Who Invented Toilet Paper and What Did People Use Before

Imagine a world where the simple act of personal hygiene after using the bathroom involved stones, broken pottery, communal sponges soaked in vinegar, or even your own left hand. Before toilet paper was invented in 1857 by Joseph Gayetty, humanity employed an astonishing array of materials and methods for this most basic human need, from corn cobs and catalog pages to seashells and silk. The invention of toilet paper seems so obvious today that we rarely consider it took thousands of years of human civilization before someone thought to create a product specifically for bathroom hygiene. When toilet paper first appeared, it was marketed as a medical product to prevent hemorrhoids, cost as much as a worker's daily wage, and was considered such a luxury that each sheet was watermarked with the inventor's name. This remarkable journey from ancient Roman communal sponges to today's multi-billion dollar toilet paper industry reveals how a product we use multiple times daily without thought revolutionized public health, created environmental challenges, and became so essential that pandemic hoarding of it made international headlines.

Life Before Toilet Paper: What People Used Instead

Ancient civilizations developed surprisingly sophisticated, if sometimes alarming, bathroom hygiene methods that varied dramatically based on geography, social class, and available materials. Wealthy Romans used a tersorium—a sea sponge attached to a stick, shared communally and rinsed in a bucket of salt water or vinegar between uses, spreading diseases in ways that horrify modern sensibilities. The Greeks preferred pessoi, smooth ceramic or stone pieces shaped specifically for hygiene purposes, though archaeological evidence suggests these often caused significant anal abrasions and hemorrhoids. Egyptian royalty enjoyed the luxury of soft linen cloths, while common people made do with sand, which was plentiful but hardly comfortable.

Medieval Europe's approaches to bathroom hygiene reflected both resourcefulness and class distinctions that seem almost unbelievable today. Nobility used "gompf sticks"—essentially scrapers made from wood or bone—along with hay, moss, or wool depending on the season and availability. Peasants relied on whatever nature provided: leaves in summer (though identifying non-irritating varieties required painful trial and error), snow in winter, and hay or straw year-round. Monasteries often provided communal cloth strips that were washed and reused, though the quality of washing varied considerably. French royalty employed dedicated "grooms of the stool" who not only assisted with bathroom needs but became trusted advisors due to their intimate access to the monarch during vulnerable moments.

The Americas before European contact demonstrated remarkable innovation in bathroom hygiene that often surpassed European methods. Corn cobs, abundant after harvest, became the iconic American frontier solution, used both fresh and dried depending on personal preference and availability. Native American tribes used various materials based on their environment: mussel shells in coastal areas, bundles of grass on the plains, and soft tundra moss in Arctic regions. The Inuit developed perhaps the most unusual method, using curved sticks or even frozen seal skin during winter months. When European colonists arrived, they initially mocked native hygiene practices while using their own catalog pages and newspaper, not realizing that the indigenous methods were often more hygienic.

The Inventor's Story: Who, When, and Why

Joseph C. Gayetty, a New York entrepreneur who invented toilet paper in 1857, marketed his creation not as a convenience but as a medical necessity called "Gayetty's Medicated Paper." Born in Massachusetts around 1810, Gayetty had tried various business ventures before identifying what he saw as a serious public health crisis: the use of printed paper containing toxic inks for bathroom hygiene. His product consisted of flat sheets of manila hemp paper infused with aloe, sold in packages of 500 sheets for 50 cents—equivalent to about $15 today—with each sheet watermarked with "J.C. Gayetty N.Y." to prevent counterfeiting of what he considered a pharmaceutical product.

Gayetty's marketing campaign focused on the medical dangers of using newspaper and catalog pages, which he claimed caused hemorrhoids and other anal afflictions due to their ink content. His advertisements, considered scandalous for even mentioning such topics, warned that "printer's ink is a rank poison" and that his medicated paper was "the greatest necessity of the age." Despite the medical focus, Gayetty faced enormous resistance from a Victorian society that found any public discussion of bathroom activities deeply offensive. Newspapers refused to run his advertisements, stores kept his product hidden behind counters, and customers were too embarrassed to ask for it by name.

