The History of Toliet Paper

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I was challenged by a friend of mine today. I won't give his full name but his first initial is Steve. The challenge issued..to find the origin of toilet paper. Certainly a daunting task but one I feel ready for. Let's begin.

It is believed that the first use of TP by a human was in China around the 6th century AD. Paper existed in China in the since the 2nd century BC. Cai Lun a eunuch(Oww!) of the Han Dynasty standardized the paper making process around 100 AD. Clearly an unsung hero. There is no clear reference to the Chinese using TP until the 6th century AD. Until this was written by scholar/offical named Yan Zhitui "Paper on which there are quotations or commentaries from Five Classics or the names of sages, I dare not use for toilet purposes"

Jumping ahead, the first factory produced roll of TP was in 1857 by Joseph Gayetty. He stamped his name proudly on every sheet. I won't bore you with the list of things people used before TP, sufficed to say it included stones, moss, and the cob of the corn. It's inspiring how far we have come.