Tuesday, April 24, 2012

What Ever Happened to Colored Toilet Paper???



These are the weighty topics that come to mind on nights that I struggle valiantly with insomnia.

And YOU are the beneficiaries! (Don't you feel lucky?)

But seriously... it occurred to me last night that what used to be a staple in households across the country, seems to have disappeared from supermarkets displays with nary a whimper.

I remember way back when.... we had peach toilet paper in our peach bathroom and mint toilet paper in our green bathroom (OK, the fact that green bathrooms have fallen by the wayside.... THAT I get!). 

I tried to remember when this profusion of color - pink, yellow, blue, green, peach - disappeared off store shelves, but try as I might, I could not.  There must not have been a great hue and cry  (pun intended). But why? I LIKED colored toilet paper {she whines some 20 years too late}. Does anyone else remember? Does anyone else care??!?!

I did a quick search on the internet today and was able to find black toilet paper and glow in the dark toilet paper....

NO THANKS.

35 comments:

YW said...

This takes care of the under/over debate, if G6 does it over that is the final ruling.

G6 said...

YW -
That is a stock photo, culled from the internet.
G6 most certainly does NOT do it "over".
;)

YW said...

I'm sorry, I was quick to assume the picture was yours, I will definitely change mine from "over to under".

Sweet Profusion said...

I used to love doing art projects with the colored toilet paper, must have been around until at least 20 years ago. But anecdotally, many doctors said not to use them, I would imagine because too many people had skin irritations to the bleaches and dyes. On the other hand the rabbe'im were always saying to look for the colored stock to avoid she'elim - so, since I was married less than 20 years ago, the stuff must have been around at least a little bit more recently.

Anonymous said...

I seem to remember that it was bad for the environment....blame it on Al Gore!

Golly Mama said...

Bad for the environment--not that bleaching paper white with chlorine does the environment any favors--and bad for the users.

Colored Kleenex did make nice fake flowers, though.

Golly Mama said...

GITD TP could come in handy in a power outage--though GITD strips outlining doors and other salient interior landscape features would be a sight more practical.

Black? Ghoulish.

Rivkah T said...

Move to London. My sister always has pink TP in her loo.

YW said...

I had to Google what a "loo" was. There are a couple of theories why it is called that, one is that it was commonly located in room 100 and the two look alike (100, loo), another reason it comes from the French saying of "Le Lieu" which means "the place", some want to say it comes from " lady Louisa" the wife of the unpopular first earl of Lichfield, in 1867 the couple were staying by a friend and two wise guys took the namecard of their bedroom door and put in the bathroom door and people started calling it going to the Lady Louisa and the shorten name stuck.

Anonymous said...


Health Concerns With Colored Toilet Paper

By Becky Lower, eHow Contributor

Toilet paper used to come in colors other than white.

Less than 30 years ago, a totally color-coordinated bathroom was in vogue--down to the toilet paper. Colored paper, frequently accompanied by a fragrance, was expected in the well-dressed home. However, in 1987 the FDA revolutionized the cosmetics industry by placing a ban on certain dyes and scents since it saw an alarming increase of cancer in laboratory animals that were exposed to dyes and fragrances. There were, and are, other concerns that led to the eradication of colored toilet paper. As a result, tinted toilet paper has all but disappeared from the market.

The FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services placed a ban on dyes used in the coloration of toilet paper in 1987 due to an increased risk of cancer in laboratory animals. It was presumed that the close proximity of these dyes to a woman's reproductive organs would lead to an increased spike in cervical cancer.

The use of scented and dyed toilet paper can lead to inflammation and itchiness of the rectal area. Additionally, it is a good health habit to look at your excrement every so often to examine it for blood in the stool. Colored paper gets in the way of this visual health check.

Colored toilet paper is extremely irritating to the vaginal area,and is one of the causes cited for urinary tract infections.

According to MedlinePlus, one of the first questions a doctor asks a woman with a yeast infection is if she is using colored or perfumed toilet paper. A direct cause and effect is established between the two.

The dye used in colored toilet paper is bad for household septic systems since it doesn't break down at the same rate as the paper. It puts an increased strain on the system, causing backups of the septic system, which can cause sewage waste to reenter the home, causing an obvious health hazard.

Adding dyes and fragrances causes an increased strain on the environment, and consumers don't need or want these byproducts in their toilet paper. Today's savvy consumer demands all natural products that are free of dyes and perfume. Using white or even unbleached toilet paper is a small way to help preserve the environment, which leads to a healthier planet.


Read more: Health Concerns With Colored Toilet Paper | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_6863028_health-concerns-colored-toilet-paper.html#ixzz2Dk6C3bgd

Chaz DeSimone said...

I'm 60 (male), and I remember the colored toilet paper. It would be a treat today, just that extra color to bring back great memories, like TV dinners in the aluminum trays. I found your post cause I was curious too when and especially why it disappeared. If it's an environmental or health thing, that's ridiculous. Black's my favorite color, so I'll have to check into that...

Anonymous said...

If you're old enough to remember colored toilet paper, then you should be old enough to remember reports about 20 years ago that there was a possible link to cancer. In fact, just Googled "colored toilet paper" and it automatically offered "cancer" as an additional word in my search! I think most people figured, "better safe than sorry", and sales--for lack of a better word--plunged.

Lisa said...

I remember colored toilet paper. charmin made some beautiful peach, pink and jade 6 packs back in the late 80's. I hate white toilet paper.
sometimes i just want to drnk a bottled sugar sweetened coke, eat potatoes out of a Banquet aluminum tv dinner tray (they tasted soooo much better in aluminum) and wipe my bottom with some colored tp. These items are not what is destroying the planet.

Sandy said...

I remember, Diana.

Anonymous said...

