The first commercially available toilet roll appeared in 1857 thanks to Joseph Gayetty who sold “Medicated Paper for the Water Closet” which was sold in packs of 500 sheets. A few decades later the first perforated toilet paper rolls appeared on the market in 1890 thanks to the Scott Paper Company of Philadelphia.
In 1879, Walter Alcock, a British businessman, created toilet paper on a roll, too. He was the first that used the perforated toilet roll instead of the common flat sheets. In 1880 the British Perforated Paper Company began selling toilet paper. That toilet paper was sold in boxes of individual squares.
The first perforated toilet paper rolls were introduced in 1890, and by 1930 toilet paper was finally manufactured “splinter free.” Today, softer, stronger and more absorbent describe the toilet paper found in American homes.
In 1871, Seth Wheeler (to some sources Zeth Wheeler) of Albany became the official “inventor” of toilet paper. Seth Wheeler patents rolled and perforated wrapping paper. His Albany Perforated Wrapping Paper Company began selling the first toilet paper on a roll.
Before the availability of mass produced toilet paper in the mid-1800s, humans had to resort to using what was free and available, even if it didn't provide the most effective (or comfortable) results. Options included rocks, leaves, grass, moss, animal fur, corn cobs, coconut husks, sticks, sand, and sea shells.
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.”
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.
The bundle, or roll of toilet paper, is known as a toilet roll, or loo roll or bog roll in Britain.
Toilet paper more or less as we know it today is a product of Victorian times; it was first issued in boxes (the way facial tissue is today) and somewhat later on the familiar rolls. Although we know the name of some early manufacturers (Joseph Gayetty, etc.), very likely the INVENTOR per se will never be known.
Limits accidental unrolling
If you have a pet at home who is prone to playing with the toilet paper, then you might want to give the “under” technique a try. Because the roll hangs against the wall, there's enough tension to keep the roll secure in its place.
If you went to the toilet in ancient Rome, you would not have any toilet paper. Instead you may have used a sponge (Latin: tersorium) to wipe. These ancient devices consisted of a stick with a vinegar- or salt water-soaked sponge attached. They were often shared!
Although modern-day toilet paper was invented in the United States in 1857, the introduction of toilet paper to Australia came decades later and coincided with the building of city sewers. Adelaide had a drainage system by 1885, while Sydney's was only partially complete by 1876.
FYI, toilet paper is preferred across Europe, USA and many East Asian countries. Most countries in Southeast Asia, as well as parts of Southern Europe, favour the use of water.
Mullein aka “cowboy toilet paper”
If the cowboys used the large velvety leaves of the mullein (Verbascum thapsus) plant while out on the range, then you can too! Mullein is a biennial plant available for use in almost every bioregion.
Wiping in the Medieval Times
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.
In 1942, St. Andrew's Paper Mill in Great Britain introduced the first 2-ply toilet paper.
Women were advised to dilute pure ammonia in warm water and then massage it through the scalp and hair, like modern shampoo. Men were also counseled to take great care when selecting a lifelong mate.
It was the custom for most people to wash themselves in the morning, usually a sponge bath with a large washbasin and a pitcher of water on their bedroom washstands. Women might have added perfume to the water.
Eighteenth-century British people used paper to wipe, as shown on a shelf beside the toilet in this caricature mocking a Scottish man for his ignorance of “civilised” facilities. This paper wasn't toilet paper as we know it, though: people simply recycled newspapers and the pages from cheap books.
Also called toilet tissue.
Always flush used toilet paper down the toilet, do not put it in the bin. In some countries, you cannot flush toilet paper because the drains are narrow and therefore block easily. The drains in the UK are quite wide and will not get blocked by toilet paper unless you flush too much of it.
The Vikings used wool. The Colonial Americans used the core center cobs from shelled ears of corn. The Mayans used corn cobs.
What Did People Use Before Toilet Paper? Paper itself is said to have contributed to a Golden Age in China, with the pulp making process attributed to a chap called Ts'ai Lun (pictured right), a Chinese court official who mixed mulberry bark, hemp, and rags with water.
A lot of this deforestation supplies the luxury consumer – recycled paper isn't as gentle on your tush. Yet 70% of the world's population doesn't use toilet paper at all. Big areas of southern Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia use water instead.