Toilet Paper: Life's Little Necessities Quiz

Answer: Chinese

Throughout the history of man, personal hygiene was taken care of with whatever happened to be on hand, but in 589 AD there was a written reference to the use of paper for personal use. On a paper written by a scholar identified as Yan Zhitui, there is a notation saying not to use that piece for "toilet purposes." A couple hundred years after that reference, in 850 AD, a traveler comments on the use of paper by the Chinese: "they are not careful about cleanliness, and they do not wash themselves with water when they have done their necessities, but they only wipe themselves with paper."

Answer: United States

When toilet paper made its debut to the public in 1857 it was not sold in rolls, that came later. The toilet paper was sold as flat sheets of paper that were packaged and sold. For fifty cents (US) you got 500 sheets of paper. Now toilet paper is a "modern convenience", that frankly, no one really wants to do without.

Answer: Disposable menstrual pads

The first disposable pad was marketed by a company called Curads and Hartmann's. This product first made its appearance in Germany but because of its high cost it didn't become popular. Sanitary napkins were not introduced to the American public until the early 1920s. They were not sold in the United States before that because of the Comstock Laws.

Answer: False

Although many people feel very strongly about this and will argue their view point, there are no set rules of etiquette for hanging toilet paper. Many toilet paper companies have conducted surveys on whether toilet paper should be hung over or under, as well as whether it should be folded or crumpled. Most of the surveys have shown that it is mostly women who have strong feelings on this subject.

In a survey done by Toilet Paper World, according to their results 68% voted "over", 25% voted "under" and 7% voted "don't care".

The majority of the people who responded were female.

Answer: Each sheet measured 2 feet by 3 feet.

The Hongwu emperor was the first to rule during the Ming dynasty. He ruled China from 1368 to 1398. The royal family was recorded to have used 720,000 sheets of toilet paper a year. The Hongwu emperor only got to enjoy the use of the toilet paper for seven years, as he died in 1398.

Answer: Johnny Carson

On December 19, 1973, Johnny Carson told what he thought was a joke. The public however believed him when he said, "There's an acute shortage of toilet paper in the United States." There was not a shortage before he made this statement, but once the consumers hit the stores after hearing his statement, they created a shortage.

It took some stores up to three weeks to re-stock their shelves.

Answer: A scraper

During the Middle Ages a "gompf stick" could be found in a pail by the bathroom (latrine, outhouse, privy). Its function was to scrape off stubborn chunks. Before toilet paper anything and everything was used: pages out of books, rags, sponges, leaves, grass, sheep's wool and the list can go on.

Answer: Scott Paper Company

In 1890, the Scott Paper Company began selling toilet paper by the roll. At that time this product was sold to various companies instead of to individual consumers. Clarence and E. Irvin Scott, brothers, founded the company in 1879 and by 1925 they were the world's number one toilet paper supplier. Even though Scott's became a part of Kimberly Clark in 1995, they still remain a recognized brand.

Answer: Gayetty's Medicated Paper

Joseph Gayetty first began marketing his product in New York, USA. Gayetty's Medicated Paper manufactured flat sheets that were packaged in packs of 500. Each sheet was treated with aloe and was moistened. The company also stamped the name "Gayetty" on each sheet.

Answer: All of these

The toilet paper industry pretty much has a product that is in demand by the consumer. In 2007, USA Today magazine claimed that 100 million dollars was spent in the USA on advertisements for toilet paper. In the same consumer report for 2007, it states that the toilet paper industries in the United States made an estimated 3.7 million dollars and this does not include the sales made by Wal Mart.

In 2003, Toilet Paper World (that is really its name) claimed that the global sales for toilet paper reached 19 billion dollars.