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.
From Seashells to Communal Sponges
In very ancient times, wiping with stones and other natural materials and rinsing with water or snow was common. Some cultures opted for seashells and animal furs.
The Vikings used wool. The Colonial Americans used the core center cobs from shelled ears of corn. The Mayans used corn cobs.
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.
Colonial Times (1700s)
Other popular wiping mechanisms included leaves and handfuls of straw. But as paper became more ubiquitous, early Americans upgraded their wiping game big-time with used newspapers and catalogs.
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.”
1200-200 BC – The ancient Greeks bathed for aesthetic reasons and apparently did not use soap. Instead, they cleaned their bodies with blocks of clay, sand, pumice and ashes, then anointed themselves with oil, and scraped off the oil axnd dirt with a metal instrument known as a strigil.
Wiping in the Medieval Times
Before toilet paper was even a concept, people just used whatever was available to wipe. This included items such as hay, wood shavings, corn cobs, and even iron cables. Ancient Romans used a sponge soaked in salt water that was shared by everyone.
In Europe, toilet paper is certainly an option for sanitation, but most occupants overseas prefer to use the bidet for cleaning themselves post toilet use. Bidets feature a mounted spout that sprays water when the occupant is in place and able to press a button.
Mullein aka “cowboy toilet paper”
If the cowboys used the large velvety leaves of the mullein (Verbascum thapsus) plant while out on the range, then you can too! Mullein is a biennial plant available for use in almost every bioregion.
As toilet paper had not been invented the men would either have to use bits of old rag or rope to clean their back sides or sometimes there was a communal bucket and sponge. Urination was either into buckets or directly over the side.
Ancient Greece Hygiene
Ancient Greeks often used stones ("pessoi") or fragments of ceramic ("ostraka") to wipe.
But instead of reaching for a roll of toilet paper, an ancient Roman would often grab a tersorium (or, in my technical terms, a “toilet brush for your butt”). A tersorium is an ingenious little device made by attaching a natural sponge (from the Mediterranean Sea, of course) to the end of a stick.
A lot of this deforestation supplies the luxury consumer – recycled paper isn't as gentle on your tush. Yet 70% of the world's population doesn't use toilet paper at all. Big areas of southern Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia use water instead.
Snow. Inuit and other populations that lived in Arctic regions used snow and ice for their wiping needs. Brrrrr, but also... refreshing?
For many cultures, bathroom habits come from what has been available, rather than what is easy. The washroom essential for many cultures is a container of water. Instead of wiping, they rinse themselves clean by pouring water over a bowl, or even a hole.
You don't really need to bring this from home, of course — Italy does have toilet paper! — but it's a smart thing for ladies, particularly, to throw in their purses before leaving the hotel in the morning.
So, why can't you flush toilet paper in Greece? Well, the country's plumbing system is not designed to handle large amounts of paper. The plumbing pipes are narrow, and paper or other waste materials would clog most Greek toilets, including those at rooms, hotels and restaurants.
Bidets in Japan are very popular. A bidet is a small bathroom fixture that sprays water to clean your bottom. You can use a handheld bidet to clean yourself after using the toilet.
The idea that medieval people never bathed? Time to leave that myth in, well, the Dark Ages. Medieval folks loved a bath, though it was a little more work than it is today with the marvels of modern plumbing. Laborers, who made up most of the population, probably used ewers and shallow washbasins.
Handwashing was a wide spread occurence int he middle ages. people would wash their hands and faces upon rising, before meals, at the end of the day, or arriving at a house after a long journey. The idea that medieval people were continually grubby and had poor hygiene is a myth.
Common causes include: Chronic diarrhea Constipation Hemorrhoids Crohn's disease The skin of the anus can stick to the stool and make it difficult to clean the anorectal area after a bowel movement. Leaky gut Leaky gut is also known as fecal incontinence.
The fundamental problem is that the area used for releasing urine and faeces is compressed between thighs and buttocks, so we are more likely than other animals to foul ourselves. We also differ from other animals in our response to our waste, which we tend to regard with disgust.
According to Egypt Today, “Based on the writings of Herodotus, ancient Egyptians used many healthy hygiene habits, such as washing and laundry. They also knew to use mint to make their breath fresh. According to Ancient History Online Encyclopedia, ancient Egyptians always tried to make their bodies clean.
Humans have probably been bathing since the Stone Age, not least because the vast majority of European caves that contain Palaeolithic art are short distances from natural springs. By the Bronze Age, beginning around 5,000 years ago, washing had become very important.