Healthy Toileting Habits and Preparations

Going to the bathroom is one of the most mundane activities in a person’s life. Exactly what a person does behind that closed door is a personal matter. But with any mystery comes intrigue. How does your bathroom routine measure up with everyone else’s? Are your habits completely average or do you do things a little different than most people? We’ve run the numbers and asked the tough questions. Here’s everything you need to know about how other people use the bathroom.

There are a number of pre-toileting routines that help people get in the right mindset to go at home. Some of them focus on hygiene while others focus on mitigating any sounds that others may hear if they are in earshot of the bathroom while you’re doing your business.

Examples:

• Checking to see if there’s enough toilet paper
• Turning on the bathroom fan
• Turning on the tap
• Getting a book or magazine

Not all TP is created equal. To have an enjoyable toileting experience, you have to consider the type and quality of toilet paper you are using. It’s best to choose a strong and absorbent paper that is also soft – and gets the job done. Pairing toilet paper with a flushable wipe is also a great way to up the ante on your toileting routine, leaving you feeling fresh and clean.

At home, be sure to stock up on Cottonelle^® Brand Toilet Paper for all your bathrooms in the house, keeping spare rolls under the sink, in a toilet paper holder, on the back of the toilet tank or in a basket nearby so it’s always in arm’s reach for you and your guests.

Choose from two strong and absorbent Cottonelle^® Toilet Paper options: 1-ply Cottonelle^® Ultra CleanCare^® Toilet Paper – our soft, strong and effective toilet paper that delivers a confident clean, or our 2-ply Cottonelle^® Ultra ComfortCare^® – our softest, thickest and most absorbent toilet paper for a superior clean. We suggest pairing your dry toilet paper with Cottonelle^® Flushable Wipes for a refreshing clean*.

1. Folded
2. Crumpled
3. Hand-wrapped

You probably fall into one of the 3 styles outlined above. These different techniques can be a point of pride for some, and you’ll find supporters for each claiming their superiority. Read our article to learn more about the different ways to hold your toilet paper!

When it comes to wiping, there are two main techniques that basically everyone uses, a front to back or a back to front motion.

While wiping back to front may feel easier than wiping front to back, the latter is the more recommended wiping technique as the motion moves away unwanted residue from your more delicate parts.

Read our article on wiping your butt properly to learn more about these techniques, among other hygienic practices!

While toilet paper is the most common product used during one’s toileting routine (more than 4 in 5¹ of all toileting occasions use toilet paper only, nothing else), a number of other products do make an appearance.

• Flushable Wipes

  Wipes are the second most popular wiping item – especially after people have a bowel movement. Some people will use them in conjunction with toilet paper or just on their own. Pair Cottonelle^® Flushable Wipes with your dry toilet paper for a refreshing clean. Made with CleaningRipples^™ and 95% water to clean gently, Cottonelle^® Flushable Wipes get you cleaner in one swipe**.

  While baby wipes might be a popular wiping tool, they actually aren’t very good for your plumbing system because they generally contain plastic fibers and don’t break down in water like toilet paper does. Cottonelle^® Flushable Wipes, on the other hand, are the number one septic safe brand in Canada and are specifically designed to break down like toilet paper***.

• Bidet

  A bidet is a special bathroom accessory with built-in plumbing that cleans your private parts with constant stream of water. While more popular abroad, they’re picking up in popularity in North America.

After a bowel movement, there are also a number of things people do at home¹:

Examples:

1. Wash hands
2. Spray air freshener or lighting a candle
3. Immediately take a shower or bath
4. Apply moisturizer to intimate areas
5. Apply medicated creams to intimate areas
6. Apply deodorants, baby power or perfume to intimate areas

Not surprisingly, people prefer to go in the comfort of their own home. But when nature calls and you’re not at home, where are people most likely to go?

Statistics¹ show that the most popular place to go to the bathroom other than your own home is at work, with nearly half the remaining toileting occasions happening there. After that, we find school and someone else’s house, followed by restaurants, retail stores, gas stations, church and other public spaces such as parks.

• Toilet paper was first invented in 6th Century in China.
• Toilet paper was first patented in the country of Albania.
• The average single toilet paper roll contains 150 sheets.
• Coloured toilet paper was a fad in the 1950’s.
• The most expensive roll of toilet paper was worth $1,500,000.
• In 1973, Johnny Carson made a joke on The Tonight Show that there was a toilet paper shortage. Some people missed the joke, and the resulting run on the product caused real shortages.
• The U.S. is the #1 country for toilet paper use per capita.
• Before toilet paper, natural items such as corncobs, ferns, fruit peels, hay, hemp and moss were all popular things to clean up.
• Toilet paper used by the International Space Station must be sealed and compressed in special containers.
• A tree can produce approximately 1,500 toilet paper rolls.
• In ancient times, one’s income level dictated what item was used for wiping.
• The introduction of splinter-free toilet paper only came in 1935. Ouch!