Toilet paper

Toilet paper (also TP, lavatory paper, toilet tissue, bathroom tissue, toilet roll, loo roll or bog roll) is a tissue paper product designed for the cleaning of the anus to remove fecal material after defecation or to remove remaining droplets of urine from the genitals after urination.

Toilet paper, which differs in composition from facial tissue, is designed to deteriorate when wet in order to keep drain pipes clear. Some types of toilet paper are designed to decompose in septic tanks, while other bathroom and facial tissues do not. Most septic tank manufacturers advise against using paper products that are non-septic tank safe. Toilet paper is sometimes euphemistically called "bathroom tissue" (in the UK, "toilet tissue,", "loo roll" or "bog roll"); this usage is common in commercials in the United States.

History

Records of human usage of toilet paper first appeared in China, during the 14th century.

The classic 16th century satirical novel Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais contains references to various toilet paper alternatives. For example, in the 13th chapter of the First Book, titled "How Grandgousier realized Gargantua's marvelous intelligence, by his invention of an Arse-wipe," the giant Gargantua, while still a child, tries dozens of different methods for wiping his bottom, including paper, but unfortunately he finds it "leaves some chips on his ballocks". Finally he discovers the best method:

But to conclude, I say and maintain that there is no arse-wiper like a well-downed goose, if you hold her neck between your legs. You must take my word for it, you really must. You get a miraculous sensation in your arse-hole, both from the softness of the down and from the temperate heat of the goose herself; and this is easily communicated to the bum-gut and the rest of the intestines, from which it reaches the heart and the brain.

The first factory-made paper marketed exclusively for toilet use was produced by Joseph Cayetty in the United States in 1857. Cayetty's name was printed on every sheet. Before this invention, wealthy people used wool, lace or hemp for their ablutions, while less wealthy people used their hand when defecating into rivers, or cleaned themselves with various materials such as rags, wood shavings, leaves, grass, hay, stone, sand, moss, water, snow, maize husks, fruit skins, or seashells, and cob of the corn depending upon the country and weather conditions or social customs. In Ancient Rome, a sponge on a stick was commonly used, and, after usage, placed back in a bucket of saltwater.

In some parts of the world, the use of newspaper, telephone directory pages, or other paper products was common. Old Farmer's Almanac was sold with a hole punched in the corner so it could be hung on a nail in an outhouse. The widely-distributed Sears catalogue was also a popular choice until it began to be printed on glossy paper (at which point, some people wrote to the company to complain). In Hervé Bazin's book, "Viper in the Fist", a Catholic family uses pages of the Catholic newspaper, La Croix (after tearing off the cross of Calvary). In modern flush toilets, using newspaper as toilet paper is liable to cause blockages.

In monarchical Russia, a subordinate stamped the toilet paper with imperial arms for the use of the Tsar. In the court of Henry VIII of England, the Groom of the Stool was given the job of cleaning the royal anus with his hand. The Groom of the Stool was both a highly respected and coveted position. For security reasons, only a highly trusted courtier would be chosen and it was coveted because of the influence he might have with the king, daily having the opportunity to be alone with His Majesty.

Using water to clean oneself, in lieu of toilet paper, is common in India and Muslim countries, where people use their left hand to clean themselves and their right hand for eating or greeting (In parts of Africa, though, the converse is true, and a right-handed handshake could be considered rude). The use of water in Muslim countries is due in part to Muslim sharia which encourages washing after defecation. It is not uncommon to find Indians and Middle Eastern people express their disgust for the use of dry toilet paper as they doubt the effectiveness of just wiping with toilet paper and feel it is impossible to completely clean one's bottom and washing is absolutely necessary. Toilet paper is not as rare today in these households, but in many countries, a hose with a water sprayer (called a "health faucet"^{[citation needed]}) or a pail of water is found instead of a water sprayer.

Some people will just compromise and use toilet paper dipped in water to clean themselves. There have been attempts to market wet swipes as toilet paper, but the market was not big enough.