The true revolution in toilet paper came not from Gayetty but from three brothers in Philadelphia who transformed it from luxury medical product to everyday necessity. Clarence, Edward, and Thomas Scott, who founded the Scott Paper Company in 1879, pioneered the concept of toilet paper on rolls rather than flat sheets. The Scotts succeeded where Gayetty struggled by avoiding medical claims and marketing their product discreetly to hotels and drugstores rather than directly to consumers. They also made the crucial decision to sell their toilet paper under private labels, allowing stores to brand it themselves and avoid the embarrassment associated with the product. By 1890, Scott Paper Company had become the largest toilet paper manufacturer in the world, though the brothers remained largely unknown since their names rarely appeared on their product.

Early Designs and Failed Attempts

The earliest commercial toilet paper faced numerous design challenges that seem absurd from our modern perspective but represented genuine obstacles to adoption. Gayetty's flat sheets, while revolutionary in concept, proved impractical for storage and use, requiring special holders and taking up considerable space in small Victorian bathrooms. The manila hemp paper, while strong, was rough and sometimes contained splinters from inadequate processing. The aloe treatment, intended to soothe, often created a sticky residue that users found unpleasant. Most problematically, the watermark bearing Gayetty's name made users uncomfortable, feeling like they were defacing someone's signature in an undignified manner.

The transition to rolled toilet paper brought its own failures and innovations throughout the 1880s and 1890s. Early rolls lacked perforations, requiring users to tear off pieces manually, which often resulted in waste or inadequate amounts. The Albany Perforated Wrapping Paper Company claimed to have invented perforated toilet paper in 1877, but their perforations were so weak that the paper rarely tore cleanly. Some manufacturers experimented with pre-cut sheets wound on rolls, but these unraveled chaotically. The Northern Tissue Company tried marketing colored toilet paper in 1895, believing people would pay more for aesthetic appeal, but the dyes caused allergic reactions and the product failed spectacularly.

Between 1860 and 1900, numerous inventors patented toilet paper innovations that never reached market success. The "Therapeutic Paper" of 1873 contained carbolic acid meant to prevent disease but caused chemical burns. "Dewey's Patent Antiseptic Paper" of 1886 incorporated mercury compounds that were genuinely toxic. One inventor created toilet paper impregnated with tobacco, claiming it would repel insects and provide a pleasant aroma. Another developed transparent toilet paper made from processed fish scales, arguing users could verify cleanliness visually. These failures demonstrated that while the basic concept of toilet paper had merit, finding the right combination of material, form, and marketing required decades of experimentation.

The Breakthrough Moment: How Toilet Paper Finally Worked

The breakthrough that transformed toilet paper from embarrassing necessity to household staple came in 1928 when the Hoberg Paper Company introduced Charmin, marketed with the revolutionary slogan "Charming...Bathrooms deserve it too!" This campaign, led by advertising genius Mr. Whipple (though the character wouldn't appear until 1964), shifted focus from medical necessity to comfort and luxury, making toilet paper aspirational rather than shameful. Charmin's key innovation was a process called "air-drying" that made paper significantly softer than competitors, combined with packaging that featured an elegant woman's cameo, suggesting refinement rather than crude necessity.

The 1930s Great Depression, counterintuitively, accelerated toilet paper adoption as manufacturers developed cheaper production methods to meet economic constraints. Northern Tissue advertised itself as "splinter-free" in 1935, highlighting a quality improvement that seems minimal today but represented a major advancement in user comfort and safety. The Scott Paper Company introduced two-ply toilet paper in 1942, doubling thickness without doubling cost through improved manufacturing efficiency. These technical improvements coincided with changing social attitudes as indoor plumbing became standard in American homes, making bathroom activities less taboo and toilet paper an expected amenity.

World War II provided the unexpected catalyst for global toilet paper adoption when American soldiers, accustomed to toilet paper, demanded it wherever they were stationed. The U.S. military's requirement for toilet paper in soldier care packages introduced the product to regions where it had been unknown or considered unnecessary. British soldiers, initially mocking Americans for their "soft" bathroom habits, quickly converted when experiencing the comfort difference. By war's end, toilet paper had transformed from American peculiarity to international standard, with military contracts establishing production facilities worldwide that continued serving civilian markets post-war.

