While this headline sounds like the beginning of a bizarre joke or a recipe from the time of greatest need, it is a technique that became a viral hit in 2026 in two completely different areas: home creativity (handmade) and mushroom cultivation.
So it is not that people eat toilet paper, but they use its pure cellulose for practical purposes. Here are two main reasons why someone would put toilet paper in a pot of boiling water:
- Making homemade “Paper Maché” (Paper Mache)
This is the most common reason. Boiling breaks down the paper fibers much more finely than if you just soaked the paper.
Procedure: Boil the toilet paper in water until it disintegrates into a pulp. The water is then squeezed out and the mass is mixed with glue (e.g. for wood or wallpaper), a little oil and plaster.
The result: An extremely soft, malleable mass is created, from which artists and DIY enthusiasts model decorations, bowls or masks. After hardening, it is as strong as wood and can be sanded.
- Growing oyster mushrooms (Home mycology)
For enthusiasts of home mushroom cultivation, boiled toilet paper is the ideal substrate.
Why it works: Oyster mushrooms love cellulose. By boiling the paper, you not only soften it, but also sterilize it. The hot water destroys unwanted mold and bacteria.
Procedure: Boiled and cooled paper is “inoculated” with the mushroom mycelium in a clean environment, placed in a bag or jar and in a few weeks you can collect fresh mushrooms directly from the roll.
Comparison: Why toilet paper?
Property Toilet paper Newsprint Cardboard
Solubility Extreme (disintegrates immediately) Low (needs to boil for a long time) Medium
Purity High (lead and dye-free) Low (contains printer ink) Medium
Availability Everyone has it at home Increasingly rare You have to cut/tear it
⚠️ What to watch out for?
If you decide to try this technique, keep in mind:
Type of paper: Use plain white paper without perfume and without printing. Fragrance and dyes are chemicals that you don’t want in decorative material or in mushrooms.
Smell: Boiled paper has a specific “wet” smell, so ventilate well when working.
Sewage: If you have water left with pieces of paper after boiling, do not pour it down the sink in large quantities, so as not to create a plumbing problem.
Air Purifying Myth: There’s also an internet hoax that claims that boiling toilet paper with fabric softener will clean the air in your house. Please don’t do this. It’s ineffective and you’re unnecessarily breathing in the vaporized chemicals from fabric softener that isn’t meant for cooking.
Are you curious about the exact recipe for that modeling clay that looks like stone when it dries, or are you more attracted to the idea of growing your own mushrooms from a paper roll?