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Rettie V. Grama 02-23-2011 12:20 PM

Interesting and informative.

Toilet Paper History:
How America Convinced the World to Wipe

Since the dawn of time, people have found nifty ways to clean up after the bathroom act. The most common solution was simply to grab what was at hand: coconuts, shells, snow, moss, hay, leaves, grass, corncobs, sheep’s wool—and, later, thanks to the printing press—newspapers, magazines, and pages of books. The ancient Greeks used clay and stone. The Romans, sponges and salt water. But the idea of a commercial product designed solely to wipe one’s bum? That started about 150 years ago, right here in the U.S.A. In less than a century, Uncle Sam’s marketing genius turned something disposable into something indispensable.



How Toilet Paper Got on a Roll



The first products designed specifically to wipe one’s nethers were aloe-infused sheets of manila hemp dispensed from Kleenex-like boxes. They were invented in 1857 by a New York entrepreneur named Joseph Gayetty, who claimed his sheets prevented hemorrhoids. Gayetty was so proud of his therapeutic bathroom paperthat he had his name printed on each sheet. But his success was limited. Americans soon grew accustomed to wiping with the Sears Roebuck catalog, and they saw no need to spend money on something that came in the mail for free.

Toilet paper took its next leap forward in 1890, when two brothers named Clarence and E. Irvin Scott popularized the concept of toilet paper on a roll. The Scotts’ brand became more successful than Gayetty’s medicated wipes, in part because they built a steady trade selling toilet paper to hotels and drugstores. But it was still an uphill battle to get the public to openly buy the product, largely because Americans remained embarrassed by bodily functions. In fact, the Scott brothers were so ashamed of the nature of their work that they didn’t take proper credit for their innovation until 1902.

“No one wanted to ask for it by name,” says Dave Praeger, author of Poop Culture: How America Is Shaped by Its Grossest National Product. “It was so taboo that you couldn’t even talk about the product.” By 1930, the German paper company Hakle began using the tag line, “Ask for a roll of Hakle and you won’t have to say toilet paper!”

As time passed, toilet tissues slowly became an American staple. But widespread acceptance of the product didn’t officially occur until a new technology demanded it. At the end of the 19th century, more and more homes were being built with sit-down flush toilets tied to indoor plumbing systems. And because people required a product that could be flushed away with minimal damage to the pipes, corncobs and moss no longer cut it. In no time, toilet paper ads boasted that the product was recommended by both doctors and plumbers.

The Strength of Going Soft

In the early 1900s, toilet paper was still being marketed as a medicinal item. But in 1928, the Hoberg Paper Company tried a different tack. On the advice of its ad men, the company introduced a brand called Charmin and fitted the product with a feminine logo that depicted a beautiful woman. The genius of the campaign was that by evincing softness and femininity, the company could avoid talking about toilet paper’s actual purpose. Charmin was enormously successful, and the tactic helped the brand survive the Great Depression. (It also helped that, in 1932, Charmin began marketing economy-size packs of four rolls.) Decades later, the dainty ladies were replaced with babies and bear cubs—advertising vehicles that still stock the aisles today.



By the 1970s, America could no longer conceive of life without toilet paper. Case in point: In December 1973, Tonight Showhost Johnny Carson joked about a toilet paper shortage during his opening monologue. But America didn’t laugh. Instead, TV watchers across the country ran out to their local grocery stores and bought up as much of the stuff as they could. In 1978, a TV Guide poll named Mr. Whipple—the affable grocer who implored customers, “Please don’t squeeze the Charmin”—the third best-known man in America, behind former President Richard Nixon and the Rev. Billy Graham.

Currently, the United States spends more than $6 billion a year on toilet tissue—more than any other nation in the world. Americans, on average, use 57 squares a day and 50 lbs. a year.

Even still, the toilet paper market in the United States has largely plateaued. The real growth in the industry is happening in developing countries. There, it’s booming. Toilet paper revenues in Brazil alone have more than doubled since 2004. The radical upswing in sales is believed to be driven by a combination of changing demographics, social expectations, and disposable income.

“The spread of globalization can kind of be measured by the spread of Western bathroom practices,” says Praeger. When average citizens in a country start buying toilet paper, wealth and consumerism have arrived. It signifies that people not only have extra cash to spend, but they’ve also come under the influence of Western marketing.

America Without Toilet Paper

Even as the markets boom in developing nations, toilet paper manufacturers find themselves needing to charge more per roll to make a profit. That’s because production costs are rising. During the past few years, pulp has become more expensive, energy costs are rising, and even water is becoming scarce. Toilet paper companies may need to keep hiking up their prices. The question is, if toilet paper becomes a luxury item, can Americans live without it?

