History of Everything The Weird and Wacky Origin of Everyday Inventions
Apr 14, 2025
Discover the quirky origins of everyday inventions like clothing hangers and toilet paper. Engage in humorous tales about the evolution of bathroom hygiene practices, from ancient materials to modern bidets. Uncover the chaotic sanitation history of Paris, where romance clashed with rampant filth. Hear anecdotes about waste management methods, including the surprising role of pigs. Learn about the impact of garbage disposals on modern households and dive into the peculiar journey of hygiene through time!
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Closets Enabled Mass Hanger Use
- Closets became common in late 1800s as industrialization increased clothing production.
- That surge created the need for hangers to keep suits wrinkle-free without domestic help.
Hangers Evolved Through Multiple Patents
- O.A. North filed an 1869 patent for a hanger with a hook and shoulder supports, though multiple inventors contributed.
- Albert J. Parkhouse later twisted wire into the modern two-oval hook form in the 20th century.
Ancient Toilet Practices Varied Widely
- Bathroom hygiene varied hugely across cultures and eras, from stones to perfumed imperial paper.
- China produced mass toilet paper centuries before the West's commercial rollout in the 1800s.