Timeline

File:Hogarth-rehearsal.png

A print by William Hogarth entitled A Just View of the British Stage from 1724 depicting Robert Wilks, Colley Cibber, and Barton Booth rehearsing a pantomime play with puppets enacting a prison break down a privy. The "play" is comprised of nothing but special effects, and the scripts for Hamlet, inter al., are toilet paper.

14th century: toilet paper first produced in China (for the Emperor's use). Sheets were approximately 60cm x 90cm.
1596: invention of the flushing toilet by Sir John Harington
1700s: newspaper is a popular choice of toilet paper, since it is widely available
1710s: the bidet invented
1792: the Old Farmer's Almanac begins publication; there are several publications by the same name, as well as the Farmer's Almanac, which began publication in 1818. Pages from these publications were often ripped out and used as toilet paper, and later editions have holes punched in them so they could be hung from a hook in outhouses.
1857: Joseph Gayetty sells first factory-made toilet paper (Gayetty's Medicated Paper) in the USA. These were loose, flat, sheets of paper, pre-moistened and medicated with aloe; each sheet has Gayetty's name printed on it.
1877: The Albany Perforated Wrapping Paper Company of Albany, New York sells Perforated Paper ('The Standard'). It is sold 'by all the leading druggists' and is not medicated. It is marketed as being free of 'all deleterious substances' which includes printed materials and chemicals 'incident to the ordinary process of manufacture (which is) a cause of hemorrhoids.' In addition, medicated paper which is 'heavily charged with ointment' was offered for 'sufferers of hemorrhoids.'
1879: Scott Paper Company sells the first toilet paper on a roll, although initially they do not print their company name on the packaging. Paper was sold under the name of various industrial customers, including the Waldorf Hotel, which led to the popular Waldorf brand of toilet tissue.
late 19th century: rolls of perforated toilet paper available for the first time, replaces razor or knife on dispensers
1890s: Sears catalogue first becomes available, commonly used in rural America (initial catalogs were only of watches and jewelry, but by 1895, the catalog was 532 pages in size).
1900: plumbing improvements of the Victorian era have led to wide use of flushing toilet and (in Europe) the bidet
1930s: Sears starts publishing its catalogue on less absorbent glossy paper
1935: Northern Tissue advertises its toilet paper as "splinter-free"
1942: first two-ply toilet paper from St. Andrew's Paper Mill in England; toilet paper becomes softer and more pliable. For most of the rest of the twentieth century, both 'hard' and 'soft' paper was common. Hard was cheaper, and was shiny on one side. Sometimes it had messages like 'GOVERNMENT PROPERTY', 'IZAL MEDICATED' or 'NOW WASH YOUR HANDS PLEASE' written on each sheet near the perforation. Eventually soft paper won out as the price differential between the two papers vanished. Hard paper is seldom seen these days in UK, but is still available.
1943: novelty toilet paper printed with images of Hitler
1973, December 19: comedian Johnny Carson causes a three week toilet paper shortage in the USA after a joke scares consumers into stockpiling supplies
1980: the paperless toilet invented in Japan (combination toilet, bidet and drying element, see Japanese toilet)
1990-1991: Gulf War, American troops camouflage tanks with toilet paper
1990s: tissues containing ingredients like aloe begin to be heavily marketed in the USA
2000s: toilet paper is commonly available in hundreds of different designs, colors and prints.

Today in some Muslim countries, toilet paper with added "wet strength" (chemicals to keep it from dissolving in water too quickly) is beginning to be accepted for drying (rather than cleaning, as is common in Western countries).

Modern toilet paper

The advantages of toilet paper are that it is easy and intuitive to use, fairly absorbent, can be conveniently made available near toilets and it can be flushed in most countries where toilet paper is common. Most modern sewage systems, including septic tanks, can accept toilet paper along with human excreta. In rare instances, used toilet paper is placed in a tin or dustbin next to the toilet if the plumbing or septic system cannot cope with toilet paper. Misplacing the soiled paper can lead to a serious faux pas, regardless of culture.

