Hold on to your seat, it’s National Toilet Paper Day!! It’s celebrated each year on Aug. 26. Most of us never even think about toilet paper - until we walk into a restroom and there is none. Except for during the pandemic, we’ve always taken toilet paper for granted.

We don’t know who or how National Toilet Paper Day started, but whoever started it deserves a shout-out for honoring this unassuming but important invention.

Some interesting facts about toilet paper

- It was invented in China in the 14th century

- The first toilet paper sold on a roll in the U.S. was on Aug. 26, 1871

- Roll toilet paper was patented in 1883

- Today, the U.S. uses more toilet paper than any other country in the world

- The U.S. is the biggest exporter of toilet paper

- At one time, toilet paper came in different shades. This ended in 2004, likely due to environmental reasons.

Regarding this last point, the toilet paper industry has made giant strides to become more environmentally responsible. Most toilet paper today is designed to decompose within seconds of becoming wet.

Happy Toilet Paper Day! And don’t squeeze the Charmin!