Amazed and amused about toilet paper during the coronavirus pandemic

Toilet paper has never been so popular. And there hasn’t been so much collective fun poked at it as now, during the coronavirus pandemic.

So why not take a minute to talk about its origin, and share a few creative ways people are celebrating toilet tissue?

Quick history of toilet tissue.

Created by Joseph Gayetty, toilet paper became available commercially in 1857. It was made of hemp and aloe. Three decades later, the roll was created. And then in 1928, a softer version was created that ended up being called Charmin.

Before toilet tissue was created, people used whatever was available. This included sticks and leaves to scraps of paper.

But not everyone needs a roll of tissue for their bathroom. Invented by the French in the late 1600s, Bidets are quite common in other parts of the world. Some experts claim bidets are more hygienic, and they eliminate the need for toilet tissue. Just think about the environmental impact that toilet tissue wipes out 27,000 trees every year.

The popularity of bidets has been steadily growing in the United States in the past decade. And with the current hoarding culture, sales of bidets are going up even faster.

Amazed and Amused.

Toilet paper cakes are starting to pop up on Instagram feeds from a few bakeries around the US. These cakes below are from Traub’s Bakery in Prospect Park, PA.

A few pizza shops are including a roll of toilet paper with the order of a pizza. The offering below is from Pizza Schmizza.

Other people are poking fun at toilet paper with images like this one of leaves replacing toilet paper. I’ve seen others creating crocheted toilet tissue, too.

If you are wondering if you have enough rolls for your household, there is a calculator. There are advanced features for the calculator, including the number of ply.