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Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe (2009)

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Re: Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe (2009)

#71

Post by balnaphone »

ajross wrote: post #43
riquito wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It works no differently for poop or spilled gravy. Let's assume you have poop on your hands, would you clean yourself with paper?

(First off, let me just say how hilarious it is that no less than two people are actually downvoting me over a bidet comment. I eagerly await more.) If I had to, sure. You realize people did this successfully for like... always, right? Sure, detergent and water and abrasion works better, but bidets don't provide two of those three elements. What you're really wanting to compare is getting shit (just call it shit, OK?…

Water from a properly-functioning bidet certainly does provide water and water abrasion, since the pressure is far higher than an open pipe. In fact, if a bidet is activated full-blast without someone on it, it will typically reach the ceiling. Furthermore, almost all detergents will damage the anus, so that is not something desirable for this application; even those detergents that work for some people will cause excessive dryness of the skin for others.

If one is willing to use their hand to provide abrasion, merely poured water enables far superior waste removal than toilet paper. This can easily be tested by using swabs and agar plates, which I did in my childhood to my own satisfaction; I'd be surprised if peer-reviewed experiments haven't yet confirmed this, but I haven't looked for them either.

Re: Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe (2009)

#73

Post by bencollier49 »

Factually incorrect article - fails to mention the Chinese at all, and credits America with the invention of soft toilet paper.

"From the records of the Imperial Bureau of Supplies of that same year [1398], it was also recorded that for the Hongwu Emperor's imperial family alone, there were 15,000 sheets of special soft-fabric toilet paper made, and each sheet of toilet paper was even perfumed."

Re: Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe (2009)

#74

Post by Pica_soO »

m_mueller wrote: post #53
esaym wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The water that comes out of my tap is about 43*F right now so no thanks....

Japanese washlets heat it up, as well as your seat. Including temperature and pressure control. Pretty awesome, I wonder why everyone else thought around 1970 that toilets are good enough now.

Anything heating up water, makes it necessary to to install a water softening plant or either the device - and/or the piping is in for a change after 15 to 25 years (depending on the lime levels in your water table).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_softening

PS: Dont be fooled to buy a system with mandatory ion-exchanger cartdrige. All one needs is salt to rejuvenate the ion exchanger.

Re: Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe (2009)

#76

Post by empressplay »

soperj wrote: post #48
joecool1029 wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Encountered it in Canada in the maritimes. Anywhere on the coast there were places that just had a pipe going straight into the ocean. Cafes, restaurants, you name it. There were even portable toilets set up with the pipes so they never had to be pumped. I'm guessing they don't want to see tons of toilet paper floating in the ocean I guess, but excrement is not a problem? Maybe someone else has some better insight, f…

Victoria BC dumps right in the ocean too, and there's no one who saves their tp for the dump.

The outfall goes a fair way out into the strait though, it's not like the sewage is dumped 50m off shore

Re: Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe (2009)

#77

Post by GordonS »

mantas wrote: post #24
nrau wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, this is the case in some Asian countries as well including parts of Japan and Indonesia.

Not uncommon in Europe either. Especially in non-renovated parts of old cities or middle-of-nowhere kind of places. Old pipes just can't handle too much paper.

As a European who has travelled through a lot of Europe, I would say it is uncommon - I don't think I've ever come across it in Europe.

Re: Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe (2009)

#78

Post by taneq »

sergiotapia wrote: post #26
jacknews wrote: post #6

"The question is, if toilet paper becomes a luxury item, can Americans live without it?" The article itself appears to be part of the marketing machine. I don't at all consider toilet paper a luxury, in fact using water seems far more satisfactory and hygienic. Japanese style washlets and european bidets are the luxury, um, end, of the market. If anything, plain toilet paper is set to be discarded as a rather unhygie…

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A0RHSJO/ref=oh_aui_deta... $35 and you can install it in about 5 minutes flat. It's terrific, can't go back to TP ever.

Honest question: How do you dry your butt afterwards? Do you keep a butt-towel next to the toilet? Shared or one per person?

Re: Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe (2009)

#79

Post by dingo_bat »

Tharkun wrote: post #66
dingo_bat wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can wash your hands with a nice antibacterial soap. It's easy and very clean.

It's also bad for you and the environment, and completely unnecessary.

Don't care. I just want to clean my hands.

Re: Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe (2009)

#80

Post by Pica_soO »

RobertRoberts wrote: post #68
jpollock wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with the sink in the top is that the soap encourages algal growth in the tank. It's the same reason you shouldn't use grey water to flush.

That's interesting, but doesn't algae need light to grow? The tanks are solid porcelain. Even our fish tank, if not near a window won't grow algae, move it near a window and 2 days later it's turning green. Also, I looked in the tank, and it was spotless. I think any concerns of growth of anything in the tank are far outweighed by the water savings. I'd guess millions of gallons a year across Japan with just this one…

No, some algae does not- they only need a source of energy (carbonhydrates). Google heterotrophe for more Info.

PS: That is why algae can grow in sewers.

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