Today, most people use toilet paper for cleanups after using the toilets. This item has grown popular with people across the world because it is affordable and easy to use. However, our ancestors did not have the luxury of cleaning up with soft tissue paper. They handled their business with any material their hands could reach.
Back then, some people make use of shells, snows, or clay to clean their bums. Others preferred sponges, farm waste, and plant products.
Sounds irritating, right? Yes, but these items were used for thousands of years before toilet paper was invented more than a century ago.
People used leaves, grass, ferns, corn cobs, maize, fruit skins, seashells, stone, sand, moss, snow and water. The simplest way was physical use of one’s hand. Wealthy people usually used wool, lace or hemp.
Stones and Ceramics
If you found yourself in Ancient Greece, you would have to use stones or pieces of your ceramic to wipe in the bathroom.
Occasionally, the ceramic fragments were engraved with the names of people hated by the community. If it were today, it would feel like cleaning up with toilet paper printed with the face of someone you dislike.
There are many reasons why using these materials were thought to be unhealthy. First, the stones did not clean properly. Next, the sharp edges on these materials cause diseases and irritation.
But the use of these items proves that humans saw the need to wipe after visiting the toilet
Sponge on Stick
In Ancient Rome, people did not have the luxury American standard toilet in their homes. Instead, they use public bathrooms that were dirty and uncomfortable. There was also a lack of privacy because of the absence of toilet dividers.
At that time, people wiped with a sea sponge that was fixed to a stick. To use it, they had to push the device through a hole at the front of the toilet. After wiping, they clean it off with a dip in a basin filled with vinegar or saltwater.
Unfortunately, many Romans could not afford personal sponges, so it was a common practice for people to share a single one. However, due to so many sharing a single sponge, it became breeding places for germs and diseases.
Sand
This might sound more irritating, but people who stayed in arid areas of the world used powered brick to wipe their behinds. If this was not available, they handled this task with earth or sand, which was abundant in the deserts.
Water and hands
In some parts of the world, people skipped the sticks full of bacteria and rubbing their sensitive bits with pottery in favor of using their hands.
In places like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the rest of the Indian subcontinent, the practice is still incredibly common. South-East Asian countries still use the water and hand method even though toilet paper is more widely available there.
Bamboo Sticks
In some parts of Ancient Asia, they used a thin stick or stake to wipe fecal matter after using an old latrine option.
These sticks were made from bamboo and were used with water. Also, some cultures usually place a rag or cloth on its tip before use. Unlike the first items mentioned in this article, the sticks were washable, reusable, and affordable.
Leaves
Today, most camping enthusiasts use leaves from various plants to wipe their behinds. However, the Inuit and Native Americans used this material for thousands of years.
Although leaves can provide a proper cleanup, some of them were toxic. Examples of such plants include poison oak and poison ivy.
Shells
Yes, as said. The Islanders used mussel shells back then to clean up their behinds. If this was not available, they used coconut husks.
Reusable Rags
If you wanted to use the loo in early America or Europe, you would need to wipe with a rag. If you were a peasant, you might have to use the sleeves on your clothing.
Compared to other options, this material was softer and gentler on the skin. They were even washable and reusable until they were dumped in the sewers.
Surprisingly, toilet rags are still in use today. However, the current models look like cloth diapers while having features that allow them to be washed and reused.
Although it is good for cleanups, it can spread diseases, especially if it is not cleaned well.
Corn Cobs
Although Early Americans who lived in rural communities used a straw, dried corn cobs were the most popular item for a cleanup.
There were many reasons why people preferred corn cobs. For instance, they were readily available and worked perfectly. They were easy to move in a single direction or rotated at a spot.
Furthermore, they felt soft on the skin. Due to its features, some people continued using corn cobs after the introduction of toilet paper.
Snow
For centuries, cultures such as the Inuit have used snow to wipe their lower ends. Today, it is suggested as a possible way to clean up on an outdoor trip. Although its snow might feel cold against your skin, it serves as one of the most refreshing ways to wipe your behind.
Ropes
17th-century sailors used tow rags to handle to clean up after using the toilet. Tow rags are long pieces of rope with frayed ends that dangles in the sea. Also, the rope is permanently fixed to the part of the ship that was used as a toilet.
Sailors use this item by lifting the rope out of the water, and then they use the frayed end to wipe their behind. After wiping, they would drop the rope into the water and leave it to clean itself as the boat drags across the sea.
Conclusion
Before the discovery of tissue paper, humans have found different ways to wipe their behinds after using the bathroom. Most times, these items are chosen because of their smoothness.
The Greeks chose stones or ceramic fragments, while the Romans preferred the communal sponge. Early Asians used flat sticks, while Native Americans wiped with leaves, and sailors found ropes to be convenient.
Although they helped wiped fecal matter, they also have their drawbacks. Some were slightly uncomfortable to use while others spread germs.
The toilet paper we know was first used in 19th century America before spreading to parts of Europe. Today, it has become one of the essential items in any bathroom.
People wiped with some strange things. Some were convenient, and others made a statement. But if there’s one thing we know after a few thousand years of trial and error, wiping with whatever is closest is still better than not wiping at all.