Cultural Impact: How Toilet Paper Changed Society

The widespread adoption of toilet paper fundamentally altered public health outcomes in ways that saved millions of lives but remain largely uncelebrated. Before toilet paper, the reuse of cloths, sponges, and other materials spread diseases like cholera, dysentery, and typhoid with devastating efficiency. The introduction of disposable, single-use toilet paper broke disease transmission chains, particularly in urban areas where population density amplified infection risks. Public health records from New York City show a 60% decrease in dysentery cases between 1900 and 1920, correlating directly with toilet paper adoption rates, though public health officials rarely credited toilet paper due to social taboos around discussing bathroom hygiene.

Toilet paper democratized cleanliness in ways that transcended economic class, creating a universal standard of hygiene previously impossible when methods varied by wealth. Before commercial toilet paper, bathroom hygiene quality depended entirely on economic status—silk for the wealthy, newspaper for the middle class, and whatever was available for the poor. Mass-produced toilet paper provided everyone access to the same basic hygiene tool, contributing to broader social equality movements. The product became so fundamental to American identity that Soviet propagandists used toilet paper shortages to criticize communism, while American exhibitions showcased colored, scented toilet paper as symbols of capitalist prosperity.

The toilet paper industry's growth created unexpected cultural phenomena and economic indicators still used today. The "toilet paper index" emerged as an economic indicator when researchers noticed correlation between toilet paper sales and consumer confidence—people buy less expensive brands during economic uncertainty. The 1973 Johnny Carson toilet paper shortage joke, where his monologue mention of possible shortages caused actual panic buying and empty shelves, demonstrated mass media's power and consumer psychology around essential goods. The COVID-19 pandemic's toilet paper hoarding of 2020, when social media images of empty shelves sparked global panic buying, revealed deep psychological associations between toilet paper and security that transcend rational need.

Evolution and Modern Variations

The evolution from single-ply to ultra-soft multi-ply toilet paper represents decades of technological innovation in paper processing, chemical treatment, and manufacturing efficiency. The development of Through-Air-Drying (TAD) technology in the 1960s created the ultra-soft toilet paper modern consumers expect, using heated air to dry paper while maintaining loft and absorbency. Chemical additives like wet-strength agents allow toilet paper to maintain integrity during use while still breaking down rapidly in sewage systems. Modern toilet paper undergoes more quality testing than many food products, with manufacturers measuring tensile strength, absorbency rate, disintegration time, and even "finger punch resistance" to ensure consistent quality.

Specialty toilet papers have proliferated to meet diverse consumer demands and medical needs, creating market niches unimaginable to Joseph Gayetty. Hypoallergenic toilet papers free from dyes, fragrances, and chlorine bleach serve consumers with sensitive skin or environmental concerns. Luxury toilet papers infused with lotion, vitamin E, or even gold flakes (produced by an Australian company for $1.3 million per roll) demonstrate how far the product has evolved from its medical origins. Camping toilet paper, designed to decompose rapidly in outdoor environments, uses special fibers that break down in days rather than weeks. Some Japanese manufacturers produce toilet paper that changes color when exposed to certain chemicals, potentially serving as early disease detection tools.

The bidet-toilet paper debate represents a fascinating cultural divide with environmental and hygiene implications. While most of the world adopted toilet paper following American influence, some cultures maintained or readopted water-based cleaning methods. Japanese electronic bidets, combining water cleaning with air drying and minimal toilet paper use, represent a potential future where toilet paper becomes supplementary rather than primary. The environmental impact of toilet paper—requiring 37 gallons of water, 1.3 kilowatt-hours of electricity, and 1.5 pounds of wood per roll—has sparked innovation in bamboo and recycled paper alternatives, though consumer resistance to texture changes remains strong.

Fun Facts and Trivia About Toilet Paper

The most expensive toilet paper ever created was the 22-karat gold toilet paper sold by Australian company Toilet Paper Man for $1.3 million per roll, purchased by an unnamed Dubai businessman for his yacht. The longest toilet paper roll ever made measured 2.97 kilometers (1.84 miles), created by Charmin to celebrate World Toilet Paper Day in 2011. The average person uses 57 sheets per day, totaling 20,805 sheets annually, enough to stretch 2.5 miles if laid end to end. Americans use more toilet paper than any other nation—23.6 rolls per capita annually—while Europeans average 15.5 rolls and the global average is just 5.5 rolls.

