# Thoughts on Bathroom Tissue **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 15, 2024, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609 "2024-02-15T17:00:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/121 "2024-02-28T14:17:27Z")
About all I care about is that it is 2 ply. With single ply toilet paper, you run the risk of your finger going through the paper and giving yourself a prostate exam. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/122 "2024-02-28T16:27:41Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > There are 4 normal rolls mounted inside a dispenser, that’s supposed to give the user the next roll after the first one is done. It doesn’t work that way, so you have to struggle to get the paper. ARGH! Those dispensers should be cited in the “poor product design” thread. The ones I’ve experienced in the US nominally hold the upper roll above (and out of the way of) the lower roll until the lower roll is empty. Then supposedly you can have the upper roll fall down into place. What happens in reality is the upper roll falls down onto the lower one, and you have to somehow hold the upper roll up with one hand so you can unroll paper from the lower one using the other hand; half the time, you wind up getting paper from both rolls at once. > [@TruCelt](#): > > Once I was in a hotel room that had two toilet paper dispensers. One was hung with the paper falling forward, and the other with the paper falling backward. LOL! Years back, I stayed at a hotel in NYC where, in an effort to appear Fancy, the toilet paper roll was embossed with the hotel’s logo. This was apparently done by pressing a damp die of some sort into the roll as it hung on the dispenser. Which meant that the outermost 6 or 7 layers of the toilet paper roll were DAMP. Ewwwww. Huge waste - I wasn’t gonna use that damp TP, so it went straight into the trash. Makes the “folding the end into a pointy shape” trick seem a lot less silly, in retrospect. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > I frequently wash my hands with cold water, because i can’t be bothered to wait for hot water. I assume that’s the temp I’d get from an unheated bidet. It is, indeed. I was worried about that being a bit too brutal, in winter months, but I realized that the water comes from pipes that run through the house’s interior walls, so the water really isn’t any colder than room temperature. The heated bidet (which is only in the master bathroom) is certainly NICER, but the others are perfectly fine, and quite an improvement over just using TP for scrubbing. I have seen bidets that can attach to the hot water pipe as well as the cold water feed; I don’t know that those would be any more practical, and it seems like they’d require a plumber to install since you’d be tapping into a pipe, rather than just a splitter off the toilet’s feed. But for some bathrooms, that might be an option versus running electrical power to near the toilet (it wouldn’t be an option in any of ours). ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/123 "2024-02-28T20:03:23Z")
The Romans , in their public latrines, had a sponge on a stick in a bucket of water. While this would work an awful lot better than dry toilet paper (or pages from the Sears and Roebuck catalog, or corn cobs, or even the necks of geese), it squicks me out on several levels 1.) using a device that’s been used by LOTS of other people 2.) and that’s been sitting in a container of water, a great breeding ground for bacteria 3.) and that probably hasn’t been cleaned since its previous use The thought of using a sponge-on-a-stick that’s reserved for my own private use isn’t all that more acceptable, if it lived in a bucket of water and didn’t get cleaned. Something disposable, like those “wet wipes”, would be great. But, of course, you’re not supposed to thrown them in the toilet, claims to being “flushable” notwithstanding. And you certainly couldn’t flush a sponge on a stick. Although I’d have no problem using disposable wet wipes in a Roman latrine, or modern outhouse. I wonder if some Romans didn’t use their own disposable wipes made of water-saturated bits of discarded cloth. It swould’ve been preferable to using a wet sponge held in common and re-used. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/124 "2024-03-01T18:21:07Z")
On the “bidet water temp” issue… The [Tushy Spa](https://hellotushy.com/products/warm-water-bidet-tushy-spa?variant=32135873691690) is $129, and hooks up (very easily) to your toilet fill line for cold water, and runs a flexible hose hookup to the hot water tap feed on the bathroom sink. It has an adjustable temperature knob; you turn on the self-clean (just open the tap on the bidet a trickle) to allow the water to warm up a bit if it is a concern to you (I don’t bother nowadays). I had a problem with… ah… “itchy bum” for _over a year_. Finally went away when I switched to the bidet rather than TP. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/125 "2024-03-01T18:34:45Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > and that’s been sitting in a container of water, a great breeding ground for bacteria Pretty sure “germ theory” wasn’t a known concept back (Ha!) then. > [@CalMeacham](#): > > a sponge on a stick The nitpicky nerd in me is genuinely curious: what material did they use for the sponge? > [@CalMeacham](#): > > But, of course, you’re not supposed to thrown them in the toilet, claims to being “flushable” notwithstanding. Years ago, I ran across a post (maybe Reddit?) where a plumber said those things put his kids through college. > [@BobLibDem](#): > > About all I care about is that it is 2 ply. The Swiss have apparently upgraded to 4-ply, per cites in this thread. I don’t know about you, but I feel like an absolute peasant right now. Matter of fact, imma add that to my bucket list: “Experience the wonder of 4-ply T.P. _with SHEA BUTTER WTF_ once before I die.” ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/126 "2024-03-01T18:42:42Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Dear White House, > > Please accept my deepest apologies for this query to ascertain your bathroom tissue needs. As per our diplomatic protocol, we strive to ensure maximal comfort of our Honoured Guests. This involves taking into full and due consideration their preferences, dislikes and allergies. Accordingly, Her/His Majesty humbly asks with the greatest possible respect: > Chinchilla, Squirrel or Rabbit? The necks of geese. > [@CalMeacham](#): > > The Romans , in their public latrines, had a sponge on a stick in a bucket of water. While this would work an awful lot better than dry toilet paper (or pages from the Sears and Roebuck catalog, or corn cobs, or even the necks of geese), it squicks me out on several levels > > 1.) using a device that’s been used by LOTS of other people > 2.) and that’s been sitting in a container of water, a great breeding ground for bacteria > 3.) and that probably hasn’t been cleaned since its previous use Bacteria? Try intestinal worms: [Despite Latrines and Aqueducts, Ancient Romans Were Full of Worms | Discover Magazine](https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/despite-latrines-and-aqueducts-ancient-romans-were-full-of-worms) ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/127 "2024-03-01T18:53:58Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > 1. There have been previous threads about the size of toilet paper rolls. Outside of dollar stores, even the cheapest rolls claim to be at least double sized, claiming 6 rolls = 12, or 12 rolls = 24 or 36 or 72. This seems to be mainly puffery. Perhaps fluffery. Paper towels also have the same imaginative expansion. **Is there any other product that does this?