The Greeks and Romans employed a number of creative tools for anal hygiene. Broken pottery shards, stones, sticks, sponges, and animal furs helped clean and scrape.
Wealthy Greeks and Romans used wool soaked in olive oil or vinegar on a stick. Balls of wool in salt water were another tool used by upper class Romans.
The favored Roman method was using a spongia – a sea sponge on a stick, soaked in salt water or vinegar. After use, the spongia was rinsed and returned to its holder, ready for the next visit to the latrine.
Advantages of Toilet Paper for Hygiene and Health
It’s easy to take toilet paper for granted and forget that it was created to fill an important hygienic need. Before toilet paper, many traditional wiping materials were not very absorbent or effective at cleaning. Rags, moss, and other rough materials often left residue.
This created sanitation and health issues, even spreading bacterial infections in some cases. Diseases stemming from poor hygiene were problematic in urban areas where waste accumulated.
Four Key Benefits of Toilet Paper
Toilet paper offered some key advantages:
Having a hygienic, disposable paper product for wiping brought about meaningful improvements in public health and cleaned up urban living conditions as toilet paper replaced old communal rags, moss, and other products that spread germs.
7 Interesting Historical Toilet Paper Alternatives
Looking back at the inventive ways people managed their hygiene without toilet paper shows human creativity and resourcefulness at work. Here are some of the more unusual toilet paper substitutes from history:
While these solutions worked after a fashion, most proved less comfortable and sanitary than toilet paper. Still, our ancestors showed clever improvisation skills!
The evolution and spread of toilet paper products brought about meaningful improvements in cleanliness, public health, and privacy. While it may seem mundane, the advent of TP solved a vexing hygiene challenge spanning cultures and centuries.
So next time you reach for some toilet paper, consider just how essential this product is and how it improved sanitation and health outcomes over the last 150 years!