WASHROOM HYGIENE


TOILET PAPER: IT’S ON A ROLL


Toilet rolls provide a convenient and compact format for dispensing toilet paper. But how have toilet rolls evolved since their origins in the 1870s? And how do today’s systems maximise hygiene while also minimising consumption? Jamie Wright from Tork manufacturer SCA looks at the toilet roll timeline.


Toilet paper has been in circulation for centuries. It was first produced by the Bureau of Imperial Supplies in medieval China and was used by emperors as far back as the 1390s.


It emerged in Europe much later and in a less ‘official’ capacity. When newspapers, magazines and periodicals came into widespread circulation in the 18th century, many of them would end their lives on a hook behind the lavatory door.


But printed paper is not ideal for use as toilet tissue. And while threading sheets of newspaper on a hook might have worked in domestic houses, it was hardly a commercial option.


An enterprising American named Joseph Gayetty realised this and began producing purpose-designed toilet paper in the 1850s. A pack of 500 sheets would cost fifty cents and Gayetty’s name would be printed on each sheet.


The first continuous roll of toilet tissue was developed in Philadelphia in 1870 and the British Patent Perforated Company quickly adopted the technology.


96 | Tomorrow’s Cleaning May 2016


Toilet rolls became a common sight both in the home and in public washrooms – although early versions were not like today’s products.


For one thing, splinters were common, which meant that using toilet paper was a somewhat risky business. There were also plenty of toilet roll brands such as Bronco and Izal that were shiny, non-absorbent and harsh on the skin. These were used in schools, institutions and public buildings all over the country at least until the 1960s. While soft toilet paper has been available since the 1940s it was still considered to be something of a status symbol used mainly in more upmarket facilities.


Eventually soft toilet paper became the norm in away-from- home environments as well as in households. Conventional rolls would be inserted into toilet-roll holders or placed on the cistern or on the washroom floor.


But in the public washroom this presented certain problems. By its nature a roll has the potential to roll away – and when a toilet roll does so


its contents will unravel on the floor where it will quickly become soiled and unusable.


Loose toilet rolls are also easy to remove from a washroom – and removed they often were. People would take them to supplement their own supply at home or for other, less pragmatic uses.


For example, toilet rolls made good missiles. Football fans discovered this and loo rolls were commonly thrown on to football pitches during matches until the 1960s or 1970s. Countless schoolchildren also switched on to the delights of loo roll-throwing and school washrooms used to be filled with soiled and discarded rolls. Some would even find their way down the toilets where they caused blockages leading to costly plumbing visits. These practices led to a great deal of waste, over-consumption and mess which would push up paper and labour costs.


When commercial toilet paper dispensers began to emerge in the 1970s they revolutionised the category. These sturdy boxes would protect the


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