Before the availability of mass produced toilet paper in the mid-1800s, humans had to resort to using what was free and available, even if it didn't provide the most effective (or comfortable) results. Options included rocks, leaves, grass, moss, animal fur, corn cobs, coconut husks, sticks, sand, and sea shells.
Most common were things like corncobs and seashells (ouch). But by the 1800s, paper was becoming more widely available. And finally in 1857, a New Yorker named Joseph Gayetty introduced and first patented toilet paper. He called it “Medicated Paper for the Water-Closet” and Gayetty's name was printed on every sheet.
Leaves, sticks, moss, sand and water were common choices, depending on early humans' environment. Once we developed agriculture, we had options like hay and corn husks. People who lived on islands or on the coast used shells and a scraping technique.
Mullein aka “cowboy toilet paper”
Mullein is a biennial plant available for use in almost every bioregion.
There were flat sheets instead of the roll to which we are all accustomed. The advent of a flushed toilet changed what was used as toilet paper. When people used privies it didn't really matter what was used as toilet paper since it went down a hole. So items like corncobs, straw, water, and sticks were common.
Corn cobs
Dried corn cobs were plentiful in rural agrarian societies throughout history. According to Farmers' Almanac, the corncob worked by turning on its axis to clean the region (you get the picture). Some outhouses in western US states still use this method.
Convenient for insertion and surprisingly soft when dried, corn cobs were plentiful and popular among Native Americans and colonial settlers in North America. With the edible kernels removed, the remaining cob has copious grooves and indentations which become quite efficient at trapping any remaining fecal matter.
The use of toilet paper first started in ancient China around the 2nd century BC.
Before paper-based toilet tissue, people often used plants for cleansing. Colonists used dried corn cobs; Aztecs used the leaves of maize; fruit skins and moss were other materials used at the completion of business.
Frontier toilets were as varied as frontier houses, ranging from an agreed-upon shrub or hole in the ground to free-standing sod or wooden outhouses.
In many traditional Amish communities, manufactured toilet paper is seen as a luxury item. Instead, they use the following alternatives: Leaves: Naturally available and biodegradable, leaves are common in many rural settings.
In 15th and 16th century France, royalty and other wealthy individuals used hemp, lace, and wool.
Arthur Julius
Before disposable baby wipes were made accessible to families, caregivers used cloth diapers and cloths to clean up babies' messes. It is Arthur Julius who is credited for changing this. Working in the cosmetics industry, Julius wanted to create something that would improve skin hygiene.
The Romans cleaned their behinds with sea sponges attached to a stick, and the gutter supplied clean flowing water to dip the sponges in. This soft, gentle tool was called a tersorium, which literally meant “a wiping thing.” The Romans liked to move their bowels in comfort.
The Romans used a communal small mop on a stick. called in Latin: tersorium. It was soaked in vinegar or salt water. It could be a sponge on a stick as well.
Developed countries like the US, UK, Germany, France, and Australia commonly employ toilet paper. In these countries, toilet paper is readily available in stores and is considered a necessity in households.
A sponge on a stick
If you went to the toilet in ancient Rome, you would not have any toilet paper. Instead you may have used a sponge (Latin: tersorium) to wipe. These ancient devices consisted of a stick with a vinegar- or salt water-soaked sponge attached. They were often shared!
Some scholars even suggested that pottery sherds found in abundance within middens in the vicinity of households were in fact used as an equivalent of toilet paper.
Eskimos used moss or snow. Vikings used wool. Mayans and early/rural Americans used the cobs from shelled ears of corn. Other handy options were hay, leaves, grass, ferns, maize, fruit skins, animal fur, and later, fabric, newspaper, magazines, and pages of books.
Wiping in the Medieval Times
This included items such as hay, wood shavings, corn cobs, and even iron cables.
The First Shower
Ancient tribal people would simply stand under the falling water to clean themselves. Unlike today, where the majority of households have showers, people would have to travel miles to hunt out a waterfall, as this was a much more effective way of cleansing rather than bathing in a pool or lake.
Cowboy's toilet paper is an invasive wildflower that is native to Eurasia and Africa. It is a biennial, meaning that it lives for two years. During the first year, it grows close to the ground as a basal rosette of leaves.
An accountable daily ritual of bathing can be traced to the ancient Indians. They used elaborate practices for personal hygiene with three daily baths and washing.