01/03/2017
Unusual Fun Facts - About Toilet Paper
What Did People Use Before Toilet Paper?
Well, what you used for your personal bathroom needs before the invention of toilet paper depended to some degree on your social status and your geographical location.
If you were wealthy then you might use wool, or a soft - and washable - rag. The Ancient Romans used sponges on sticks and then soaked in water.
If you were not so well off, then the most common thing to do was simply to grab a fistful of grass, leaves or straw to do what needed to be done.
In some parts of the world, going to the toilet always meant just going to the nearest river or stream and letting the current carry the waste away. Any wiping was done just by hand. That is why in India and some parts of the Middle East it is considered offensive to eat or pass food at table with your left hand - because that's the one that you would use in the river.
In many European countries today, the use of toilet paper is considered dirty and unhygienic. In these countries the most common practice is a thorough, soapy wash and rinse afterwards using a 'bidet.' This is a sort of low basin with hot water tap and soap that you sit on and is usually placed next to the toilet for convenience.
