Before the invention of the toilet with water flush in the 18th century, people relieved themselves virtually anywhere outside the house in an entirely uncomplicated and unselfconscious manner. It was only in the 20th century that toilets became a more common feature in private homes, as up to this point, they had been reserved for a very small elite. The more private the rooms containing toilets became, the more restrained people became when it came to using them. This has gone so far that nowadays some people are even embarrassed to place their toilet paper on the supermarket conveyor belt or carry it home under their arm.