What Did People Use BEFORE TOILET PAPER? History's Weirdest Wiping Methods | History of Toilet Roll

History Calling October 6, 2025
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History Calling

@historycalling

About

Weekly history documentaries from a former university lecturer, with an emphasis on royalty & original sources. WHAT MAKES ME DIFFERENT: I am a fully qualified historian from Northern Ireland (I get lots of questions about the accent!) whose videos are thoroughly researched and based on a reading of the original evidence. I will never just regurgitate Wikipedia entries at you and there will be no crazy conspiracy theories or claims of alien involvement here unless I'm debunking them. Just 100% history. Music used in video intros: Friday Fugue, YouTube Audio Library. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The links below are to my only other genuine online platforms.

Video Description

WHAT WOULD YOU DO without toilet paper? Well, before loo roll was invented, people had to get creative and some of their methods will blow your mind! From leaves and seashells to sponges, stones, newspapers and linens called stool ducketts, history is full of strange and fascinating hygiene practices and the history of wiping is as weird as it gets. In this video, we uncover the strange, surprising, and sometimes downright shocking ways people cleaned their bottoms before modern toilet paper was invented. You’ll discover how ancient Romans may have used a communal sponge on a stick (known as a tersorium), how people in medieval times relied on natural materials, and the surprising luxury of England’s royalty; stool duckets which were pieces of fine linen reserved for wiping the most royal of rear ends. You’ll also see pictures of some the people whose job it was to clean them so that they could be reused. Yuk! We’ll also dive into fascinating cultural differences, hygiene hacks from around the world, and how toilet paper, as we know it, only became widespread in the last couple of centuries. If you’ve ever wondered how humanity handled its business before Charmin, this video has the answers. Curious about history’s weirdest wiping methods? Watch now and prepare to be amazed — and maybe a little grossed out, for toilet paper only became widely used in the last 150 years, but the story of human hygiene stretches back thousands of years and it’s a lot weirder (and sometimes grosser) than you might think! We’ll also look at the different ways people clean their bottoms in the modern world, comparing and contrasting wet cleaning with dry cleaning. 👍 Like, comment and subscribe for more weird history, fun facts and stories they definitely didn’t teach you in school. BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): https://amzn.to/3Z2ChnG Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): https://www.historycallingofficial.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historycalling Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/historycalling Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historycalling/ YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: DEATH BY TOILET https://youtu.be/CA-kQWbRczQ THE DANGERS OF HISTORICAL FICTION https://youtu.be/i_bRhXQY4Zs SOURCES Philippe Charlier, Luc Brun, Clarisse Prêtre, Isabelle Huynh-Charlier, ‘Toilet hygiene in the classical era’ in British Medical Journal (2012). Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links: AUDIBLE https://amzn.to/44MvlMi AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS https://amzn.to/42rh3PF PRIME VIDEO https://amzn.to/3LW7ykg GEAR USED Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): https://amzn.to/3S6IoRK Blue Yeti Microphone: https://amzn.to/3FgEDYq Go-Pro Hero 13 camera: https://amzn.to/41H4Xnt GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): https://amzn.to/3vaVxjU Memory Card: https://amzn.to/3KeLZZs DJI Drone: https://amzn.to/39hROZm NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay. Open Street Map copyright information https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright Creative Commons licenses used see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ #ToiletPaperHistory #StoolDucketts #AncientHygiene #BathroomHistory #BeforeToiletPaper

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