This Is The Reason Why Caucasians Choose Tisu And Asia Choose Water While Cleaning Up In The Toilet

Cleaning illustration in toilets. (Freepic)

JAKARTA - Have you ever wondered why Westerners or foreigners tend to use toilet paper after defecating, while in many Asian countries especially Southeast Asia, people prefer water? It turns out that the answer is not just modern habits, but there is a long history and cultural factors that influence it.

The use of toilet paper was first recorded in China in the 6th to 8th centuries. In several other countries, rich people useemphetamine, lace, or hemp to clean it. While people usually wear dry leaves, corn barrel, wood, stone, and their own hands.

In ancient Roman, people used gompf sticks, sponges tied to the ends of sticks to clean themselves. After being used, the sponge is put in a jar filled with vinegar. This method of course risks disease.

Tisu toilet baru diproduksi secara komersial di Amerika Serikat pada tahun 1857. Sebelumnya orang Amerika memanfaatkan halaman dari catalog Sears atau Farmers' Almanac yang mulai beredar sejak 1818.

Even Almanac added a hole in the corner of each edition to make it easy to tear, read, and use for cleaning. It was only in 1935 that producers could guarantee toilet paper without debris. So this comfort is actually only enjoyed in less than a hundred years.

According to Harvey Molotoch, professor from New York University, Americans' habits are heavily influenced by the UK.

"Many habits in American life come from England," Molotoch said, quoted from the Buzz Feeds page.

British people in the 18th and 19th centuries first met a bidet in Paris, which they connect with a free lifestyle and a sewer.

The concept was then brought to the United States. So history and culture have a big role in Westerners' preferences of toilet paper.

Meanwhile, in countries that use water, people believe that this method is more hygienic.

"I'm quite confused to see millions of people walking with dirty anus but feeling clean. You don't shower using dry towels, so why do you think dry toilet paper can clean you up?" said Rose George, author of The Big Necessity: The Unmentable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters.

Various tools that use water, ranging from stories that have been known for more than 2,000 years, bidets popular in Southern Europe, to handheld bidets that have recently been widely used. Once used, this water-based method is considered much cleaner and more comfortable than toilet paper.

However, according to many cultural experts, the main reason remains simple is hereditary habits. Westerners are used to using toilet paper for hundreds of years, while in many other countries, water is always the standard method. So this difference actually reflects history, culture, and daily habits, not just personal preferences.