What Did People Use Before Toilet Paper? Using the bathroom has
come a long way from when ancient Greeks used stones and pieces
of clay for personal hygiene. Toilet paper is one of those
things that often gets taken for granted in modern times, except
for places Charmin has yet to infiltrate. This is definitely one
of those unavoidable things in life, so through many centuries
and in many cultures, everyone had their own method of staying
clean. Be warned: We’re going to get specific. Ancient Romans
were a bit more sophisticated than the Greeks when it came to
cleansing: They opted for a sponge on the end of a long stick
that was shared by everyone in the community. When not in use,
that stick stayed in a bucket of heavily salted seawater in the
communal bathroom. The public facilities were also equipped with
a long marble bench with holes carved out for—well, you know
what they were carved out for—and holes at the front for your
sponge on a stick to slide through. Romans didn’t have dividing
walls, either, s