Why The Preferred Color For Toilet Paper Is White
- 10 years ago
While many reasons are suggested for the color preference, it seems to come down to visual appeal and dollar bills.
Today, Americans use 50 percent more toilet paper per individual than other countries in the Western world, and virtually all of it is white. While many reasons are suggested for the color preference, it seems to come down to visual appeal and dollar bills.
White TP wasn't always king though. General TP wasn't used by most Americans until the early 1900s. Colorful TP became the rage during the 1950s through 1970s as people matched it with colorful bathroom decor. Since then, the visual appeal of toilets and toilet paper has transitioned to white, but how and why?
The 10 million trees used annually to make our global TP supply result in a brownish paper. Most of that’s bleached with chemicals, some harsher than others like the widely used chlorine. Bleaching softens the paper and ensures it won't yellow over time.
Because of all the chemicals used anyway for bleaching and performance qualities like decomposition, reasons suggested for not adding color to TP – like the dyes' negative impact to environment or physical health – don't hold much water.
According to TP makers like Kimberly-Clark and the people they've asked, white simply looks cleaner. Given that majority preference, most people won't pay the additional cost manufacturers would have to charge for specially dyed and marketed toilet paper.
Today, Americans use 50 percent more toilet paper per individual than other countries in the Western world, and virtually all of it is white. While many reasons are suggested for the color preference, it seems to come down to visual appeal and dollar bills.
White TP wasn't always king though. General TP wasn't used by most Americans until the early 1900s. Colorful TP became the rage during the 1950s through 1970s as people matched it with colorful bathroom decor. Since then, the visual appeal of toilets and toilet paper has transitioned to white, but how and why?
The 10 million trees used annually to make our global TP supply result in a brownish paper. Most of that’s bleached with chemicals, some harsher than others like the widely used chlorine. Bleaching softens the paper and ensures it won't yellow over time.
Because of all the chemicals used anyway for bleaching and performance qualities like decomposition, reasons suggested for not adding color to TP – like the dyes' negative impact to environment or physical health – don't hold much water.
According to TP makers like Kimberly-Clark and the people they've asked, white simply looks cleaner. Given that majority preference, most people won't pay the additional cost manufacturers would have to charge for specially dyed and marketed toilet paper.