Covid 19 showed us just how important toilet paper can be. We can all remember when this simple sanitary paper became so trendy because of either its scarcity or grocery hoarding due to restricted movement.
Crazy thing is, we use toilet paper every day, but we know so little about them. Before their invention, there were multiple ways people cleaned themselves up. Ancient Romans used something called a tersorium-a sponge on a stick. Once used, Romans would wash it so the next person finds it clean. Interesting, isn’t it?
When the printing press started as early as the 1440s, it became convenient to rip a page from any used book or pamphlet and use it for cleanup sessions. Later on, those living on farms resorted to soft leaves, corncob, and other natural products.
We know what you are thinking and yes, we are all lucky to be born in times where technology has made it possible to enjoy a much more hygienic way of cleaning up. So the next time you use toilet paper, be sure not to take it for granted.
Toilet Paper Invention
The first incidence of toilet paper dates back to 1393, when a rice-based model was made for the Chinese imperial family. With time, it underwent modifications to the latest extra-soft varieties we keep in our bathrooms.
Like any other paper product, toilet papers too are made from wood. Basically, recycled pulp and virgin are the common materials. These agents undergo thorough refinement to become soft and splinter-free.
The Process of Manufacturing Toilet Paper
The process of making toilet paper depends on the material make-up. The first step is tree-felling, followed by back removal. The log is further split up into small logs then grounded in pressure chambers into pulp.
The pulp has to be cleaned and then bleached to pure white. The final product is a huge paper roll which is further reduced to smaller ones for commercial use.
The process is a little different for recycled pulp. It starts with all the waste papers being deposited into a bin with water. The mixture is aerated to get rid of ink, then bleached to white and lastly sanitized.
The resulting load is pressed on a big flat surface, then dried and embossed to the perfect strength. From here, the sheet of paper will be cut into smaller pieces and passed through special machines for a single, two-ply, or any other special roll.
What’s the Length of a Toilet Paper Roll?
There is no single answer because toilet paper rolls vary in length and grade quality. However, the general consensus indicates that a standard roll of tissue paper is 4.5 inches in diameter. A two-ply roll has roughly 500 sheets, while a one-ply total up to 1000 sheets.
The quality of the roll determines a toilet paper’s duration, the number of users, and their bathroom habits. You don’t really need a toilet paper calculator to know how long it will stick around. Just watch how often it’s put to use, and you can get a rough estimate of when to restock it.
What Are the Hallmarks of Healthy Toilet Paper?
Thanks to overworking marketing teams, it’s very easy to buy toilet paper that really doesn’t pass the best quality standards. Don’t be fooled by slogans such as ‘highly absorbent’ or ‘ultra-soft’. Some don’t live up to their hype. Here are all the hallmarks of healthy toilet paper:
- Toxin-free- Traces of inks, dyes, and BPA should not be present in good toilet paper. Unfortunately, many are bleached with chlorine which pollutes air and water.
- More plies- Rolls with more plies ensure you don’t have to peel a long tissue paper. You simply need a short strip that effectively cleans you up.
- Ease of tearing- Don’t you just hate having to forcefully pluck the tissue paper like pulling a cover from a magazine? These things are supposed to come off without a second’s struggle. This way, you can finish up the cleaning business and attend to other important life issues.
- Soft- Super soft toilets are kind to both adult and toddlers’ bums. Anything that is too rough with fiber and dust particles will give you uncomfortable scratches that result in possible reddening.
- Promotes sustainability efforts- Each day, roughly 27k trees are brought down to make more toilet papers-most of which cannot be reused. This has led to environmentalists and green industries resorting to other alternatives like hemp and bamboo.
- Clog-free- A septic-friendly toilet paper breaks down almost instantly, allowing the gush of water to push it into the drain. This saves you the trouble of investing in a toilet plunger or calling in a plumber.
Lastly, toilet paper should last long. There are extra-thin plies on the market shelves that force users to use unnecessarily lengthier strips. However, top-grade options last fairly long, and that means a few bucks saved.
Unexpected Ways to Use a Toilet Paper
There is no point in teaching you how to use toilet paper. Although quite frankly, some of you may not know other unusual ways to use this hygienic product. Here are a couple of ways you can use tissue paper besides wiping the bum:
- Use toilet paper to clean the seat- Toilet seats are a hotspot for germs and bacteria. That’s why you are advised to use toilet paper and a sanitizer to wipe it clean before sitting on it. There are many bowl cleaners out there that can keep the enchanting sparkle of your toilet.
- Use toilet paper to dry your hands- Not every toilet is going to have a dryer or paper towels. If you find yourself in this situation, use toilet paper to dry your hands, so you don’t wet the floor with water droplets.
- Wrapping up female hygiene products- It’s normal for ladies to go through their ‘monthly days’ while out and about and toilets all over supply bins for them to dispose of their tampons. Unfortunately, when a user pops the bin open, it could really be bad even to catch a glimpse of that waste. So, before you dump sanitary pads in the bin, be kind to others and conceal them with toilet paper wrappings.
In your bathroom, ensure to stock a proper toilet paper dispenser. This promotes better hygiene where no one touches the entire roll. Instead, they just grab the hanging end, pull, and snap it off. If you are dealing with frequent blockages, then you probably should look into no-clog toilets. These bad boys can easily flush anything that can pass through a trapway.
Wrap Up
Learning a lot about toilet paper will help you know choices that are good for both you and the environment. Don’t just pick anything as long as it can wipe your bottom. You also need to think about the ease of flushing, as some are hard to flush.
We hope this blog post helped you learn a thing or two about toilet paper. If your toilet is on its last leg, check out some of the latest toilets that can bring back all the awesome bathroom experiences. Catch you later.
