It’s a popular household debate: which way should you hang your toilet paper? We have the answer…
Do you prefer to position the roll so that the paper goes over it and hangs in front, or do you prefer the paper to roll out from behind the roll, against the wall? This fundamental question (don’t take this sentence literally) has both a historical and a scientific answer.
The original patent from the 1800s for the perforated toilet paper idea actually shows that it is meant to be hung from above. Indeed, in 1891, the inventor of perforated toilet paper, Seth Wheeler, illustrated the toilet roll with the paper passing through the top and above the roll.
But there is also a scientific reason and it has to do with hygiene. One of the keys to maintaining a hygienic bathroom is to minimize contact between people and surfaces. Positioning the roll from above therefore means that the paper hangs away from the wall.
Depending on the type of roll holder, this often decreases the chance of a user touching the wall behind while reaching for paper, leaving germs on that surface that can be passed on to the next user. Germs can be spread by touching the toilet paper roll, sprayed into the air, as well as through contact with surfaces in the bathroom. Reducing contact with any surface – like the toilet paper roll – can therefore help you avoid contact with unpleasant things.
If you’re one of those people who think “the toilet paper should hang underneath,” you might be reassured to learn that you’re also right, but only in one particular situation.
There is one exception to the general rule, and that is if you have very young children or a dog, who can more easily grab the roll if it is hanging from above, and roll it out. And yes — as anyone with a toddler, puppy, or playful cat can attest, toilet paper hanging from the top is at risk of being unrolled by little hands or fluffy paws. So if you want to guard against toilet paper tangles, you might want to join the “bottom hanging” team.
And you what do you think ? Do you think this is a silly debate or are you in favor of one method or the other? Tell us in the comments of our Facebook post by clicking here.