What did mankind use before toilet paper was invented?

Answer 1

Whatever soft small furry animal was to hand.

Answer 2

In ancient Rome there were communial latrines that looked very much like toilets all lines up. There was an opening in the front of it (between you knees) and fresh water running trough by your feet. Everyone brought a personal sponge on a stick and when they were finished, they put it in the water and washed through the opening of the latrine. The aquaducts supplies the clean water and washed away the waste.

Of course, there was dried corn cobs and the Sears catalog, and leaves.

Answer 3

In a book I read once similar to Little House On The Prarie, each person had their own wash cloth hanging on a nail in the privy. That and a big pail of water and a bowl to rinse it out in, ready for next time.

Did you know that many of the Chinese (and other countries I'm sure) don't bother their kids (or themselves) with diapers?

Technology, they ought to invent a butt wiper similar to the cloth towel machines they "used to" have in public washrooms. Or better yet, one that's like a robo-car wash, complete with a powder puff at the end. LOL :-)

Answer 4

Newsprint, paper catalogue pages in early US
*Hayballs, Scraper/gompf stick kept in container by the privy in the Middle Ages
*Discarded sheep's wool in the Viking Age, England
*Frayed end of an old anchor cable was used by sailing crews from Spain and Portugal *Medieval Europe- Straw, hay, grass, gompf stick
*Corn cobs, Sears Roebuck catalog, mussel shell, newspaper, leaves, sand- United States
*Water and your left hand, India
*Pages from a book, British Lords
*Coconut shells in early Hawaii
*Lace was used by French Royalty
*Public Restrooms in Ancient Rome- A sponge soaked in salt water, on the end of a stick
*The Wealthy in Ancient Rome-Wool and Rosewater
*French Royalty-lace, hemp
*Hemp & wool were used by the elite citizens of the world
*Defecating in the river was very common internationally
*Bidet, France
*Snow and Tundra Moss were used by early Eskimos

Answer 5

Sears Roebuck Catalogue.

Answer 6

Well now I think there are some good answers out there,But when Corn Cobs were the latest thing, you used a red cob first, then a white cob to see if you needed a second wiping, if you needed a second wiping, you went back to the red corn cob. Ha Ha

Answer 7

I remember cutting up newspapers and old magazines into 4 x 4 squares approximately and hanging them on a nail in the bathrooms.....smile

When out in nature, any kind of nice large leaves would work well....lol

Answer 8

Corncobs

Answer 9

I'm guessing the progress goes - hands, water, leaves, corncob, biday, TP

Answer 10

i hope you really wanted this so here it goes. first they did not use anything. then they used leaves or sticks then they graduated to sears and robuck catalogs then along came the charmin