One of the essential items you get when you’re going to the grocery store is the toilet paper. Toilet paper is one of the necessities that people need every day. In fact, a lot of people find it difficult to imagine how life can be possible without toilet paper. Buying, using, and disposing of toilet paper isn’t much of a big deal for most people. However, as with everything else in the world, everything is bound to change.
Toilet paper made the news in the past month due to some people fighting over it in a grocery somewhere in Australia. Due to the world facing a pandemic, a lot of people are now facing shortages with certain supplies, including toilet paper. Quarantine and hoarding are some of the reasons why some manufacturers fail to supply communities all over the world. With that said, here are some toilet paper facts that you should know about:
Most People Don’t Use Toilet Paper at All
Surprisingly, only 25% of the world’s total population uses toilet paper. The lack of resources to make toilet paper, plumbing systems, and high taxes around importation and manufacturing are some reasons why most people don’t use it. Instead of using toilet paper, people prefer cleaning themselves by using plain water and soap.
Portugal Produces the Most Expensive Mass-Produced Toilet Paper
A Portuguese company by the name of Renova manufactures and sells the world’s most expensive mass-produced toilet paper in the world. At a staggering $3 per roll, you’ll be pleased to find out that it comes in 3-ply.
The toilet paper is also scented and comes in black, red, green, and blue. Speaking of colors, Renova is a luxury brand that’s used by celebrities. Curiously, Beyonce only uses the red ones, while Kris Jenner exclusively uses the black ones.
There Was a Three-Week Shortage of Toilet Paper in 1973
Today, some cities in countries all over the world are facing toilet paper shortages for legit reasons. In 1973 however, people in the United States faced a three-week shortage because of a joke made on live tv.
This blunder happened on The Tonight Show, where former host Johnny Carson made a joke about toilet paper. Apparently, people took the joke to heart and began hoarding rolls and rolls of toilet paper. It took three weeks for grocery stores to solve the problem and restock their supplies.
Aka Manto
There’s an urban legend in Japan about a masked spirit who appears in public toilets and asks people who are using toilet paper a question. The spirit is called Aka Manto and asks people on the toilet if they want to use red or blue toilet paper. Answering either of the choices results in death. The next time you’re alone and hear someone offering you toilet paper in Japan, politely decline the offer.
Corn Cobs and Broken Pots
Way back in the past, people often had a lot of interesting things to use to clean up before toilet paper was made. Back then, people often used water to rinse their behinds, as most people from the Middle East and Asia still do today.
Aside from using water in the past, people resorted to using corncobs, leaves, fruit peelings, and husk. If you go back a bit further, people in the earliest civilizations used broken pots, sand, seashells, wool, and even small rocks.
In ancient Rome, toilets everywhere had a stick with a sponge on the end that people used to clean up. These sticks were called tersorium. After each use, people would need to dip the tersorium into vinegar or brine solution. Thankfully, innovation gifted us with the toilet paper that we now use and cherish today.
1-Ply Is Thicker Than 2-Ply
Don’t let the number confuse you. A 1-ply is usually thicker than 2-ply toilet paper. 1-ply rolls use 13-thickness paper while a 2-ply uses 10-thickness paper. 1-ply toilet paper rolls also have more sheets in them, which means using them is more eco-friendly.
Takeaway
The toilet paper is often a regular item that we see in the grocery stores. From humble beginnings to the top of the world necessity, the toilet paper has come a long way. Since some places in the world have shortages, we should conserve our toilet paper and make it last longer.
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