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A roll of toilet paper.

Toilet paper is a soft paper product used to maintain personal hygiene after human defecation or urination. It differs in composition somewhat from facial tissue, and is designed to decompose in septic tanks, which some other bathroom and facial tissues do not. Most septic tank manufacturers advise against using paper products that are non-septic tank safe. Different names are used for toilet paper in countries around the world, including "loo roll/paper", "toilet roll", "dunny roll/paper", "bog roll", "TP", or "bathroom/toilet tissue". There are also numerous vulgar slang terms. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Toilet Paper is episode 703 of the Comedy Central series South Park. ... Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 603 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 603 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Hygiene is the maintenance of healthy practices. ... Anatomy of the anus and rectum For the death metal band Defecation, see Defecation (band). ... Manneken Pis of Brussels. ... A box of tissues Another Box of Tissues. ... A septic tank, the key component of a septic system, is a small scale sewage treatment system common in areas with no connection to main sewerage pipes provided by private corporations or local governments. ... Dunny or dunny can is Australian slang for toilet, either the room or the specific fixture, especially an Outhouse, portacabin or other outdoor toilets. ...

History

Wooden toilet paper from the Nara period (710 to 784) in Japan. The modern rolls in the background are for size comparison

Although paper had been known as a wrapping and padding material in China since the 2nd century BC,^[1] the first use of toilet paper in human history dates back to the 6th century AD, in early medieval China.^[2] In 589 AD the scholar-official Yan Zhitui (531–591) wrote about the use of toilet paper: toilet paper may not always be as thin if its cheaper. Download high resolution version (1115x1333, 371 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1115x1333, 371 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Nara period ) of the history of Japan covers the years from about AD 710 to 784. ... Yan Zhitui (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Yen2 Chih1-Tui1, 531–591) was a Chinese scholar, calligrapher, painter, musician, and government official who served four different Chinese states during the late Southern and Northern Dynasties: the Liang Dynasty in southern China, the Northern Qi and Northern Zhou Dynasties of northern...

"Paper on which there are quotations or commentaries from Five Classics or the names of sages, I dare not use for toilet purposes".^[2] The Five Classics (Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is a corpus of five ancient Chinese books used by Confucianism as the basis of studies. ... For other uses, see Toilet (disambiguation). ...

During the later Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD) a Muslim Arab traveler to China in the year 851 AD remarked: For the band, see Tang Dynasty (band). ... The Islamic Golden Age from the 8th century to the 13th century witnessed a fundamental transformation in agriculture known as the Muslim Agricultural Revolution,[1] Arab Agricultural Revolution,[2] or Green Revolution. ...

"They (the Chinese) are not careful about cleanliness, and they do not wash themselves with water when they have done their necessities; but they only wipe themselves with paper."^[2] This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

During the early 14th century (Yuan Dynasty) it was recorded that in modern-day Zhejiang province alone there was an annual manufacturing of toilet paper amounting in ten million packages of 1,000 to 10,000 sheets of toilet paper each.^[2] During the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 AD), it was recorded in 1393 that 720,000 sheets of toilet paper (two by three feet in size) were produced for the general use of the Imperial court at the capital of Beijing.^[2] From the records of the Imperial Bureau of Supplies (Bao Chao Si) of that same year, it was also recorded that for Emperor Hongwu's imperial family alone, there were 15,000 sheets of special soft-fabric toilet paper made, and each sheet of toilet paper was even perfumed.^[2] Capital Dadu Language(s) Mongolian Chinese Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1260-1294 Kublai Khan  - 1333-1370 (Cont. ... Zhejiang (also spelled Chehkiang or Chekiang) is an eastern coastal province of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Peking redirects here. ... izzy lewis loves the weewee in her pooter. ... For other uses, see Perfume (disambiguation). ...

The 16th century French satirical writer François Rabelais in his series of novels Gargantua and Pantagruel, discussing the various ways of cleansing oneself at the toilet, wrote that: "He who uses paper on his filthy bum, will always find his ballocks lined with scum", proposing that the soft feathers on the back of a live goose provide an optimum cleansing medium. François Rabelais François Rabelais (c. ... Gargantua and Pantagruel is a connected series of five novels written in the 16th century by François Rabelais. ...

The first producer of 'perforated' toilet paper was the British Perforated Paper Company in 1880. Falling under the term "Theraputic Papers," and originally coming in boxes of sheets, the acronym T.P. became widely known and "Toilet Paper" later became the proper and known term to describe what the papers were used for. Other forms of non-perforated toilet paper were available the same time and earlier, notably from the Scott brothers (Scott Paper Company) and Joseph Gayetty. 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. Joseph Gayetty (sometimes referred to as Gayette, Cayette, or Coyette)[1] was an American inventor credited with the creation of toilet paper. ... For the musical form, see Invention (music). ... For other uses, see Wool (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Lace (disambiguation). ... U.S. Marihuana production permit. ... For other uses, see River (disambiguation). ... Look up foliage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Grass (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Hay (disambiguation). ... Rock redirects here. ... For other uses, see Sand (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Moss (disambiguation). ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... For other uses, see Snow (disambiguation). ... This article is about the maize plant. ... The term husk is mostly used to refer to the leafy outer covering of an ear of maize (corn) as it grows on the plant. ... For other uses, see Fruit (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Skin (disambiguation). ... Various seashells Danielle A shell is the hard, rigid outer covering, or integument, allanimals. ... Look up cob, COB in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the maize plant. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... For other uses, see Sponge (disambiguation). ...