I want my toilet paper to come in colors! Stop dictating to everyone what to eat drink and wipe with! If a person like white use it, but don't tell everyone else. Now I pay a fortune for color paper on ebay when I can find it!!!

James said...

This is what I vaguely recall. There was something referred to as toxic shock syndrome being talked about on the news almost every day. Somehow it got linked to toilet paper and specifically color paper. So, in a mock gesture of pretending they cared about their customers and weren't just covering their A**** (No pun intended.)Many of the companies pulled the colored stuff from the shelves. Now this could be just me mixing two different events together.So take it with a grain of salt.

Anonymous said...

I remember colored toilet paper from my childhood (90s) and vaguely remember asking my mom why we couldn't buy the blue one anymore, she mentioned "its not good for girls to use" and that was that. Today I learned it was linked to irritations, possible TSS, and cancers!

Susan said...

It's just an American thing that it disappeared. You can still buy colored toilet paper in Europe and Japan. You can even buy black toilet paper, with no cancer or UTI fears. I think the toilet paper companies were behind that scare, so no one would complain when they removed the color and saved millions of dollars.

You can get magenta, bright green, orange, black, etc., here:
http://www.renovashop.com/

Worcestershire Turnip said...

If colour dyes in toilet paper were such a problem, one would imagine that dyes in clothing would be equally problematic. So perhaps we should only wear white clothes (chlorine bleached of course)?

LichenCraig said...

I'm with Susan, I always thought the health scare was a great exaggeration, and there was little evidence to ever back it up. The theory that the TP companies were behind it is very interesting and would make sense.

Anonymous said...

Funny how the dyes seemed to be linked to :

Cancer
Septic tank clogging
Infection
Environmental concerns

Geee. One thing actually causes ALL this? Yes I am old enough to remember colored toilet paper, which means I am old enough to NOT be sold the EPA and health bill of goods. Plain and simple, if the EPA does not make up things and then appear to "solve them", they would no longer exist, and in fact they should have been abolished decades ago. DO YOUR OWN thinking!

Unknown said...

Why couldn't they use food coloring?

Kerry said...

Don't forget- we had colored Kleenex too! Ahh - the good old days...

Unknown said...

I found green t.p. at Amazon.com

Anonymous said...

If they took the dyes out of toilet paper & facial tissues (kleenex) since the 80s or early 90s, why haven't they been removed from paper towels?

You can still buy colored or printed paper towels in many brands, some even now with dish detergent dry embedded into the fibers? (What if someone accidentally uses that in a food prep situation where they don't want the towel to be soapy?)

Anonymous said...

Now come on, guys, don't you know there is dye in WHITE toilet paper too? Don't tell me you actually think it is 'naturally' white? Of course there is nothing wrong with colored toilet paper - in fact, pink tp is the norm in France (which I found on Amazon in a wide array of colors from Linteo in Europe).

Anonymous said...

Renova Colored Toilet paper is both Safe and Beautiful.
Anyone in the USA that would like to buy Renova Colored toilet Paper should call
702 998-9897 they sale it and donate a portial of the proceeds to different non-profit organizations.

The Colors are
Red, Orange, Yellow, Lime Green, Blue, Purple, Brown, Hot Pink and Black.
It comes Two Rolls per Pack $10.00
It comes Three Rolls in a gift Cannister $15.00
Will ship in two days.... USA Only...

Knows2much said...

The real problem is twofold. 1. The EPA has nothing better to do than come up with new rules and regulations in order to justify their jobs, and 2. People are STUPID enough to believe everything the EPA comes out with.

curious said...

If it was banned by the FDA why is Walmart Canada selling kids toilet paper with happy faces and dinosaurs on it...is it safe for them to use...???? Also we still can buy pink toilet paper at times to support Women's cancer so what is the true story...Is it safe to use????????????????

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, 4 years since the last post. The topic has crossed my mind in the past, but with Covid-19 and Stay At Home Orders, I suddenly have the time to google. My friend's mom used to color-coordinate the powder room. I believe she would purchase purple and possibly pink. I grew up in a rather large family, so we 'may' have had prints and colors, but basically, it would be whatever brand was plentiful and on-sale. No coordinating colors. lol

Courterikasmom said...

Over is the correct way!:)

Penny said...

We still have dyes and fragrances in soap, shampoo, conditioner, dish and laundry detergents, lotion, etc. If they really cause cancer, why are they still used in all these products? And, yes, they're still used in some napkins and paper towels too. Seems inconsistent to me!

kurtesio said...

Found this on pinterest, goes back 8+ years. Hadn't thought about colored papers. I'm 53 and use TP not just for the bathroom but also to blow my nose. I just do what most do and buy whats on sale. My undies are colored, no problems there. I know from experience that black socks make my feet sweat more, lets ban those. All of those simple craft projects gone over something that no doubt could have been remedied a decade or more ago. Personally I won't pay what they charge in Europe to have purple nose blowing paper on a roll. I'm cheap but yeah, why can't we bring it back. Seems like an investment opportunity.. Hey Shark Tank I have an idea.

LisaR said...

Northern brand tissue came in peach, mint green, blue, and yellow. There were drawings of little girls on the packages.

Anonymous said...

I remember it wel!l everywhere the tissues and toilet papers were perfumed and colored/ I was highly sensitive to the perfumes and had all kinds of reactions/ I used to buy a white roll ad keep it with me.

I had been out of country for five years. Returned in 1977. At the time Europe and Great Britain had "hard" sometimes almost like wax paper not the soft kind
My eyes would tear (the fragrances) abd throat dry up and had breathing difficulty. Obviously it wasnt everyone. Come to thik of it I often had yeast infections. I didnt connect the two, but I know exactly when they finally stopped and its possible that infections were caused by colored/perfumed toilet paper and tissues.