Americans spend $182 on toilet paper every year. Well, that adds up to around $11,000 across a lifetime…on toilet paper! Put another way, the average American goes through 85 rolls of toilet paper annually. That translates to more than 13,000 sheets every year.
How Much Toilet Paper Does My Family Need? The bigger the family, the more toilet paper you need (as you can imagine). An average family of four can finish a regular roll (of 150 sheets) in about a day. They'll go through an estimated 7 rolls per week, or 28 rolls a month.
The Chronicle can report that the gold standard of a toilet paper arsenal -- a 30-roll pack of 415-sheet extra-long rolls from Costco -- will last the average two-member household not for 81 days but for 209 days, according to the revised calculation.
The average household of 4 spends approximately $24-$28 per month on toilet paper, which translates to $288-$336 annually.
But we're the odd ones out with this infatuation: 70% of the world's population doesn't even wipe with toilet paper. (Many of them use bidet showers, more amusingly known as “bum guns.”) And for much of history, “two-ply” wasn't even a thing.
The average American adult uses roughly one roll of toilet paper every week, or about 50 rolls in a year. For a family of four, that makes 200 rolls of toilet paper a yearly supply.
Native Americans used twigs, dry grass, small stones, and even oyster or clam shells.
Americans spend $182 on toilet paper every year.
Well, that adds up to around $11,000 across a lifetime…on toilet paper! Put another way, the average American goes through 85 rolls of toilet paper annually. That translates to more than 13,000 sheets every year.
On average, most people use anywhere between 4 and 10 squares of toilet paper per flush. Even if you were to double that amount, toilet paper is meant to dissolve quickly, and should still easily flush down your toilet.
Costs for pulp globally are climbing, and toilet paper makers including Kimberly-Clark Corp. have implemented price hikes in an effort to boost margins. U.S. retail prices for toilet paper have already surged about 20% from July 2021 to the end of last year, according to NielsenIQ.
The under position provides a more tidy appearance, in that the loose end can be more hidden from view; reduces the risk of a toddler or a house pet such as a cat unrolling the toilet paper when batting at the roll; and in a recreational vehicle may reduce unrolling during driving.
The more expensive toilet paper brands tend to focus on providing a softer and more luxurious feel, as well as better absorbency. The durability of the paper typically results in less usage per use too, contributing to its overall value.
Americans are the heaviest per capita users of toilet paper in the world. Most major U.S. brands rely on wood from the Canadian boreal forest.
How do you determine the cost per toilet paper sheet? The simple formula for calculating the cost per sheet is the total cost of a roll divided by the number of sheets per roll.
On average, a standard kitchen roll with approximately 75 sheets (our rolls have 100 sheets) can last for about a week to two weeks, depending on the household's usage. If a roll is used for larger cleaning tasks or spills, it may only last a few days.
To summarise, the French affinity for pink toilet paper stemmed from a regional preference dating back to the 60's - much time has passed since France started producing pink loo rolls so, unfortunately, we can't see this changing any time soon.
If you're living alone, that would make it, on average, 0.275 rolls a day and 13.5 rolls for 50 days, and 8.1 rolls a month (30 days). You would need only 8-9 rolls a month, and 2-3 rolls a week.
If you've been on the toilet paper aisle in the grocery store lately, you've probably noticed that prices have increased tremendously. Retail data from market research firm NielsenIQ indicates that the average unit price for toilet paper was $8.91 in June 2022, which represents a 7% jump compared to the period year.
Just how much TP the military goes through is a bureaucratic enigma. (Grunts in Vietnam were reportedly issued 19 squares a day.) According to contracting data, the Pentagon bought an average of $2 million worth of “toiletry paper products” annually between 2000 and 2010. Yet that figure jumped to $130 million in 2012.
American families use 1.5 to 2 rolls of paper towels every two weeks, spending $120–$180 annually. Switching to 100% recycled paper towels could save 54,000 trees in the U.S. each year.
Considering the midpoint of the range at 1.75 rolls per person per week, a family of four would typically use around 7 rolls per week. This estimation helps gauge the weekly toilet paper needs of a household, offering insights into how consumption patterns scale with family size.
Today's royals take care of their own personal hygiene. But historically the role of Groom of the Stool was a very important one at court, which involved being responsible for assisting the monarch with their excretion and ablutions.
In the 1700s, most people in the upper class seldom, if ever, bathed. They occasionally washed their faces and hands, and kept themselves “clean” by changing the white linens under their clothing. “The idea about cleanliness focused on their clothing, especially the clothes worn next to the skin,” Ward said.
Mullein aka “cowboy toilet paper”
Even hard men want a soft leaf. If the cowboys used the large velvety leaves of the mullein (Verbascum thapsus) plant while out on the range, then you can too!