10 Tidbits Reported About Toilet Paper Since COVID Lockdowns

The increasing number of COVID-19 cases in 2020 corresponded with limits on the amount of toilet paper one could buy at a time or the times of day that these purchases could occur.

That’s not the only tidbit reported about toilet paper since the first COVID-19 cases came to the public’s attention in December 2019. Below are 10 more.

Related: Top 10 Failed Products From Famous Companies

10 The Big Three of Toilet Paper

When shoppers stormed stores in early 2020, many assumed America must import its toilet paper from overseas. But in fact, more than 80% of the toilet paper used in the United States is manufactured domestically—and nearly all of it comes from just three companies: Procter & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark, and Georgia-Pacific.

These giants run sprawling networks of factories from coast to coast. Procter & Gamble alone churns out rolls in California, Missouri, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Wisconsin. Kimberly-Clark’s plants dot Alabama, Oklahoma, California, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas. And Georgia-Pacific, the company behind the Quilted Northern and Angel Soft brands, keeps busy in Oregon, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin.

It’s no wonder the shelves cleared so fast: with production concentrated in the hands of only a few players, any sudden surge in demand meant every roll was instantly precious. In other words, your pandemic stockpile likely came straight from one of these three corporations, whether you realized it or not.^[10]

9 Toxic Secrets in Your Toilet Roll

Researchers’ interest in the chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—compounds that may lead to health complications such as higher cholesterol levels and decreased fertility and that are sometimes found in public water supplies and household objects such as shampoo, food packaging, and toys—has notably increased since 2014.

In 2023, a group of researchers published a study that indicated toilet paper was also a likely source of PFAS, specifically a chemical known as 6:2 fluorotelomer phosphate diester. Samples from North America, Africa, South America, Central America, and Western Europe all contained it, though concentrations varied from one region to another.^[9]

8 The Toilet Paper Stamp

The United States Postal Service issued its first commemorative stamp in 1893, using the 400th anniversary of explorer Christopher Columbus’s voyage across the Atlantic Ocean as the focal point of its design. More recent examples of these stamps include those of actress and animal-rights advocate Betty White and the 250th anniversary of the American Revolutionary War.

According to several doctors, in October 2020, Austria’s government issued more than a quarter of a million souvenir stamps that paid homage to toilet paper. This particular stamp measured 10 centimeters long, detached from the others just as a piece of toilet paper does, featured animals to educate the public about social distancing, and utilized self-adhesive technology. These stamps also carried a €2.75 surcharge, which raised money for charities that helped those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.^[8]

7 Yosemite’s Toilet Paper Shame

Littering by visitors is almost certainly not a new issue for the National Park Service, as evidenced by the guidelines on proper trash disposal provided on some of the most popular national parks’ websites.

However, it was the discovery of improperly disposed sheets of toilet paper and an entire roll of the product at Yosemite National Park that prompted the NPS to post a picture of those items on its Instagram page in the summer of 2024. The public responded by offering alternatives to toilet paper, such as dog-poop bags, and suggested stuffing dryer sheets or baking soda in the bag to hide the smell.^[7]

6 Toilet Paper Heists

The price of toilet paper has apparently risen too high for some, leading at least a few people to feel they had no choice but to steal it.

In the first half of 2020, thefts of varying amounts of toilet paper were reported by police in—but likely not limited to—Hong Kong; Port Hueneme, California; Clearwater, Florida; and parts of Hawaii.

The theft of toilet paper was not limited to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023 and 2024, such crimes were also reported in Greenwood Township, Pennsylvania; Houston; and Dalton, Australia. And in Washington, D.C., theft proved so problematic that in 2023, CVS Pharmacy employees took pictures of the product, framed those pictures, placed them on store shelves, and asked customers to request toilet paper at the counter.^[6]

5 The Shortage Stressed Sick People

The COVID-19–induced toilet paper shortage did not only cause panic in some people.

Authors of a survey of 831 people (more than 80% female) from 27 countries with gastrointestinal conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, and irritable bowel syndrome found that almost 11% of the respondents reported difficulties finding toilet paper.

The same survey’s authors also noted that those same 11% were more likely to experience symptoms of distress, such as tension, the inability to relax, the tendency to become easily annoyed, and lower tolerance of others.^[5]

4 Kids and Teens Hurt by Toilet Paper

Toilet paper is a bathroom staple, but sometimes it shows up in unexpected ways in medicine. A group of researchers reviewed 75 clinical studies in which children or teenagers reported pain or bleeding that seemed to be emanating from the genital area.

The group’s findings, published in June 2024, included that of 447 children and teenagers in some of those clinical studies, toilet paper was the most common object found, present in 155 of those patients. Doctors suggested this often happens because small pieces of toilet paper can remain after wiping and, if unnoticed, can lead to irritation, discomfort, or even mimic more serious conditions.

In many of these cases, the findings initially alarmed parents and clinicians, who feared more troubling causes. The review emphasized the need for better hygiene education and more awareness of how something as ordinary as toilet paper can cause real health complaints in children.^[4]

3 Not Everyone Uses Toilet Paper

Authors of a 2022 survey of 1,000 Americans showed that 87% said they used toilet paper after defecating, and 57% did so after urination. The results, broken down by gender, showed 90% of women said they wiped with toilet paper every time that they urinate, compared with 22% of men who said the same. In addition, 91% of women reported consistently wiping with toilet paper after defecating, while 81% of men said they did so.

The authors also reported that among all survey respondents, 51% wiped from front to back, compared with the 20% who wiped back to front. Here, too, women were more likely than men to use the front-to-back method (61% vs. 40%).

The survey also found that 31% of those who used toilet paper after defecating said they utilized anywhere from five to eight squares, which was the most common amount. Another 21% used nine to 12 squares, and 18% said they used more than 12 squares.

While toilet paper dominates American bathrooms, many cultures rely on alternatives like bidets, handheld sprayers, or water and soap. Even in the U.S., wipes and bidet attachments are becoming more popular, suggesting that the American “default” of toilet paper isn’t as universal as it seems.^[3]

2 Toilet Paper in Court

In 2025, eight U.S. residents—on behalf of others in 28 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.—sued the company responsible for a particular brand of toilet paper, alleging the company deceived the public about where it gets the materials used to make the product. The accusers claimed the practice ran contrary to the company’s pledge of protecting the environment.

There was also a 2024 lawsuit filed on behalf of several U.S. inmates against a prison that allegedly kept essential items—including toilet paper—from them after they were accused of smoking synthetic marijuana.

Also in 2024, a U.S. shopper sued a big-box store for what she alleged was charging $4 more for toilet paper bought online compared with the in-store price. The year before, another shopper sued a retail pharmacy for allegedly charging sales tax on toilet paper.^[2]

1 Hoarded for the Wrong Reason

In 2024, shoppers in multiple states, including Texas, New Jersey, and Virginia, reported empty shelves where toilet paper used to sit immediately after 45,000 dockworkers went on strike to demand higher wages and to prevent employers from using automation.

Several economic and business experts said at the time that such bulk buying was unnecessary. They noted that there was no actual shortage of toilet paper in the supply chain—production and distribution continued largely unaffected. The real disruption came from shipping delays, but consumers, still remembering the panic of 2020, reacted by stockpiling.

The episode showed that even years after the initial COVID-19 panic, toilet paper remained a powerful symbol of security and scarcity.^[1]