How Toilet Paper Was Invented and What People Used Before It

by Dev MG June 4, 2021

Key Takeaways

People used many materials before toilet paper, from moss and snow to corncobs and shared sponges.
Toilet paper first appeared in 6th-century China, where the Imperial Court used large, perfumed sheets.
Commercial toilet paper emerged in the mid-1800s, but it didn’t gain popularity until indoor plumbing became common.
Early toilet paper was rough and sometimes contained wood splinters, with softness improving by the 1930s.
Modern toilet paper production relies heavily on virgin trees, contributing to deforestation and climate impact.
Tree-free options like bamboo offer a sustainable alternative, regenerating quickly and storing significant carbon.

Want to know all about the history of toilet paper? You’ve come to the right place. Toilet paper is such a common item that it’s strange to think of a time when it didn’t exist.

Standard toilet paper as we know it was invented less than 200 years ago. Before that, people used a variety of, uh, interesting materials to wipe their tushie.

We thought it’d be fun to explore what people used before toilet paper and how the bathroom staple was invented. Let’s dive into toilet paper history.

What Did People Use Before Toilet Paper?

The question should be, “What didn’t people use before toilet paper?” Ancient and modern records indicate people have used almost anything they could get their hands on, including their hands (ew). A few notable items caught our attention, though.

By D. Herdemerten - Wikimedia

When in Rome…

Ancient Romans are famous for their bathhouses, toilets and extensive sewer systems. Most historians assumed these inventions were a boon for public health. But new evidence shows that this wasn’t the case.

The people of Rome suffered from many parasitic infections because of, not in spite of, the “advanced” sewer system.

Two possible reasons are humid conditions in bathhouses and public toilets and lack of knowledge about how disease spreads.

Lacking hygienic toilet paper, the Ancient Romans used a sponge attached to a stick, known as a “xylospongium.” (That’s totally not a made-up word.)

In public toilets, everyone used the sponge, and they stored it in a bucket of vinegar between uses. This sponge (which looks an awful lot like today’s toilet brush) likely caused disease outbreaks and infections for Roman citizens.

What the Wealthy Used

Not content with sharing a communal sponge when it was time to do their business, wealthy Romans used rosewater-soaked wool. But it seems they still thought it perfectly acceptable to reuse it.

Over in France, royal families were fond of silk and lace (talk about wasteful).

A Hodgepodge of Wiping Options

A major deciding factor in what people used before toilet paper depended on what was available.

In northern countries such as Scandinavia, moss and snow were wiping favorites. Meanwhile, a coconut shell did the trick in tropical regions like Hawaii.

And in rural U.S. farmlands, farmers and their families preferred one option above all: a corncob. Yep, people used a dried corncob stripped of its kernels throughout the 19th century.

Even after toilet paper was invented in the mid-1800s, folks in rural areas still preferred the cob. Comparably, it offered softness, convenience and economy.

Paper Becomes More Popular

Newspapers and cheap books gradually rose in popularity as the wiping method du jour across Europe and the U.S. Issues of the Farmers Almanac hung in outhouses for reading and wiping (multitasking).

This practice became so popular that its publishers drilled a hole in the Almanac’s corner for easy hanging.

A Brief History of Toilet Paper

When was toilet paper invented? The earliest documented toilet paper dates to the 6th century CE in China. Meticulous Ming Dynasty records report that 720,000 paper sheets were made for the Imperial court in Nanjing, the capital.

The paper was thick, soft and fabric-like and came in 2-foot by 3-foot sheets. We’re not going to think about why it was so large. Workers perfumed the sheets for the Imperial family, and they reserved the softest toilet paper just for them.

People made similar products in European countries, again mostly reserved for wealthy families. Common folk worldwide had to make do with whatever was cheap, convenient and available.

Toilet Paper Goes Mainstream

In the modern world, toilet paper didn’t take off as a commercial product until the late 1800s.

