It may not surprise anyone that toilet paper has been around for a long time, especially when comparing the amazing innovations we've encountered throughout history.
The following 10 facts tell about interesting moments regarding the time of the emergence and promotion of toilet paper. It also tells about the most ridiculous and unusual cases associated with toilet paper. It is worth noting that toilet paper is among the top 10 greatest inventions in China.
10. Holiday bonus
No one has felt the impact of the decline of Russian industry as much as the factory workers in Penza, a city 550 kilometers southeast of Moscow. The glee of cash-strapped workers at the watch factory was cut short when workers were given 150 rolls of toilet paper as a bonus.
It took many workers three days to bring this “generous»A bonus on top of an already depressingly meager salary. One woman even tried to use this bonus as a non-standard means of paying rent, but to no avail.
One of the workers, who crashed to death, jumping from the roof of the factory, left a suicide note in which he wrote that the costs of his funeral should be paid by the director of the company. Workers in other cities are more fortunate: they were presented with cucumbers, pineapples and even bras. According to a survey conducted in 1998, only 18% of Russians surveyed paid their wages on a regular basis.
9. Toilet paper recommended by doctors
Company "Scott Paper", The leader in the production of toilet paper, used one of the most effective advertising moves to promote its product: it used images of the consumer with annoyance on"fifth point”, Insisting that this is the result of using low-quality toilet paper.
In 1929, advertising attracted an incredible amount of attention. She stated: “Doctors say that after 40 years, every second has a risk of catching some form of rectal disease. And the reason for that is hard or rough and unrefined toilet paper. ".
Some will perceive this as intimidating people, but perhaps there is some truth in this ad. Mainly until the 1930s, it was not possible to completely clean wood cellulose toilet paper from chips during the production process. When it became known that a longer process of making cellulose was facilitating the processing of fragments into pulp, the Scott Paper company began to advertise its product with the indication “without chips»And certify that both physicians and plumbers are recommending the toilet paper.
8. Stealing toilet paper
At one time, Ricardo Jefferson carried out one of the strangest and perhaps most senseless robberies in the history of the United States. This happened on August 5, 1995, when City Inspector Jonathan Sidle opened an investigation into the disappearance of toilet paper from the stadium.
While overseeing supply at Philadelphia's oldest stadium, Jefferson said, “cleaned out»The stadium for over 10 months between October 1994 and August 1995. The missing toiletries were noticed only during the preliminary match of the team “Philadelphia Eagles"When the lack of this remedy"essentials»Confused the stadium administration and forced football fans to restrain their natural need.
It turned out that Jefferson had stolen $ 34,000 worth of toilet paper, for which he was fired. Whether Jefferson had problems with the chair, or whether he just wanted to fill his pockets, one can only guess what became of the stolen rolls.
7. A product that is indecent to talk about
Despite the fact that toilet paper appeared in China as early as the 4th century, the first "Medical Paper”In 1957 introduced in the USA by Joseph Gayetti. The Scott Paper Company saw great hidden opportunities associated with the desire of American society to maintain better hygiene.
So, in 1890, the company began to advertise the first rolls of toilet paper. However, success depended heavily on the way they advertised such a product, which they preferred not to mention.
Given the prevalence of conservative views in the country, the company did not want to ruin its name with advertising for a product that would cause thoughts about what was considered indecent and caused embarrassment. So she started selling toilet paper rolls to private traders who would then put them up for sale under a different name.
This continued until 1902, when Scott Paper bought the trademark "Waldorf», Under which she began to produce her first branded toilet paper. Public approval grew, and then in 1903 the company began selling toilet paper, which until recently was indecent to talk about, officially under its own name.
6. Toilet in space
According to the National Museum of Aeronautics and Astronautics, one of the most frequently asked questions for astronauts concerns how they cope with the need for space. What many of us don't know is that it takes months of research and testing to build a toilet that doesn't need maintenance.
If you add to this the time it takes for astronauts to learn how to sit and stand correctly when using the $ 30 million space toilet - not to mention the various complex nuances - the costs become even greater.
Everything was thought out to the smallest detail, including even toilet paper. Scientific expedition "Don PettitDescribed the paper as unusual.
