You’re Wrong About Toilet Paper

What a patent filed in 1891 can teach us about Service Design

Toilet paper was invented in China in the second century B.C. The first recorded use of paper for cleansing comes from 6th century medieval China, as discovered by scholar Yen Chih-Thui. In 589 A.D, he wrote, “Paper on which there are quotations or commentaries from the Five Classics or the names of sages, I dare not use for toilet purposes.”

Later, toilet paper appeared in Rome, in the first century A.D. Environmental archaeologist Erica Rowan cites Seneca’s story about the gladiator who killed himself by going into a toilet and shoving the communal sponge on a stick down his throat. The act was essentially suicide-by-toilet-brush.

Toilet Paper Arrives in the West

Paper became widely available in the 15th century in the east, but in the west, commercially available toilet paper didn’t originate until 1857, when Joseph Gayetty of New York marketed a “Medicated Paper, for the Water-Closet,” sold in packages of 500 sheets for 50 cents.

Gayetty’s Medicated Paper was sold in packages of flat sheets, watermarked with the inventor’s name. Original advertisements for the product used the tagline “The greatest necessity of the age! Gayetty’s medicated paper for the water-closet.” Flushable toilets had just become available in the U.S. in 1851, despite existing elsewhere since 1596.

While paper was sold in the 1850s, it wasn’t packaged as individual sheets until 1871, when Scott Wheeler patented the invention. Toilet paper didn’t come in the familiar roll form until 1879, when brothers E. Irvin and Clarence Scott founded Scott Paper in Philadelphia.

The Problem With Paper

Even though Americans were used to outhouses and ripped up everything from newspapers to corn husks. In outhouses, there are no rules for what can be used.

The narrow pipes used by indoor flushable toilets, however, couldn’t handle the load. Consequently, major problems arose. Clogging and overflowing were common, and health risks were significant. Scotts’ invention was a brilliant solution to a pretty disgusting problem.

In turn of the century America, however, Victorian era culture was still dictating much of polite society, and despite access to flushable toilets and paper, the products didn’t sell. People were too embarrassed to purchase toilet paper publicly, and discussing private hygiene was considered “borderline obscene.” They’d pay plumbers ridiculous amounts of money to clean overflow rather than purchase toilet paper.

Early Service Design Built the Business

The Scott brothers were ultimately businessmen, so they introduced people to toilet paper in more subtle ways, primarily in hotels. Hotel owners, anxious to rid themselves of their own plumbing problems, agree to place the paper in every room.

People loved it when they’d had a chance to try it privately. Slowly, the taboo fades and the Scott brothers become millionaires. By changing the way the product was marketed and introduced to customers (in response to societal behaviors that stymied use), they turned a failed venture into a massive success all over America.

Although toilet paper sales skyrocketed, the Scott brothers continued to refine their invention by testing various ways of hanging the rolls. They discovered that hanging the rolls with the paper ‘over’ caused people to use more paper, and therefore need more paper sooner. Over is also a more convenient way to grab the paper, so it wasn’t hard to make over the ‘proper’ way to hang toilet paper. Wheeler documented this in his 1891 patent.

It’s a Behavioral Matter

Dr. Gilda Carle studied 2,000 people, finding remarkable connections between class and behaviors with the over-under debate. Over enthusiasts tend to be overachievers with a penchant for control, and end up using more toilet paper than under rollers and those who don’t care.

From the Inc.com briefing of the study:

• Those who roll over (leaving the loose end away from the wall): Like being in charge, like organization and order, and are likely to overachieve. Interestingly, some roll overs feel so strongly about how toilet paper should be hung that they will flip a roll at a roll under’s house.
• Those who roll under (leaving the loose end close to the wall): Tend to be more relaxed, more dependable, and “seek relationships with strong foundations.”
• Those who don’t have a preference: Prefer to minimize conflict, appreciate flexibility, and enjoy placing themselves in new situations.

There’s No Right Way

Despite the patent’s description of the ‘correct’ way to hang toilet paper, the origin of that determination came from a business goal that leveraged behavioral economics uncovered through service design testing and subsequent refinements.

What other products could be optimized by leveraging insights about how people use them?