**. The label on a 1.25 liter bottle of Crystal Geyser sparkling water says, “25% more than 1L bottle.” ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/128 "2024-03-01T19:23:18Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > The nitpicky nerd in me is genuinely curious: what material did they use for the sponge? Natural sea sponges, usually from the genera _Spongia_ and _Hippospongia_, often _Spongia officinalis_. > **[Xylospongium](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylospongium)** > > The xylospongium or tersorium, also known as a "sponge on a stick", was a utensil found in ancient Roman latrines, consisting of a wooden stick (Greek: ξύλον, xylon) with a sea sponge (Greek: σπόγγος, spongos) fixed at one end. > Academics disagree as to its exact use, about which the primary sources are vague. It has traditionally been assumed to be a type of shared anal wiping utensil used after defecating, and the sponge cleaned in vinegar or water (sometimes salt water). Other recent research... > **[Spongia officinalis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spongia_officinalis)** > > Spongia officinalis, better known as a variety of bath sponge, is a commercially used sea sponge. Individuals grow in large lobes with small openings and are formed by a mesh of primary and secondary fibers. It is light grey to black in color. It is found throughout the Mediterranean Sea up to 100 meters deep on rocky or sandy surfaces. > Spongia officinalis can reproduce both asexually, through budding or fragmentation, or sexually. Individuals can be dioecious or sequential hermaphrodites. The... ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/129 "2024-03-01T21:03:45Z")
> [@Kron](#): > > The [Tushy Spa](https://hellotushy.com/products/warm-water-bidet-tushy-spa?variant=32135873691690) is $129, and hooks up (very easily) to your toilet fill line for cold water, and runs a flexible hose hookup to the hot water tap feed on the bathroom sink. That’s exactly the kind of thing I was recalling, a day or two ago. It does depend on the sink’s hot-water feed being sufficiently close to make it practical. Our powder room is shaped so that this would require a longish (4-5 feet) hose going around a corner. Our other two bathrooms have vanities versus an open sink, so it would require drilling a hole in the vanity (but otherwise, it’s workable). We have an electrically-heated one in the master bathroom, and my son can just deal with the cold water. We had installed one in the parents’ condo in Florida. For some reason, the times we used it, we never had any trouble with the water being too cold! ---
**Author:** ![Orville\_mogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/aeb1de/32.png) [@Orville\_mogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orville_mogul)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/130 "2024-03-01T21:21:56Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > The Swiss have apparently upgraded to 4-ply, per cites in this thread. Sorry to brag, but we are now up to 5-ply 😁 > **[Migros](https://www.migros.ch/fr/product/526214200000)** > > Commandez en ligne et gagnez du temps - nous vous livrons vos courses à votre porte. 12'500 produits Migros à prix Migros et articles de marque ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/131 "2024-03-01T21:23:35Z")
I would like to know whats wrong with baby wipes. Seems better than a bidet. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/132 "2024-03-01T21:25:07Z")
Problems with flushability come to mind. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2024, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/133 "2024-03-02T03:21:50Z")
They generate a lot of trash. Plus, they ain’t free. A bidet obviously has a bigger up-front cost to offset. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2024, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/134 "2024-03-02T03:31:46Z")
More importantly, I don’t believe that baby wipes and those aimed at adult users are really flushable; they cause all sorts of problems for municipal solid waste agencies. ([Cite](https://www.nyc.gov/site/dep/whats-new/trash-it-dont-flush-it.page) from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.) ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2024, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/135 "2024-03-02T04:28:24Z")
They are absolutely NOT flushable, and say so - in very fine print - on the back label. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2024, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/136 "2024-03-02T04:30:20Z")
I dont flush them. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2024, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/137 "2024-03-02T04:59:05Z")
That’s good but very many people do flush them, causing lots of problems. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2024, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/138 "2024-03-02T15:18:50Z")
> [@Orville\_mogul](#): > > Sorry to brag, but we are now up to 5-ply 😁 > > [Migros](https://www.migros.ch/fr/product/526214200000) Also 6-ply. This is product available in the Migros closest to me > **[Migros](https://www.migros.ch/en/product/526221200000)** > > Commandez en ligne et gagnez du temps - nous vous livrons vos courses à votre porte. 12'500 produits Migros à prix Migros et articles de marque ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2024, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/139 "2024-03-02T16:54:53Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > > [@Orville\_mogul](#): > > > > Sorry to brag, but we are now up to 5-ply 😁 > > > > [Migros](https://www.migros.ch/fr/product/526214200000) > > Also 6-ply. Aren’t they eventually going to get up to so thick a wad that it won’t fit in the necessary location? ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2024, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609/140 "2024-03-02T22:57:12Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > The worse though was “Springfield Oval” which was used throughout MIT 50 years ago. Springfield Oval – haven’t thought of it in years. Never seen it anywhere but MIT. I’m class of '71. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-bathroom-tissue/997609.md?page=8)