Alternatives

Main article: Anal cleansing

In many parts of the world, especially where toilet paper or the necessary plumbing for disposal may be unavailable or unaffordable, toilet paper is not used. Cleansing is then performed with other methods or materials, such as water, for example using a bidet, rags, sand, leaves (including seaweed), corn cobs, animal furs, or sticks. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... A toilet (left) and a bidet (right). ... It has been suggested that Textile be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Sand (disambiguation). ... Leaves are an Icelandic five-piece alternative rock band who came to prominence in 2002 with their debut album, Breathe, drawing comparisons to groups such as Coldplay and Doves. ... Ascophyllum nodosum exposed to the sun in Nova Scotia, Canada Dead Mans Fingers (Codium fragile) off Massachusetts coast For the band, see; Seaweed (band) For the rock musician, see; Seaweed (musician) Seaweeds are any of a large number of marine benthic algae. ... Binomial name Zea mays L. Maize (Zea mays L. ssp. ... A twin-nozzled electronic bidet unit built into a toilet seat There are three types of toilets commonly found in Japan. ...

Timeline

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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.

• 589 AD: the first mentioning of toilet paper in China.
• 851 AD: the first foreign source (Arab-Muslim) to confirm the use of toilet paper in China.
• c. 1300 AD: first records of the massive amounts of toilet paper manufactured in China.
• 1391: 720 sheets of toilet paper produced in China for the Hongwu Emperor's court, while 15,000 special sheets were produced solely for the royal family. Sheets were approximately 60 cm × 90 cm.
• 1596: invention of the flushing toilet.
• 1710s: the bidet was invented. Although bidets gained popularity, toilet paper was still used by the majority.
• 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. It sold at five hundred sheets for fifty cents and was known as Gayetty's Medicated Paper—"a perfectly pure article for the toilet and for the prevention of piles." An advertisement for Gayetty's Medicated Paper can be found here.
• 1877: The Albany Perforated Wrapping Paper Company of Albany, New York sells Perforated toilet 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 toilet 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. Toilet paper was sold under the name of various industrial customers, including the Waldorf Hotel, which led to the popular Waldorf brand of toilet paper.
• 1888: The phrase "toilet paper" first appears in the New York Times.^[3]
• late 19th century: rolls of perforated toilet paper available for the first time, replaces razor or knife on dispensers.
• 1900: plumbing improvements of the Victorian era have led to wide use of flushing toilet and (in Europe) the bidet.
• 1935: Northern Tissue advertises its toilet paper as "splinter-free".^{[attribution needed]}
• 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 Adolf Hitler. (Note: The use of toilet paper of any type in wartime Britain was officially discouraged due to paper shortages. The widespread use of newspaper for this purpose was revived and one government propaganda newsreel suggested that anyone finding Nazi propaganda leaflets dropped from planes should use them for this purpose.)
• 1964: Procter and Gamble introduces a fictitious Mr. Whipple, a grocer who begins admonishing customers, “Please don’t squeeze the Charmin!”^[4]
• December 19, 1973: 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)
• 1990s: papers 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.
• 2008: French toilet paper is available in 15 different colors.

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). Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... William Hogarth (November 10, 1697 – October 26, 1764) was a major English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, and editorial cartoonist who has been credited as a pioneer in western sequential art. ... Robert Wilks ( 1665 - September 27, 1732) was a British actor and theatrical manager who was one of the leading managers of Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in its hey day of the 1710s. ... Colley Cibber, actor, playwright, Poet Laureate, first British actor-manager, and head Dunce of Alexander Popes Dunciad. ... Barton Booth (1681- May 10, 1733) was one of the most famous dramatic actors of the first part of the 18th century. ... izzy lewis loves the weewee in her pooter. ... For other uses, see Toilet (disambiguation). ... A toilet (left) and a bidet (right). ... For other uses, see Albany. ... This article is about the state. ... Hemorrhoids (AmE), haemorrhoids (BrE), emerods, or piles are varicosities or swelling and inflammation of veins in the rectum and anus. ... The Scott Paper Company is a USA-based corporation which manufactures mostly paper based consumer products. ... ... The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... A ply is a strand or layer of material, such as yarn, rope, plastic, wood, or paper. ... Hitler redirects here. ... Procter & Gamble Co. ... Ladies, please dont squeeze the Charmin! Mr. ... Charmin (pronounced SHAR-min) is a brand-name of extra-soft toilet paper owned by Procter & Gamble. ... is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... For other persons named John Carson, see John Carson (disambiguation). ... A twin-nozzled electronic bidet unit built into a toilet seat There are three types of toilets commonly found in Japan. ... Species See Species For other uses, see Aloe (disambiguation). ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ...