Toilet paper has played surprising roles in military and space history that highlight its versatility beyond bathroom use. During Desert Storm, American soldiers used toilet paper to camouflage equipment in Iraq's white sand, leading to military contracts for "tactical toilet paper" in desert tan. Soviet cosmonauts allegedly used toilet paper to repair a critical air leak on the Mir space station in 1997, layering it with sealant to create an emergency patch. The CIA once developed dissolving toilet paper containing secret messages for Cold War spies, which would reveal text when exposed to specific chemicals. NASA spent $23 million developing a pen that works in zero gravity, while Soviet cosmonauts simply used pencils—and regular toilet paper for everything else.

Cultural attitudes toward toilet paper reveal deep societal values and anxieties about cleanliness, wealth, and civilization itself. In Venezuela's economic crisis, toilet paper became alternative currency, with rolls trading for more than their official price in dollars. Some Indigenous Amazon tribes who encountered toilet paper for the first time in the 1980s considered it proof of Western weakness, unable to understand why anyone would need paper for such purposes. The Amish community debated for decades whether toilet paper violated their principles of simplicity, eventually accepting it as necessary for health rather than comfort. During China's Cultural Revolution, toilet paper printed with English text was distributed to demonstrate rejection of Western influence, not realizing many rural citizens framed these exotic papers as art rather than using them as intended.

The Future of Toilet Paper: What's Next?

Smart toilet paper represents the convergence of personal hygiene with health monitoring technology, potentially transforming bathrooms into medical diagnostic centers. Researchers at Stanford have developed toilet paper that changes color when detecting blood, infections, or certain cancer markers in waste, providing early disease warning without invasive testing. Japanese company Lixil created toilet paper embedded with QR codes that, when scanned, provide health tips or advertising, though privacy concerns limited adoption. Prototypes of "probiotic toilet paper" containing beneficial bacteria aimed at preventing infections show promise but face regulatory hurdles. These innovations suggest toilet paper's future role extends beyond cleaning to active health monitoring and treatment.

Environmental pressures are driving revolutionary changes in toilet paper materials and production methods as traditional wood pulp becomes unsustainable. Bamboo toilet paper, using grass that grows 39 inches daily without replanting, offers sustainable alternatives though texture differences challenge consumer acceptance. Scientists have developed toilet paper from agricultural waste including sugarcane bagasse, wheat straw, and even elephant dung (thoroughly sanitized), turning waste products into hygiene products. Laboratory-grown cellulose, produced by bacteria in bioreactors, could eliminate tree harvesting entirely while creating customizable softness and strength. Some futurists predict obsolescence of physical toilet paper, replaced by ultrasonic cleaning devices or bio-degradable foam dispensed on demand.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated innovation in toilet paper distribution and consumption patterns that may permanently alter the industry. Subscription services delivering toilet paper directly to homes grew 500% during 2020, challenging traditional retail models. "Smart dispensers" in public restrooms that limit paper per person and track usage patterns became common, ostensibly for hygiene but raising privacy concerns. Some companies developed antimicrobial toilet paper using silver nanoparticles or copper-infused fibers, though effectiveness remains debated. The psychological security associated with toilet paper stockpiling led researchers to study its role in disaster preparedness, suggesting future emergency supplies might include specially packaged long-term storage toilet paper similar to military MREs.

The humble roll of toilet paper, which began as Joseph Gayetty's medical remedy for hemorrhoids, has evolved into an indispensable global commodity that touches every aspect of modern life. From preventing disease transmission to serving as economic indicators, from space station repairs to pandemic panic symbols, toilet paper's impact extends far beyond its basic function. The invention of toilet paper liberated humanity from centuries of uncomfortable, unhygienic, and often dangerous bathroom practices, democratizing cleanliness in ways that contributed to public health improvements possibly exceeding those of many celebrated medical advances. As we face environmental challenges and technological opportunities, toilet paper continues evolving, potentially transforming from simple hygiene product to health monitoring device or disappearing entirely in favor of new technologies. Yet the story of what people used before toilet paper reminds us that human ingenuity always finds solutions, even for our most basic needs, and that products we consider essential today were once revolutionary innovations that changed the world one sheet at a time.