Toilet paper is available in several types of paper, a variety of colors, decorations, and textures, to appeal to individual preference. Toilet paper is typically made from recycled paper. Environmentally friendly toilet paper may also be unbleached, which reduces pollution of waterways and is safer, as fewer chemicals are used. Toilet papers vary immensely in the technical factors that distinguish them: sizes, weights, roughness, tearability, feces, softness, chemical residues, "finger-breakthrough" resistance, water-absorption, etc. The larger companies have very detailed, scientific market surveys to determine which marketing sectors require/ demand which of the many technical qualities. Modern toilet paper may have a light coating of aloe or lotion worked into the paper to reduce roughness. Quality is usually determined by the number of plys (stacked sheets), coarseness, and durability. Low grade institutional toilet paper is typically of the lowest grade of paper, have only one or two plys, are very coarse and sometimes have small amounts of unbleached/unpulped paper embedded in it. Mid grade two ply is somewhat textured to provide some softness, and is somewhat durable. Premium toilet paper may have lotion, and has 2 to 4 plys made of very finely pulped paper.

Two-ply toilet paper is the standard in many countries, although one-ply is often available and marketed as a budget option, it may also be more appropriate for use in toilets on boats and in camper-vans. Toilet paper, especially if it is marketed as "luxury", may be quilted or rippled (embossed), perfumed, colored or patterned, medicated (with anti bacterial chemicals), treated with aloe, etc. Many novelty designs are also available on toilet paper, from cute cartoon animals via pictures of disfavored political celebrities to pictures of dollar bills. Women who are prone to vaginal Candidiasis yeast infections are advised by some medical experts to use white, unperfumed toilet paper.

Moist toilet paper was first introduced by the Kimberly-Clark Corporation in the United Kingdom by Andrex in the 1990s, and in the United States in 2001, two countries in which bidets are rare. It is designed to clean better than dry toilet paper after defecation, and may be useful for women during menstruation.

The manufacture of toilet paper is a large industry. According to U.S. company Charmin, an American uses an average of 57 sheets of toilet paper a day (20,805 a year). The toilet paper market is worth about US$2.4 billion a year in America alone.

The term toilet paper has been used throughout this article but it is often known by other (mostly slang) names such as shit tickets, mountain money, TP, toilet tissue, toilet roll, striking paper, loo roll, bumf, bumfodder, bog roll, date roll, and ass wipe. "TP" is often used as a verb (we TP'ed the school principal's house) where it means throwing rolls of toilet paper over large objects (trees, cars, houses) to leave long streams of toilet paper fluttering in the breeze. In the 1970's Marion (The Mom) in Happy Days (with Ron Howard as Richie, and Henry Winkler as "the Fonz") would write only "TP" on her grocery list. There was an episode in which she sent her son Richie to the store for "TP" and was chided for her modesty. The 1990s animated series Beavis and Butt-Head frequently referred to toilet paper as "TP" ("I need TP for my bunghole"), and the terminology subsequently caught on among the general public. Toilet paper is also often used, due to its availability and absorbent properties, by school children to form wet missiles to throw at people, windows, walls or the ceiling (where it sticks, dries and sets, to the dismay of the janitors). Some practitioners refer to these missiles as "spidey tracers," in a nod to the webs slung by the comic book character Spider-Man (who ironically formulates his webbing to dissolve in an hour, so as to not leave a mess everywhere). In the late 1960s and 1970s, British football supporters would frequently respond to moments of excitement or frustration by hurling large numbers of toilet rolls from the stands on to the pitch. The resulting streamers often required clearing away to the sidelines before the game could proceed.

Novelty toilet paper, printed with text or images the user finds offensive, has been and is being marketed the world over to disparage various politicians, ideologies, nations or religions (for examples, see Manfred van H. and the timeline above).

Installation

There are two common methods of installing toilet paper rolls on a toilet roll holder. Often a matter of stern debate, and a contentious problem in households with opposing viewpoints (second only to the "toilet seat up/down" debate), the variances are mainly that of personal preference.