Pettit explained that the paper is made up of two layers of coarsely woven gauze tied together, with a layer of brown cloth in between. Although unusual, Pettit claims this paper is excellent. "copes»With its own purpose.
5. Tax collector
It is only reasonable to assume that basic hygiene requirements are exempt from tax unless you live in New York City. V "Big apple»The sales tax on toilet paper is 8.875%, which is confusing to many, including City Senator Phil Boyle. In fact, many residents of the city are not aware that they are taxed on the purchase of this item of daily use.
However, New Yorkers aren't the only ones being misled. After the site browser "Sun SantinelMichael Mayo studied Florida's sales tax laws and petitioned the law to remove toilet paper from the list of taxable goods.
Pennsylvania citizen Mary Bach went even further. In 2007, she sued the retail chain "Kmart»For collecting tax from her when buying toilet paper.
4. The toilet paper crisis of 1971
In 1971, an imminent panic gripped Hawaii when residents faced a shortage of toilet paper. It all began 3,900 kilometers east, when West Coast merchant ship workers from San Francisco went on strike, cutting off the large fleet of ships that would normally supply the island with basic household goods.
About 15,000 workers quit their jobs in search of higher wages, showing how dependent islands can be. Indeed, in essence, 90% of the products consumed in Hawaii are delivered by ship, so toilet paper is considered a valuable commodity there.
The strike lasted 134 days. In February 1972, after workers' wages were raised at 14 cents an hour, an agreement was reached.It is still not clear what the inhabitants of the island resorted to all these months, when the toilet paper ran out.
3. A mistake that made a profit
As stated above, the Scott Paper Company has capitalized on the community's need to better maintain personal hygiene, effectively making toilet paper in demand. Nearly a decade later, a manufacturing error occurred at Scott's plant, which marked a watershed in the company's development. The fact is that the fabric turned out to be too thick for toilet paper.
Recalling the story of how one teacher cut the paper for printing so students could use the pieces as hand wipes (as opposed to homemade tissue that spread germs), company founder Arthur Scott took the lead in selling the world's first disposable paper towel.
After punching small holes in the useless heavy paper so that the paper could be torn off in separate sheets, Scott aimed his wares at railway stations, hotels, business buildings and industrial plants, as well as schools, giving him the name "Sani-towels"(" Sany-Towels "). By 1931, this manufacturing error had become a hot commodity in America.
2. Discoveries
In 2013, it was discovered that ancient Roman artifacts on display back in the 1960s at Fishburne Roman Palace in England were being used as toilet paper, according to the British Medical Journal.
It turned out that the clay discs, which the museum initially attributed to the games, contained partially crystallized remains of feces. According to French anthropologist Philippe Charlier, something similar was often found near public toilets. He quoted an ancient Greek proverb that says: “One stone is enough to wipe three».
In addition, Charlier discovered on one of the ancient Greek vessels an image of a man wiping himself with a stone. Museum curator Dr. Rob Simmons says Fishburne intends to revise the artifacts for further chemical analysis.
1. "Kimberly-Clark"
As one of the world's leading toilet paper distribution brands, Kimberly-Clark began its development in a time of despair and uncertainty. Founded in 1872, the company produced its first product, newsprint, from scraps of cotton and linen.
As the company expanded, revolutionary innovations developed that fundamentally changed the meaning of hygiene. In 1914, Kimberly-Clark researchers created the world's first cellulose wadding using a by-product from sugarcane processing.
Organic cotton wool began to be used to heal the wounds of thousands of soldiers in the trenches, instead of surgical cotton, which was severely scarce during the First World War. It was then that nurses found another use for organic cotton wool for feminine hygiene.
However, it was only 6 years later that the company fully appreciated the commercial potential of its invention, when in 1920 it introduced the world to the first panty liners. Kimberly-Clark continued to devote these resources to military purposes in the 1940s, and also developed a development program to be able to respond to the resurgent consumer demand for the product after World War I.
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Interesting facts about the top 10 toilet paper. It tells about substitutes for toilet paper, the history of its appearance. Interesting footage from a toilet paper factory is presented, as well as statistics on the preferences of certain types of toilet paper in some countries.
