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What Did People Use Before Toilet Paper? | Weird History Documentary

The Hidden History Project

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Warm-up Questions

What everyday item do you think people used before toilet paper existed?
Why do you think the history of toilet paper could be connected to cities and technology?
What comes to your mind when you hear the phrase “Weird History Documentary”?

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What Did People Use Before Toilet Paper? | Weird History Documentary

Before toilet paper: early methods and the first paper use (00:00 – 02:47)

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1. What is one example the video gives of what people used before toilet paper?

Soap and water only
Plastic wipes
Cotton towels that were always washed after each use
Corn cobs

2. In ancient Rome, what was the sponge-on-a-stick tool called?

Terorium
Cesspit rod
Aqueductum
Papyrus stick

3. Why was Europe still using rags and plant material while China was mass-producing toilet paper?

Europe did not have any plants to use
Paper was considered illegal in Europe
Europe already had modern plumbing systems
Paper was expensive and too valuable to discard

What Did People Use Before Toilet Paper? | Weird History Documentary

Commercial toilet paper and the plumbing-driven boom (02:47 – 06:24)

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1. How was the first commercially packaged toilet paper (introduced in 1857) sold?

As reusable cloth squares
As scented rolls for luxury bathrooms
As medicated paper for the water closet
As a free newspaper supplement

2. What was the key innovation introduced in 1890?

A shared sponge system for public bathrooms
Electronic bidets for homes
Paper that was designed to be reused
Toilet paper on a roll that was perforated

3. According to the video, why did demand for toilet paper explode as flushing systems became common?

Toilet paper became a medical prescription
Flushing systems required something dissolvable
People stopped reading catalogs and newspapers
Rags became cheaper than paper

What Did People Use Before Toilet Paper? | Weird History Documentary

Public health, the 2020 shortage, and invisible systems (06:24 – 08:38)

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1. In 2020, what happened to toilet paper in many stores within days of lockdowns?

It became cheaper than before
It was only sold in pharmacies
It was replaced by cloth alternatives
It vanished from store shelves

2. Why does the video say people bought toilet paper during uncertainty?

Because it provides reassurance and a sense of control
Because it is easy to grow at home
Because it is a kind of medicine
Because governments required it

3. What does the toilet paper shortage reveal, according to the video?

That cities can function without supply chains
That modern life depends on invisible systems working perfectly
That people do not care about hygiene anymore
That paper mills are unnecessary

What Did People Use Before Toilet Paper? | Weird History Documentary

Transcript will load here…

1. Which idea best summarizes the video’s main message about toilet paper?

Toilet paper is mainly a luxury product for comfort
Toilet paper was invented in Europe during the Middle Ages
Toilet paper became important because of plumbing, sanitation, and public health systems
Toilet paper shortages only happen in one country

2. What connection does the video make between urbanization and toilet paper?

Urbanization reduced disease, so hygiene stopped mattering
Urbanization made people use only natural materials like leaves
Growing cities needed better waste management and disposable materials that wouldn’t clog systems
Cities banned toilet paper to save money

3. Why is “dissolving” an important feature of toilet paper in the video?

It prevents clogging in flushing and sewer systems
It makes the paper smell better
It makes the paper stronger
It helps the paper last longer in storage

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

What Did People Use Before Toilet Paper? | Weird History Documentary

Which pre-toilet-paper method from the video sounds most surprising or unpleasant, and why?
The video says toilet paper became part of “infrastructure.” Do you agree that small everyday items can be essential to society? Give examples.
Why do you think people panic-buy certain products (like toilet paper) during uncertainty instead of other items?
How might bathroom habits and hygiene change in the future (for example, with different technology or environmental concerns)?