How Ancient Civilisations Managed Intimate Hygiene Before Toilet Paper

Ancient civilisations approached intimate hygiene very differently from the way it is handled today, and the well-known sponge on a stick represents only one aspect of the story. In communal toilets, drainage systems, running water and locally available materials all shaped post-latrine care. Although attention often centres on the object itself, the key issue is sanitation infrastructure and cleaning habits.

What existed before toilet paper?

As an everyday disposable product, toilet paper is a very recent development in the long history of hygiene. Across different regions, ancient peoples used water, cloths, plant fibres, smooth stones, broken pottery, leaves, wool and sponges, depending on the climate, access to water and the kind of sanitary facilities available.

The history of hygiene makes clear that there was no single answer. In urban areas with public latrines, practices could include shared implements and washing with water. In domestic or rural settings, people were more likely to use whatever was readily available, with less consistency and virtually none of the comfort understood in modern terms.

Did Romans really use a sponge on a stick?

The sponge on a stick, referred to in studies of the Roman world as a xylospongium or tersorium, is frequently mentioned in discussions of communal latrines. The conventional interpretation is that it was used for intimate cleaning after defecation, then rinsed in water - sometimes with vinegar - before being used again.

Researchers also point out, however, that the matter is not entirely settled. Some academic literature suggests that the implement may also have served to clean the latrine itself. This gives the discussion a different emphasis: it was less an ancient equivalent of a soft toilet roll and more an item associated with maintenance, reuse and the sanitary routines of shared spaces.

Which materials featured in other cleaning practices?

Beyond major Roman cities, methods differed greatly, illustrating why the history of hygiene is so closely tied to physical surroundings and local customs. Historians and archaeological discoveries repeatedly mention several materials:

• water for direct washing
• leaves and plant fibres
• pottery fragments or smoothed stones
• cloth, wool or reused rags
• natural sponges in urban settings

These choices were shaped by highly practical factors:

• the presence of a latrine or cesspit
• water supply
• the cost of materials
• religious and social customs
• the degree of privacy in the toilet

What does scientific research say about hygiene and health risks?

Focusing only on the implement gives an incomplete picture. The subject becomes more revealing when considering the relationship between public toilets, sewers, communal bathing and disease transmission. The history of hygiene concerns not just cleaning, but how ancient societies sought to manage odours, waste and contamination without the microbiological knowledge available today.

According to the review Sustainability of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene: From Prehistoric Times to the Present Times and the Future, published in the scientific journal Water, ancient Rome maintained public toilets supplied with running water and used the spongia or tersorium: a sponge attached to a handle and rinsed after use. The same paper notes that studies of ancient faeces from more than 50 archaeological sites raise questions about the real public-health impact of this arrangement, as intestinal parasites remained widespread. Put differently, important sanitation engineering existed, but it did not ensure safe cleanliness by modern standards.

Why does this subject reveal so much about urban infrastructure?

For ancient civilisations, what happened after using the toilet formed part of a wider system. Latrines, drainage, reused water, shared seating, ventilation and waste disposal created a technical chain. Where a city had an aqueduct, channels and regular maintenance, the experience differed considerably from that in settlements without circulating water.

This is why the sponge on a stick attracts so much attention in news coverage and on social media. It acts as a visual symbol of something broader: the gap between modern comfort and ancient sanitation solutions. The object may seem exotic, yet it made sense within routines of public bathing, shared cleaning and continuous waste management.

What does this tell us about bodily care over time?

The history of hygiene shows that bodily care has never depended on willingness alone. It has always been connected to available technology, water provision, architecture and perceptions of risk. Our toilet paper has addressed part of the practical challenge, but the sanitation logic remains similar: remove waste, limit contact and make the toilet less conducive to contamination.

Looking at how ancient civilisations used water, fibres, pottery, fabrics and even a sponge on a stick makes it clear that every solution emerged from very particular material conditions. Rather than being merely a historical curiosity, this helps us understand the development of latrines, sewers and intimate hygiene as central chapters in urban organisation and public health.