"In the same way that we use an American-style toilet, a Roman user would sit down, take care of business, and watch number two float blissfully away down the sewer system. But instead of reaching for a roll of toilet paper, an ancient Roman would often grab a
tersorium (or, in my technical terms, a
“toilet brush for your butt”). A tersorium is an ingenious little device made by attaching a natural sponge (from the Mediterranean Sea, of course) to the end of a stick. Our ancient Roman would simply wipe him- or herself, rinse the tersorium in whatever was available (running water and/or a bucket of vinegar or salt water), and leave it for the next person to use. That’s right, it was a shared butt cleaner. (And of course, there were other means of wiping as well, such as the use of abrasive ceramic discs called
pessoi.)"
What Did Ancient Romans Do Without Toilet Paper?
A joke I played one Thanksgiving, I hid all the Toilet Paper. I have family members who insist if it is not in the Bible.... So, I put Three buckets in the Bathroom and a pamphlet on the Biblical Way to wipe after going number two. There were three buckets different colors. One had Vinegar water, second soapy water and fresh water. First, clean the stick with a rage in vinegar bucked, then in soapy water and then in fresh water and use it. That is how you wash your hands too.