In 1857, American entrepreneur Joseph Gayetty created wide, single flat paper sheets infused with aloe. He stamped his name on every sheet. Marketing was lively, with packages labeled “The Greatest Necessity for the Age, Gayetty’s Medicated Paper for the Water Closet.”

The product flopped. Most Americans were perfectly happy to use magazine and newspaper sheets. And they weren’t inclined to pay for a similar product.

But American entrepreneurs didn’t give up on the idea. Ten years after Gayetty’s failure, brothers Edward and Clarence Scott put toilet paper on a roll. American consumers still weren’t convinced, but the brothers found a market selling to hotels and drugstores.

Modern plumbing required toilet paper

Modern Plumbing Creates the Toilet Paper Boom

Stores began selling rolls of toilet paper around the early part of the 20th century. But it took the invention of the toilet for it to really take off.

Toilets and indoor plumbing connected to city sewer systems were becoming more common. People needed something flushable that wouldn’t clog their toilets. Corn cobs and moss weren’t going to cut it.

Toilet paper manufacturers caught on and started claiming that plumbers endorsed their products. It worked.

By the 1970s, toilet paper was a solid everyday staple in American households.

Going Soft for Ultimate Comfort

Clearly, humans haven’t always used the softest materials to wipe their backside.

Doctors began to weigh in on toilet time hygiene. It became obvious that a cushy option was best for comfort, sanitation and not irritating your neither regions’ delicate tissues.

But the history of toilet paper had a rough start. The first rolls sold were notorious for catching users unaware with wood splinters (yikes). It wasn’t until the 1930s that manufacturing processes improved enough to make softer, more backside-friendly TP.

But that super-soft toilet paper has led to some serious environmental problems.

The Problems of Tree-Based Toilet Paper

Today, companies sell more than 7 billion rolls of toilet paper in the U.S. every year. That’s more than 23 rolls per person annually.

Manufacturers make most of this toilet paper from trees or lumber industry byproducts. Globally, companies transform 27,000 trees a day into toilet paper, using trees from old-growth forests.

The oldest trees in the forest provide the long fibers necessary for ultra-soft toilet paper. But old-growth trees take 150 years to reach harvest maturity, and once they’re cut, they’re gone forever.

The traditional toilet paper industry is contributing to the rapid loss of the world’s forests. Companies use virgin trees for a disposable product that doesn’t always biodegrade.

Forest loss leads to biodiversity loss and releases tons of stored carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The net result of deforestation and increased CO2 levels spell disaster for the fight to slow climate change.

The Rise of Eco-Friendly Toilet Paper

Tree-free toilet paper is a relatively new yet important addition to the history of toilet paper.

A few different options are available, including hemp and bamboo. But the best eco-friendly toilet paper is made from bamboo.

Bamboo is a fast-growing plant that regenerates after harvesting, making it a sustainable alternative to trees (it’s actually a grass). The roots of an average clump of bamboo store 3 to 4 times more carbon dioxide than any other plant.

And bamboo produces the softness that you want and doctors recommend.

Summary: Toilet Paper History

Let’s sum up our toilet paper timeline:

Before modern toilet paper, ancient people used a variety of materials, including silk, moss, snow or even their own hands.
The Ancient Romans used a xylospongium, a sponge attached to a stick, that they shared in public toilets.
During the Ming Dynasty, workers made toilet paper for members of the Imperial Court in 6th Century AD.
Gayetty invented modern toilet paper in the mid-1800s, but it didn’t catch on until about a century later.
Eco-conscious, tree-free toilet paper is a fairly new 21st century option.

Now you know more about what you wipe with (probably more than you’d ever imagined). We hope you enjoyed our brief history of toilet paper.

Enjoy Bamboo Toilet Paper From Save Trees

Be part of the history of toilet paper by making the switch to bamboo. Your choice helps fight deforestation and climate change. And your bum stays as comfortable as ever.

At Save Trees (formerly Cloud Paper), we’re committed to products that are better for you and the planet alike.

Browse our shop for premium bamboo toilet paper, paper towels, tissues and more. And follow us on Instagram for the latest tips, inspiration and product announcements!