MUNDANE MYSTERIES: How do they get toilet paper so white?!

A chrome effect toilet roll holder holding toilet roll on a blue background

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: How do they get toilet paper so white?!

Toilet paper does seem to be a much brighter white than anything else. How do they do that?

The raw paper starts out just like any other paper… as wood pulp. Then they manufactures bleach that wood pulp with hydrogen peroxide or chlorine to make it look much whiter.

While the bleaching process is more of an aesthetic thing for looks it does also remove a substance called lignin from the pulp which makes the paper soft. Because you want that soft feel with toilet paper. No one wants to wipe with printer paper. Ouch.

Image credit: Getty Images