Tuesday, August 17, 2010


what we used to wipe our backside



















today's toilet paper comes in a roll and it can be made from different types of paper; they come in different colour, different texture and some are even perfumed or medicated. some 'luxury' toilet papers are quilted or riffled. i have also come across toilet rolls decorated with dolphins or cartoon characters. during our kampong days, toilet paper was a luxury item.

what then did we use to clean our backside in the past.

in those night-soil carriers days, we had not started using toilet paper that came in a roll. we cut old newspapers into square or rectangle pieces and use them to do the job. they were held together by a length of wire that was pierced through one corner of the stack. when we had to do a quick job, we did not even bother to get the ready-cut ones, we just grabbed some old papers and headed for the latrine. sometimes we collected the soft tissue-like papers that were used for wrapping fruit and used them for the same purpose. one advantage of using old newspaper was that you had something to read while engaged in your business.

when we were out in the belukars catching spiders and we had an 'emergency', we would use the most convenient thing found around us - the leaves of plants - to do the cleaning job. leaves might not do a thorough job but it was better than using earth or sand.

we had a few indian neighbours in the kampong. i noticed that whenever they visited the 'jamban', they would carry a mug or jug of water. i was to learn later that most indians in those days did not use any paper, much less toilet paper, to clean up after the business. instead they used water to wash their backside. actually, water does a more thorough job than wiping with paper. a combination of both is considered the best way of cleaning up the mess.

now that i live in a flat with modern sanitation, what do i use? at home i prefer to use water. when i am outside and i need to use the public toilet, i usually have no choice but to use toilet paper.

31 comments:

Tai Thean Kew Circus said...

Hi there,

I am writing about the old memories of Singapore as well. Do check it out, I am writing specifically about the Tai Thean Kew Circus.

http://taitheankew.blogspot.com/2010/08/tai-thean-kew-circus.html

Anonymous said...

Try using sandpaper. Guess what? You will end up with a very smooth backside! Hehehe!

peter said...

when u use your hands instead of paper, you need a strong soap for sure to remove the stench.

peter said...

on the subject of paper for the toielt, have u come across what was used by the women before the era of KORTEX? When i was young I notice that women purchased a kind of paper from the grocery shop and in my mind I thought that paper was for baking salted chicken.

yg said...

tai thean kew circus, thanks for visiting my blog. i know that ttk circus was an all-chinese travelling circus which performed in peninsular malaysia and singapore. when we were growing up, we were too poor to afford the admission charges. however, we were always excited when the circus was in town as we got to see the big animals close-up.
my blogger friend chun see mentioned ttk circus in his blog

yg said...

anonymous, you had to start with a very rough backside to get a smooth one.

yg said...

peter, if you use water, you should use your left hand only and you should wash your hands with soap after that.

yg said...

peter, they used an absorbent yellow paper called 'macau chuar'. in the communal latrine, we would sometimes see this bundle of paper with blood stains in the bucket.

stanley said...

Some public toilets are equipped with rubber hose. I would encourage the practice of using water to clean up after doing the job. It is much more hygienic.

FL said...

For my family in the early sixties, we used fruit wrappers (especially, from the oranges, apples or pears). My late dad would collect the paper wrappers (very soft materials) from the fruit seller he knew, for free, of course. We kids would straighten the wrappers and pile them up at home. So, whoever need to "do business". will take some from that pile. We were poor then, our parents tried to save every cents !!

yg said...

stanley, done correctly, it is not only hygienic but also evironmentally friendly.

Icemoon said...

How do we use that super sprayer beside the toilet bowl? Never asked a Malay about techniques. I just aim for my arse, am I correct?

I was forced to use it few weeks back 'cos no toilet paper in the whole toilet. Woah, the spray super powerful, if only we have that for car washing, not rubber hose please.

yg said...

fl, i think many of us came through the same path - had a hard life when we were young.

yg said...

icemoon, you aim it at the part that needs to be cleaned.
in some country clubs and hotels, they have bidets. that's where you use the water to clean your genitals and anus. some bidets even have warm water.

Icemoon said...

I tried the integrated bidet-toilet before. I was fiddling with the knob then .. woah I saw water sprout coming out and up. Luckily I was not sitting on the toilet. The water landed on the floor.

Lam Chun See said...

YG. I think you missed out one detail. We usually had to crumble the piece of newspaper first to make it softer. For many years after we 'upgraded' to proper toilet paper, I still could not get rid of this habit.

Speaking of toilet paper, I am reminded of a advertisement from many years ago; "Strong enough for an adult, but soft enough for a baby". Cannot remember the brand; a famous Western brand.

Lam Chun See said...

