Since the dawn of history, humanity has had a problem with the development of adequate toilets. As the emergence of cities meant that increasingly large communities needed to be provided with hygienic toilet facilities, the history of restrooms is closely intertwined with the development of drain cleaning. In our two-part series of articles, we will introduce our readers to the development of drain cleaning.

From public toilets to private toilets

Although there was no „toilet” in the modern sense in ancient times, public toilets already existed in the Roman Empire. The inhabitants of the Eternal City usually did their business in stone latrines. The „contents” of the toilets reached the sea through a water-filled canal, the salt water of which also served as a disinfectant. Since these public toilets could be used by up to several thousand people per day, it was necessary to periodically clean the latrines. blockage Of course, the Romans did not yet have the modern drain with cleaning agents and granules, but vinegar and baking soda were already known at that time and were used to prevent minor or major "accidents".

The situation was different in the villages of the Empire, where latrines were built inside the walls of houses. Since these toilets were not connected to the city sewer systems, they often became clogged. The ancestors of those who unblocked the drains were the sewer cleaners and dung collectors. The latter provided the transport of a cartload of dung, which was usually used to fertilize the fields, for about the price of an amphora of wine in Roman money.

Hidden hygiene…?

As in many other things, the Middle Ages brought about a significant regression in terms of toilets. With the fall of the Roman Empire, the large sewer systems were also destroyed, so in the absence of sewerage in the settlements, people did their business in so-called night pots, the contents of which were poured onto the streets during the day. Since the sewage and feces that covered the streets usually decimated the population of the settlements of the time, many cities made it mandatory by decree that homeowners build a toilet at the end of their gardens. However, our ancestors living in medieval villages did not yet need specialist to prevent blockages, as usually the male members of the family were able to clean the toilets and septic tanks themselves.

In today's sense unclogging It became important in homes with the spread of flush toilets. More complex structures were more easily clogged than simpler toilets. A radical change in the history of toilets occurred at the dawn of the modern era, when the English toilet was invented.

Double zero stories

Modern toilets are not called English toilets for nothing, as flush toilets were first introduced in the UK. Although the invention of the English water closet in 1778 is attributed to Joseph Bramah, early English toilets can be found in the court of Queen Elizabeth I. The new invention is said to have pleased the queen so much that she had several of these devices installed in her home. However, in most of Europe, the use of latrine toilets continued for centuries, and these modern toilets only began to gain popularity in the second half of the 19th century.

With the rapid development of urban sewer systems, flush toilets were also able to find a place in homes. However, the U-shaped bends of the structures that paved the way for modern hygiene became more easily clogged than toilets in the past, so the help of a professional was often needed to clear the blockage. Not to mention the invention of toilet paper, which can be considered both a blessing and a curse for civilization. Humanity, who previously used shells, wet sponges attached to sticks, or even tree bark, could now have an indispensable hygiene tool in their hands, which is one of the most common causes of blockages. (It is well known how often too much toilet paper can cause a toilet bowl to clog.) The Chinese were also ahead of the West in this, as they were already using it in the East in the 6th century, while Western civilizations only started using toilet paper for personal hygiene in the late 19th century.

The triumph of technology

However, demand has created its own supply, so modern techniques have also given a huge boost to the development of blockage removal. Nowadays, we can choose from many methods to remedy problems that have arisen in the toilet or drain. Thanks to the rapid development of technology, we can use many tools, from camera pipe inspections to trace tracing, to remedy unwanted blockages. Not to mention the numerous chemicals and granules, the proper use of which can all contribute to the remedy of various „household accidents”.