Toilet paper as we know it was invented by Joseph Gayetty, who was american. He first commercialized it in 1857. But it is known that the Chinese had used paper for toilet purpose already in the 6th century AD, and that it became widely used during the centuries that followed. There are other means of wiping in history and still today: for exemple, the romans used a sponge on a stick then washed in vinegar. It mostly seems that using sticks, corn cobs or leaves were quite common throughout history. Water is still the most used cleansing method, especially in Arabic and East-Asian countries.