The first method of installation has the edge of the roll facing away from the wall and commonly facing the toilet (that is, overhand). This method allows the defecator easy access to grab the toilet paper and pull off the desired amount of paper, as the roll spins toward the user. This, in fact, is the protocol advocated by the toilet paper industry itself, including at Scott Paper's factory (the inventors of toilet paper in 1907). Since the industry designs toilet paper to be used overhand, designs that are patterned, quilted or printed upon toilet paper are found on the outside of the roll; i.e. so that it is displayed. In institutions where there is a defined protocol (e.g. Marriott, Holiday Inn/InterContinental Hotels, United Airlines, the U.S. Army), the "overhand" method is specified.

The second method of installation has the edge of the roll facing the wall and commonly facing away from the toilet (underhand). This method makes it a bit more difficult for the defecator to grab the toilet paper: as the roll spins, it spins away from the user. However, there is an advantage to this method in a household with toddlers, as is makes it less likely that toilet paper will spin off the roll. This is because a toddler is most likely to spin the roll toward himself (or herself). In the case of this installation, as the roll spins toward the toddler, the paper remains wound on the roll. Yet another advantage of this method is that when the toilet paper is folded directly from the roll, it allows the embossed or printed side of the paper to face out. Many modern toilet papers are advertised as being "quilted" or "embossed", so this method would let the user take full advantage of the un-printed or un-quilted side of the product (if that is what one prefers).

A third (but far less common) toilet paper installation method is to dispense without any roller mechanism at all, or use a vertical toilet roll holder.

A fourth method involves a portable roll dispenser that encloses the roll entirely. The roll is oriented vertically, and there is an opening on the top of the container. Before installing the roll into the portable roll dispenser, the cardboard core is removed. The paper is then extracted from the center rather than the edge.

Another method of dispensing the paper does not use a roll at all. Cut sheets are stacked in a dispenser, folded in such a way that removing a sheet causes the next sheet to protrude from the dispenser. This method has the advantage that it can be refilled at any time without waiting for the supply to run out completely (as would be the case with a roll) and is therefore popular in public buildings. Cut sheet dispensers force users to help themselves to one sheet at a time, thus preventing wastefulness. They are also commonly used on rail transports where the motion of the train would cause a roll to rotate and cause a mess.

In terms of the debate, Kenn Fischburg, the President of www.ToiletPaperWorld.com states, "Many hotels install the toilet paper to pay out from over the top in order to make a nice pointed triangle on the end sheet. This points out to the user that someone cleaned the bathroom and paid attention to the 'finer' details. However, others feel that in a public facility it is best to install to pay out from underneath. In this way, the dispensing and tearing is more controlled and therefore less people will touch the roll of paper, therefore less cross contamination. Also, keeping the paper closer to the wall by dispensing from underneath provides a 'cleaner less intrusive' environment, especially in close quarters. Some dispensers have a top cover that helps the user pull and tear the paper. In this case the roll should be dispensed from the top allowing the user to 'pull up' on the paper and tear it easily. So, it depends on the dispenser, the location and the facility. However, the simple concern about the installation of the roll may have a deeper meaning and may be indicative of a different issue in the personality of the user. "

Toilet paper security

Many private and public toilets are provided with toilet paper holders, each of which can hold up to two complete rolls of toilet paper at one time. This arrangement is most effective if paper is always used from the roll with less paper on it. Then, there is an allowance of one complete roll before a completely used roll is replaced. (In effect, the inventory of toilet paper at the toilet has a minimum of one roll and a maximum of two rolls.) However, if both rolls are finished at the same time, there is a risk of being without toilet paper before the next replacement.

Limited Mobility

Those with limited mobility, or those with unusually short arms, such as commonly seen on people with achondroplasia, often find it helpful to wrap the toilet paper around a bottom wiper, which is a plastic instrument with a tong-like clasp at one end to accommodate the toilet paper and a long handle at the other to allow the person to reach his bottom. The person wraps the toilet paper several times around the clasp, and after wiping, can easily eject the toilet paper into the toilet without having to touch the paper. Folding bottom wipers are available, and can be easily stored or carried in a purse.