The truth is that we did live without it, for a very long time. And even now, a lot of people do. In Japan, the Washlet—a toilet that comes equipped with a bidet and an air-blower—is growing increasingly popular. And all over the world, water remains one of the most common methods of self-cleaning. Many places in India, the Middle East, and Asia, for instance, still depend on a bucket and a spigot. But as our economy continues to circle the drain, will Americans part with their beloved toilet paper in order to adopt more money-saving measures? Or will we keep flushing our cash away? Praeger, for one, believes a toilet-paper apocalypse is hardly likely. After all, the American marketing machine is a powerful thing.










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Grama Lehr 02-23-2011 12:35 PM

Oh my!! I didn't know!! :shock:
Learn something new every day!!

Jan in VA 02-23-2011 12:50 PM

Now that may be TMI, LOL!!

Jan in VA :lol:

redkimba 02-23-2011 12:59 PM

this is just funny - http://www.toiletpaperhistory.net/

Thank you, but I will not be returning to the days of leftover catalog paper and/or a damp sponge from a communal bucket. (makes ick face)

amandasgramma 02-23-2011 01:08 PM

My DH retired from a plant that made TP. It was Georgia-Pacific at the time...now the Koch brothers bought it out. The plant is on the Columbia River in Oregon --- no shortage of water there. They grow their own trees for use. I don't believe those two issues will cause a shortage....but the electricity just might.

leatheflea 02-23-2011 02:43 PM

We here on the board can make our own quilted paper...LOL

Izaquilter 02-23-2011 02:55 PM

a toilet that comes equipped with a bidet and an air-blower Now that is what I'm trying to talk my hubby into!

missgigglewings 03-14-2012 03:54 PM

I was born and raised on a farm in central Illinois and until we moved into town when I was in high school, we had an outhouse, and yes we used the Sears and Roebuck catalogs. (After my grandfather tore out the pictures of men in their underwear!)

He did not tear out pictures of the women in their underwear!

raptureready 03-14-2012 05:37 PM

I, too, grew up in central Illinois on a farm. My grandparents also lived on a farm. When their 50th wedding anniversary was approaching daddy remodeled their house for an anniversary open-house party. He put in plumbing and an indoor toilet. Grandpa had a FIT!!! He said that no one better use it. He said to do something like that inside the house where you ate and slept was just plain nasty. He continued to use the outhouse until the day he died.

sewnsewer2 03-14-2012 07:39 PM

LOL, I'll still use the good ole TP!:D

Peckish 03-14-2012 08:19 PM

I recently saw an article about some people who prefer to use cloth diapers, and decided to expand that idea to cloth toilet paper and cloth sanitary napkins.

Ditter43 03-14-2012 08:43 PM

I'll stick with t.p. untill the bitter end!(no pun intended)

BETTY62 03-14-2012 09:00 PM

What a thought, especially with the world going paperless due to Telephones, PCs, IPods and everything else that's electronic.

ptquilts 03-15-2012 04:05 AM


Originally Posted by Peckish (Post 5061307)
I recently saw an article about some people who prefer to use cloth diapers, and decided to expand that idea to cloth toilet paper and cloth sanitary napkins.

exactly - it was on "Extreme Frugal Nutcases" on TV - make your own cloth TP, wash after use. No thanks.

KarenSimon 03-15-2012 04:17 AM

I can remember about 60 years ago when a neighbor of ours built a bathroom onto their house. The man insisted on a urinal. My mom didn't think that was such a nice idea.

Annaquilts 03-15-2012 04:42 AM

You can buy a bidet seat and install it on your regular toilet. There is also a cheap gizmo that you can attch and it squirts water but it is cold.


Originally Posted by Izaquilter (Post 2605158)
a toilet that comes equipped with a bidet and an air-blower Now that is what I'm trying to talk my hubby into!


bearisgray 06-30-2012 04:09 AM

I think some people still hesitate to say the word 'toilet' - Some people still will only refer to the stuff a TP

When I was little, I couldn't imagine why any one would buy 'toilet water' - I didn't know then that it was a dilute form of perfume!

nativetexan 06-30-2012 07:43 AM

I've often thought I'd like to go back in time to live, but then I change my mind quickly!!

burchquilts 06-30-2012 10:56 PM


Originally Posted by Izaquilter (Post 2605158)
a toilet that comes equipped with a bidet and an air-blower Now that is what I'm trying to talk my hubby into!

You & me both! And a heated seat...

burchquilts 06-30-2012 10:57 PM


Originally Posted by KarenSimon (Post 5061657)
I can remember about 60 years ago when a neighbor of ours built a bathroom onto their house. The man insisted on a urinal. My mom didn't think that was such a nice idea.

Oh, I think that's a fabulous idea & would do the same thing if I were building a new house. That way if DH "sprinkled when he tinkled" it would be in his area... LOL!

jeank 07-01-2012 03:15 AM

Right along this same vein, the history of the bathroom. Interesting article.

https://www.victoriaplumb.com/bathro...f_toilets.html


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