• The United States Army has long been concerned with so-called natural functions. It is the subject of many colorful army acronyms and nicknames. Particularly on point is the so-called "John Wayne" which, among other things, refers to the toilet paper from the MRE because "it's rough, it's tough, and it don't take shit from nobody." See List of U.S. Army acronyms and expressions.

The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... An MRE packet, containing a main course or entrée of spaghetti with meat sauce. ... The United States Army produces its own initialisms and acronyms, which often come to have meaning beyond their bare expansions. ...

Modern toilet paper

The advantages of toilet paper are that it is easy and intuitive to use, fairly absorbent, 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.

Toilet paper is available in several types of paper, a variety of colors, decorations, and textures, to appeal to individual preference. Toilet paper is sometimes made from recycled paper; however, large amounts of virgin tree pulp is still used.^[5] Environmentally friendly toilet paper may also be unbleached. Toilet paper products vary immensely in the technical factors that distinguish them: sizes, weights, roughness, 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 or wax worked into the paper to reduce roughness. Quality is usually determined by the number of plies (stacked sheets), coarseness, and durability. Low grade institutional toilet paper is typically of the lowest grade of paper, has only one or two plies, is very coarse and sometimes has 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 wax, and has two to four plies made of very finely pulped paper. The international symbol for recycling. ... The historic Blue Marble photograph, which helped bring environmentalism to the public eye. ... In chemistry, to bleach something generally means to whiten it or oxidize it. ...

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 to 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. Species See Species For other uses, see Aloe (disambiguation). ... This article is about the type of currency. ... The vagina, (from Latin, literally sheath or scabbard ) is the tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. ...

Moist toilet paper was first introduced by the Kimberly-Clark 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. Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE: KMB, BMV: Kimber) is an American corporation that produces mostly paper-based consumer products. ... Andrex is a company that manufactures toilet roll. ... A toilet (left) and a bidet (right). ... Not to be confused with Mensuration. ...

The manufacture of toilet paper is a large industry. The toilet paper market is worth about US$2.4 billion a year in America alone. USD redirects here. ...

Toilet roll holder in NZ

Original toilet roll holder

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3208x4824, 1779 KB) Beschreibung Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Toilet paper Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3208x4824, 1779 KB) Beschreibung Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Toilet paper Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner... Image File history File links Holder. ... Image File history File links Holder. ...

Printed toilet paper

Not much is known about the first commercially available toilet paper with printed images or words, but rolls have been seen at auctions with the slogan "wipe out Hitler" which suggests printing on toilet paper has been around since World War II. Rolls have been sold on eBay depicting George W. Bush, Paris Hilton, and popular sports teams such as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Certain websites now offer custom toilet paper printing, with the option of having a friend (or enemy)'s picture printed. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... This article is about the online auction center. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American celebrity and socialite. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 23, 32, 37, 44, 49 Name New York Yankees (1913–present) New York Highlanders (1903-1912) Baltimore Orioles (1901-1902) (Also referred to as... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 4, 8, 9, 27, 42 Name Boston Red Sox (1908–present) Boston Americans (1901-1907) Other nicknames The BoSox, The Olde Towne Team, The Sox Ballpark Fenway Park (1912–present) Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds...

See also

• Bidet
• Defecation
• Feces
• Human feces
• Outhouse
• Sanitation
• Toilet
• Toilet papering

A toilet (left) and a bidet (right). ... Anatomy of the anus and rectum For the death metal band Defecation, see Defecation (band). ... Horse feces Feces, faeces, or fæces (see spelling differences) is a waste product from an animals digestive tract expelled through the anus (or cloaca) during defecation. ... Human feces (also faeces — see spelling differences), also known as stools, vary significantly in appearance, depending on the state of the whole digestive system, influenced by diet and health. ... Outhouse near Crabapple Lake, Washington, United States, with wafer board walls, and a fiberglass ceiling An outhouse, (also known as a privy, kybo, jakes or earth-closet) usually refers to a type of toilet in a small structure separate from the main building which does not have a flush or... E. Coli bacteria under magnification Sanitation is the hygienic disposal or recycling of waste, as well as the policy and practice of protecting health through hygienic measures. ... For other uses, see Toilet (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Notes

• De Beaumont, Sally; Amoret Tanner, Maurice Rickards (2000). Encyclopedia of Ephemera. UK: Routledge, 190-191. ISBN 0415926483. 

Routledge is an imprint for books in the humanities part of the Taylor & Francis Group, which also has Brunner-Routledge, RoutledgeCurzon and RoutledgeFalmer divisions. ...

References

• Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 5, Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Part 1, Paper and Printing. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Toilet paper

• Printed Toilet Paper
• Answers.com Information
• Greenpeace website exposing link between tissue products and forest destruction
• Toilet Paper Facts
• New Jersey's standard for government suppliers -- incl dimensions, ream weight, and Handle-o-Meter
• The Virtual Toilet Paper Museum.
• The History of Toilet Paper
• The Whole World Toilet Paper Museum
• Detailed Facts and Scans of Toilet Paper in Germany
• Alternatives to Toilet Paper