Fold or scrunch?

Another matter of personal preference is how to prepare the toilet paper for usage. The predominating methods are either to "fold" a number of sheets together, or to "scrunch" sheets into a loose ball, with "wrapping" the paper round the hand being somewhat less popular. The intensely private nature of the subject, coupled with the fact that the methodology is instilled at a very young age, means that a majority of the people are unaware that the difference exists (or have even thought about it), and may react with shock upon learning that their partner uses an alternative method.^[1]

Anecdotal evidence ^[2] suggests that scrunching is more common in America, and folding more common in the UK, and that this difference informs the construction of toilet paper sold in the two markets.

Modern alternatives

In France, toilet sanitation was supplemented by the invention of the bidet in the 1710s. With the improvements to plumbing in the Victorian era the bidet moved from the bedroom (where it was kept with the chamber pot) to the bathroom. Modern bidets use a stream of warm water to cleanse the genitals and anus (before modern plumbing, bidets sometimes had a hand-crank to achieve the same effect). The bidet is commonplace in many European countries, especially in France and Italy, and also in Japan where approximately half of all households have a form of bidet. It is also very popular in the Middle East.

The first "paperless" toilet was invented in Japan in 1980. It is a combination toilet, bidet and drier, controlled by an electronic panel next to the toilet seat. This has famously led to tourists accidentally activating the bidet and causing a jet of water to shoot high into the air and spray all over the bathroom floor, usually a result of investigating the unfamiliar fixture's buttons, all labeled in Japanese (the fact that some toilets use a button on the same panel to flush exacerbated the problem). Many modern Japanese bidet toilets, especially in hotels and public areas, are labeled with pictograms to avoid the problem, and some newer models even have a sensor that will refuse to activate the bidet unless it detects someone actually sitting on the toilet.

Another popular alternative resembles a miniature shower and is termed as a "health faucet". It is placed on a holder near the toilet, thus enabling the person using it to have it within an arm's length for easy accessibility.

Other uses

In many South-east Asian nations it is common to see toilet paper used as a general purpose tissue in peoples homes and in restaurants. Higher end restaurants and family homes of the wealthy are more likely to use a western-world idea of tissue paper for blowing the nose or cleaning the hands at a meal, but otherwise the use of toilet paper for these purposes is common. Plastic holders for toilet paper are commonly used for this general purpose use: these usually take the form of an upside-down cup covering the toilet roll and slightly taller than the actual roll, with a hole in the top. There is a base to the holder too, to form a unit enclosing the paper. The loose end of the paper is poked through the hole and people then take their required amount of paper from the holder, tearing it off by hand at the perforations.

Toilet paper is also commonly used in minor acts of vandalism of trees and other landscaping. In some areas of the United States, such vandalism is common on Halloween night.

Pop Culture

In Beavis and Butthead, Beavis says "I need T.P. for my bunghole" when he's turned into his alter ego "Cornholio".

References

^ "Toilet survey - how do you do yours?" Le-Monte, retrieved 9 June, 2006
^ "This Week - That's torn it" by Andy Coghlan, New Scientist, 10 June, 2000, retrieved 9 June, 2006

External links

The World Famous Toilet Survey!
Scruncher or Folder - Which one are you?
Toilet paper facts on ToiletPaperWorld.com
New Jersey's standard for government suppliers -- incl dimensions, ream weight, and Handle-o-Meter
The virtual toilet paper museum. - Has new and vintage specimens of toilet paper.
The History of Toilet Paper
The Toilet Paper Roll Poll

[1] "Toilet survey - how do you do yours?" Le-Monte, retrieved 9 June, 2006

[newscientist-2] "This Week - That's torn it" by Andy Coghlan, New Scientist, 10 June, 2000, retrieved 9 June, 2006

[1]

[2]