Some of your newer readers may want to check out my article on a related topic; Tribute to a Humble Profession, written a few years ago.

yg said...

chun see, it's always you who can remember the details. yes, we had to crumble the paper into a ball before opening up to do the cleaning job.
could the advertisement have been for a shampoo? johnson's baby?

PChew said...

All of you took for granted that your deposits in the bucket would be removed by a nightsoil remover. During the Japanese occupation we lived in a rubber estate and had a latrine without a bucket. Once the faeces dropped onto the ground, the whole wooden latrine shook. Reason? The pigs fought among themselves to eat your deposits. Kids used leaves and adults used newspapers to clean their backsides for there were not enough newspapers to go round.

Anonymous said...

The ancient Chinese were reputedly the ones who invented paper. Guess the people of the Middle Kingdom were the first to do their cleaning up after "doing business" the hygienic way. Wonder how the "barbarians" beyond the Middle Kingdom, in particular the angmohland, did for their "post business" routine.

Dogcom said...

Crumbled newspaper, fruit wrappers (usually pink in color) and what yg called "Macau Chaur" and leaves, yes I've experienced them all. I have no clear recollection of the term "Macau Chaur" but it does sounds familiar and I am sure I've used it. According to my wife it's more beige than yellow color and she remember it being called "Chor Chaur" and they are used in clinics to line the beds. And she remember clearly her mum going to their Gynae and the nurse preparing the bed, including the paper lining, and then the nurse will always shout out in hokkien accented english "Ready Doctor!" I laughed when she relates it to me. : )

nah said...

Not only pigs fought to eat our deposits, 'buah kee'(hermit crabs) and 'pek tor' fish also loved it too. After having feasted on this delicacy, they were caught by poachers who then sold them in the wet markets where they were bought and consumed by other ignorant depositors.
Sometimes, we needed two sheets of newspapers. One for the backside, the other, to lay in the bucket, especially when it was full. That second sheet was carefully 'floated' in the bucket so that when the bombs dropped, we would not get our beloved tender parts splashed with other people's deposits.

peter said...

yah that one yg. also i remember seeing the dges were colored red. maybe to match the output i guess.

beige on the side of yellow. one time i saw my uncle used that to wrap the chicken before baking in salt. that's why i hate to eat this beggar's chicken or salted chicken - reminds me of what i saw.....

BTW use left hand with water can leave stench....

yg said...

anonymous, in angmohland, it is not practical to use water in winter. maybe that's why angmoh backpackers in india are quite lost when they go to the toilet. they can't find any tissue or toilet paper in the squat toilet.

Anonymous said...

Wow, this post suddenly made me remember my chinese tuition teacher from many moons ago. Occasionally during tuition, I had to go to the toilet and always noticed the Yellow Pages there. That was their toilet paper....
WL

yg said...

anonymous (wl), any paper can be used for the cleaning job - pages from telephone directory, foolscap paper, etc. need to crumble it first.

Icemoon said...

Why did people use newspaper for the cleaning job? Won't the backside be blackened as a result? Unless it is glass, of course haha

yg said...

icemoon, better to have a blackened backside than a smelly one.

Anonymous said...

woah, so enlightened :-) had read about nightsoil in some of the library books but never in such minute details cum discussion. guess experience really counts, no wonder my history teacher always emphasize on 'history comes alive'. i always yawn when she said that but after reading all the real-life encounters here, think i get her point. lucky did not regurgigate my lunch after reading.
by the way, uncle chew's contribution about pigs fighting for théir 'meals'was also practised in olden days korea. beside the squatting area, there'll be some bamboo sticks, meant only for males to chase the black pigs away. reason is not so much because the latrine will shake after u send down a missile to the hungry beasts. as you see, the pigs were kept to keep snakes away from their territory. when they look up, they'll mistake certain male parts for snakes. come to think of it, ancient koreans are quite poor thing - gotta concentrate on doing business, gotta look out for enemies attacking their countries, gotta look out for 'enemies' who'll mistake their parts for snakes ..... ;-) ouch

yg said...

anonymous, are you a korean?

Mrs.Irene Query said...

How I Got My Loan From A Genuine And Reliable Loan Company

I am Mrs.Irene Query i was in need of a loan of S$70,000 and was scammed by those fraudulent lenders and a friend introduce me to Dr Purva Pius,and he lend me the loan without any stress,you can contact him at (urgentloan22@gmail.com) Approvals within 4-6 Hours

1. Your Full names:_______
2. Contact address:_______
3. Country Of Residence:______
4. Loan Amount Required:________
5. Duration:_____
6. Gender:_____
7. Occupation:________
8. Monthly Income:_______
9. Date Of Birth:________
10.Telephone Number:__________

Regards.
Managements
Email Us: urgentloan22@gmail.com