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Fun Facts About Toilet Paper

It’s something we use several times a day yet rarely think about – until it runs out. It’s toilet paper, and it has an interesting story. Think you know everything there is to know about this everyday necessity? Think again! Dazzle your friends and family with these interesting toilet paper facts.

• Joseph Gayetty introduced packaged toilet paper to America in 1857.
• Toilet paper rolls were introduced in 1890 by the Scott Paper Company. August 26 was later named National Toilet Paper Day to commemorate the event.

• If you have a cat, especially a kitten, you know how much they love unrolling toilet paper. While no one knows for sure why they do it, many think they may be acting on instinct to hunt, imitating your actions in the bathroom or just trying to keep themselves occupied.
• Before toilet paper, people used corncobs, hay, moss, fruit peels, hemp, and wool, among other items, to get the job done.
• Wealthier segments of society, here and abroad, classed it up a bit. French royalty used lace while the well-heeled in Rome chose wool soaked in rose water.
• Roughly four billion people (nearly 75 percent of the world’s population) don’t use toilet paper due to insufficient plumbing or because of its cost.
• Up until 1935 it was common for toilet paper to contain small splinters due to production techniques.
• The average person in the U.S. uses 100 rolls of toilet paper each year, averaging 8.6 sheets per use.
• It takes 30,000 trees a day to fulfill the world’s demand for toilet paper.
• In 1996 Bill Clinton introduced the toilet paper tax, charging 6 cents per roll; it is still in effect today.
• The population of most European countries prefer bidets over using toilet paper.
• The most expensive toilet paper is the Portuguese brand Renova which costs $3 per roll. It is perfumed, three-ply, available in black, blue, red, and is a favorite among celebrities.
• Colored toilet paper was manufactured in the U.S. for 40 years. In the 1950s, people liked to match their toilet paper to their bathroom. Scott was the last company to offer it, ceasing production in 2004.
• While one-ply toilet paper is more economical than two-ply, it has more sheets and helps prevent plumbing from clogging.

Feeling a little bit smarter? Well, here’s one more fact to keep in mind. For any home clogged drain problem, toilet or otherwise, Messmer is fully equipped to get things back to normal. For the extra tough clogs, we even have specially made video cameras we use to pin down the exact location and extent of the clog, thus reducing the amount of time it takes to bust it up. Call Messmer the next time things back up on you – you’ll be more than pleased with our service.