Do People use Toilet paper in Italy? (Detailed Guide)

Have you ever wondered, do people use toilet paper in Italy? “People in Italy use toilet paper, but it’s used differently from other parts of the world due to cultural differences”.
During my visit to Italy, I observed some variations in toilet paper usage, which I loved to share with you guys.

Do People Use Toilet Paper In Italy?

It’s a question that comes up from time to time: do Italians use toilet paper?

The answer is yes. But it’s not a simple yes or no. It’s more of a “yes but…” situation.

“While bidets and other alternatives to toilet paper are popular in Italy, toilet paper is still widely used and readily available. While some Italians may have a preference for bidets, it’s inaccurate to say that they consider toilet paper a luxury or avoid using it.

Most Italians—especially older generations—consider toilet paper an unnecessary luxury. They remember when toilets were outfitted with porcelain bidets that could be used for cleaning after the necessary business had been taken care of in the bathroom. 

The first time I ever went to Italy, I was surprised that most Italian people didn’t use toilet paper.

In America, you can easily find toilet paper in the toilet. We don’t even have to think about it; we just grab some off the roll and get to business.

But you must bring your roll to Italy if you want to use it. And even then, most people prefer not to use anything at all.

Every non-Italian must read this Detailed Guide about the Italian toilets to know more about them.

Can You Put Toilet Paper In The Toilet In Italy?

In general, it is acceptable to dispose of toilet paper in the toilet in Italy. However, it’s important to be mindful of any signs or instructions indicating otherwise, particularly in older plumbing systems or rural areas.

Toilets in Italy are different than toilets in other places. Using the toilet paper to wipe your behind and flush it could clog up the toilet.

This means that more water must be used to flush out your poop and paper, increasing your water bill. In order to know more about flushing mechanism, you must read How to Flush Toilet in Italy

It might also mean that extra bacteria in the water could make you sick if you touch it.

It’s still possible to use toilet paper without flushing it down the drain: just put your used toilet paper in the waste basket next to the toilet bowl instead of throwing it into the water where it belongs.

When I was in Italy, I learned that Italians have a few different ways of dealing with toilet paper, so it’s important to know what you’re doing before you start throwing your used TP into the bowl.

If you have a bidet, then go ahead and throw away any used toilet paper that’s left over at the end of your business.

A bidet is a little sink-looking thing that sits next to most European toilets. You can use it to wash up after going to the bathroom or even just clean yourself off after a long day at work.

Things get a little trickier if you don’t have a bidet. In this case, if you’ve got some used TP left over at the end of your business (and no one wants to deal with that).

Then you can flush it down with water from the sink faucet or even just put it back where it came from: on top of the roll.

Why Is There No Toilet Paper In Italy?

I have a theory about the lack of toilet paper in Italy. It’s not that they don’t have toilet paper in Italy. It’s that they just don’t use it.

Even though bidets are popular in Italy, you can’t say that Italians wash their hands after going to the bathroom more often than they use toilet paper.

In fact, most Italians do use toilet paper, and it’s widely available in homes and public restrooms.

After using the toilet, many people prefer a bidet to clean themselves more thoroughly and hygienically, but this is a purely personal preference.

Italy strongly believes that washing yourself with water is healthier than using toilet paper because it rinses away germs better than toilet paper.

Also, many Italians are Roman Catholics and follow the teachings of the Catholic Church, which forbids them from using certain things such as alcohol or drugs—including toilet paper.

Also Read:

Why there is no toilet seats in Italy?

Detailed Guide about squat (floor) toilet in Italy

What Italians Use Instead Of Toilet Paper?

Now when you know that primarily Italian don’t use toilet paper. Then a question arises in your mind like mine: what do Italian use instead of toilet paper to make themselves clean?  

The answer is the bidet. (if you are curious about bidet toilets and want to know how to use it here is my blog for you, How to use bidet toilet in Italy).

Instead of using toilet paper, many Italians prefer to wash themselves after using the bathroom using a bidet.

Let me tell you a little bit more about bidets to calm your curiosity. The bidet is a small basin that sits next to your toilet seat and has two nozzles: one for hot water and another for cold water.

The water pressure is strong enough to cleanse your entire body but gentle enough that it won’t hurt your skin or cause irritation—even if you’ve got sensitive skin like mine.

So instead of using harsh chemicals or drying out your skin with rough paper towels after using the bathroom, try using a bidet instead!

You’ll feel refreshed without having to worry about any harmful side effects from other methods of cleaning up after yourself.

To be honest, I like this idea: it’s more hygienic than toilet paper, and it feels more like you’re getting clean than just wiping everything away.

Plus, there’s something about washing yourself that just feels so satisfying.

But what about all those germs we’ve been warned about? Well, there are some concerns about germs spreading over your hands when touching the bidet handle.

But most people wash their hands before and after using it anyway, so this shouldn’t be much of an issue.

It might even help prevent infections since you get rid of any leftover bacteria or germs lingering on your hands after using the bathroom.

Read out my detailed guide “Why people use the second toilet in Italy?” to get more info regarding bidets.

Conclusion 

I hope this short guide on toilet paper usage in Italy has been helpful to you. I didn’t find any toilet paper in the bathroom during my visit to Italy.

But after some research, I discovered that Italians use water instead of toilet paper. Toilet paper is not common in many countries, and its use can vary slightly.

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