Social Question

Coloma's avatar

Why don't "they" make colored toilet paper anymore?

Asked by Coloma (47193points) September 21st, 2013

Remember the days when you could buy pink and green and yellow and blue TP?
It occurred to me recently that colored toilet paper has disappeared. Could it be because of the dyes, were they toxic, or did pastel hued bathroom tissue just become obsolete?
Colored paper towel designs are very popular, why no more colorful TP?

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30 Answers

glacial's avatar

Your details make me think that there must be regional preferences. I remember seeing dyed paper towel in stores years ago, but I can’t think when I last saw it – so it can’t be very popular here. Maybe there is a corner of the continent that still has aisles of dyed toilet paper?

I always thought the dyed stuff was an awful idea. It’s bad enough wondering what the bleach is doing to you, let alone whatever they add to dye it a different colour. So maybe a perception of toxicity, even if it’s not actually toxic?

Coloma's avatar

@glacial Yes, it must have to do with the dyes, irritation ir toxicity or bad chemicals in the sewage? Paper towels here are abundant with all sorts of colorful designs. Go figure. haha

jonsblond's avatar

It costs more to produce the colored toilet paper and sales slumped once some doctors warned that it could cause skin irritations and some ecologists warned that the dye could hurt the environment. It was a money issue.

Coloma's avatar

@jonsblond I didn;t know that. Interesting. I kinda miss having colors. haha

Pied_Pfeffer's avatar

You are not the first to wonder about this. A web search shows that others have as well. It didn’t crop up in my mind until visiting my partner’s parents in the UK. His mother had a pastel colored roll in the bathroom. I noticed that they were available in her local shop.

From what the internet posts provide, @jonsblond is spot-on, at least in the US. Colored or patterned toilet paper is only available to us in the US on specialty sites or occasions.

Personally, I have always preferred white. (And it must roll over, not under or sideways, but that is another topic of discussion.)

Yet here is my question. If it costs more to dye toilet paper, then it still must cost more to bleach it white than to leave it to its natural color woody pulp from which it is made. It sounds as if it is more of a false psychological issue than anything else.

Seek's avatar

Oh man, picking out the colour was the best part of my store runs as a little kid.

once I got brown and my mom wouldn’t use it. Haha.

Unbroken's avatar

Dyed toilet paper? Never heard of it. Great now I feel cheated.

elbanditoroso's avatar

It is a lost art. IN the olden days, there were starving artists who honed their skills by making colored toilet paper. This was like the craft guilds of medieval Europe, where a stone mason would be an apprentice for 20 years before becoming a master stone mason himself.

Toilet paper used to work in much the same way – you would begin as a dyer, then a tinter, and finally as a roller. When you became a roller, you were at the peak of your profession. A good tinter-roller could make a good comfortable living.

Sadly, like buggy whip making, this art was no longer needed by the population. No demand, as competition from automation took over. You can probably find some ex-hippies that do their own rolling, but as a choice for the common people, no. Colored toilet paper making is dead. A lost art. A vestige of a more colorful past…

ragingloli's avatar

Why waste money on colouring something that you wipe your arse with?
Besides, I can colour my toilet paper myself. only one colour though

Aster's avatar

Discontinued due to it causing irritation.

mattbrowne's avatar

Unnecessary pollution.

Coloma's avatar

@elbanditoroso Haha…it appears the black TP is a best seller on that site.
To everyone else…well…the colored stuff never chapped my ass. lol
I liked having color choices, but that is because I’m a creative type. Why NOT spiff up your bathroom with some colorful accessories?

@Seek_Kolinahr I never have seen brown bath tissue…now that is strange!

Katniss's avatar

Colored TP, as well as scented TP, irritated the hell out of my girlie parts.

Sunny2's avatar

Check here for a variety of printed toilet tissue : www.alibaba.com

Coloma's avatar

@Katniss I must have tough girly parts. lol
@Sunny2 Fun!

Katniss's avatar

lol @Coloma I’m jealous!

Coloma's avatar

@Katniss Lordy knows they have been well used. lol

Katniss's avatar

Aannnnndddd coffee out my nose!
That was awesome @Coloma

SecondHandStoke's avatar

Complaints of discoloration by those who have paid for anal bleaching.

Coloma's avatar

@SecondHandStoke Surely you jest…do you? lol
Anal bleaching, is that for real?

Katniss's avatar

@Coloma It’s totally for real. lol

Coloma's avatar

@Katniss How gross is that? 0-o

Katniss's avatar

@Coloma It’s pretty disgusting!

Coloma's avatar

Well..I just did some research on this topic…wow..learn something new every day. lol
Somehow I think I could have gone the rest of my life without an anal bleaching education. :-/

ragingloli's avatar

How could you not know about anal bleaching?
Talk about living behind the moon.

Coloma's avatar

@ragingloli I prefer not knowing in this case, I’ll stay behind my moon and you damn well better not put yours in my face. lol

Coloma's avatar

@glacial Haha…that was one well written and humorous read, and another revelation to me. Sheesh…whats next? The world is insane, this is proof positive. lol

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