Toilet paper is soft, thin paper used for cleaning yourself after using the bathroom. It comes on rolls that unwind easily, and it's designed to dissolve quickly in water so it won't clog pipes.

Before toilet paper became common in the late 1800s, people used whatever they had: leaves, corn cobs, old newspapers, or even smooth stones. The invention of modern toilet paper made bathrooms much more sanitary and comfortable. Joseph Gayetty sold the first packaged toilet paper in America in 1857, though it took decades before most families could afford it regularly.

Today, toilet paper seems so ordinary that we barely think about it, until it runs out. Different countries have different preferences: some use very soft paper, others prefer thicker sheets, and in some places people use bidets (spray devices) instead. During shortages, like in 2020, people suddenly realized how much they depend on this everyday item.

The phrase going through toilet paper means using a lot of something quickly, like when your family goes through a whole gallon of milk in two days.