What was used before toilet paper was invented?

Question

why the hell is this question getting so many answers?

Answer 1

leafy plants, hands (then you'd have to wash pretty darn good afterwards.)...yuck!

Answer 2

Long before man was sentient, he ran around and pooped anywhere he wanted and walked away, since his *** was developed as such that there was nothing to wipe off. As man kind "evolved" as a society, the diet changed dramatically and softer, messier poo was created by cooked and seasoned foods, (Common today, even). Man then needed to develop a way to remove the foul, crusty crap that was fast sticking to their cheeks. And from there, countless tools were developed. Some ancient english used a wooden ladel that they would rinse in a pale of water, (nobles, upper class). The Irish were known to use dried peat (Spongy moss found in the region that grew in thick pads) and often stored it in their homes as it doubled for fire kindling. And Natives are recorded to either using various leaves and grasses, to just walking to the creek and shitting right there so they could rinse off easily while the current took their stinky load downstream. You see, there have been many developments in removing feces from cracks over many thousands of years. Just think of the ideas that didn't get popular. There could have possibly been the perfect thing to wipe your *** with besides TP. That concludes my thesis. Thank you.

Answer 3

What did people use before toilet paper was invented? <<

*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 4

In many cases, the pages of old catalogs. Particularly the Sears & Robuck catalog. I'm not sure why this is. Perhaps it was softer and more absorbent. Prior to the advent of paper, people would use their hands, especially those in the middle east.

Answer 5

Plant leaves and many went unclean. Some parts of the world still use a specific hand, due to water shortages.

In the future, we will all use litter boxes - LIKE CATS!

Answer 6

Depending on culture and time period...A hand normally rinsed off with water, a wet corn cob, leaves, mail order catalog pages, a sponge dipped in salt water, strips of old clothes or snow.

Answer 7

Rather than repeat lists, I'll add the only one that comes to mind that I don't see: a smooth-edged scoop-like seashell as a scraper. I ran across this in a study of Seri historical culture.

Answer 8

diverse cultures might use fairly some issues. To immediately midsection eastern cultures nevertheless in basic terms use bare palms and splash water. They use their left palms, it rather is why in case you strengthen your left hand to wave to a midsection eastern individual it rather is considered an insult, such as the midsection finger. ordinarily water replaced into the only factor used previously rest room paper, yet leaves could have additionally been used. it rather is not that all of us of surprising found out hiya we ought to constantly wipe our butt, it in basic terms took a on an identical time as to first invent paper. Paper is going back to the 2d century, however the earliest documentation of bathroom paper could be around the 6th century. a huge reason in the back of it is the water worked, it wasn't like it replaced right into a undertaking that needed instantaneous fixing, yet another excuse could be paper replaced into in basic terms used for to jot down considerable information or religious scriptures and etc. to apply paper to wipe your butt might look absurd while the only factor introduced to techniques by way of paper replaced into considerable quotations interior of cultures. Later for the time of the Ming Dynasty rest room paper grew to grow to be greater famous, meanwhile decrease type voters might makes use of rivers to defecate and sparkling themselves with water. in addition they might use leaves, grass, corncobs, fruit skins, particularly something attainable that could do the trick. prosperous people used wool or hemp paper as rest room paper. And time beyond regulation rest room paper has stepped forward into what we use immediately.

Answer 9

In lots of places toilet paper still is not used they use their hand and or water.

Answer 10

'In days of old
When Knights were bold
And paper was not invented
They wiped their a**e on a blade of grass
And went away contented'

Answer 11

true story, newspaper but even before that and even is some parts of the middle east they use thier left hand and wash it afterwards. in the middle east you cannot eat with your left even to this day because of that, and lefties are frowned upon because the left had is considered the "dirty" hand