Should you put toilet paper under or over?

Over or under? Original patent confirms the 'correct' way to hang the toilet roll is OVER - as experts warn hanging paper the other way round can increase your risk of coming into contact with bacteria

• A survey found that 42 per cent of people are annoyed by 'wrong way' toilet roll
• The original patent shows that the paper should hang over the top of the roll
• A 2011 study also found 19 types of bacteria in the bathroom and around the roll
• Experts say having it under increases the chance of you touching a surface 

Published: 02:32 AEDT, 6 July 2021 | Updated: 02:32 AEDT, 6 July 2021

The original patent for toilet paper confirms that the correct way to hang it is with the paper over the top, as hanging it under 'increases bacteria risk,' experts warn. 

Half of people in the UK get annoyed when they see the toilet paper underneath, according to a study for London-based design company Bathroom Origins.

About 300 people were asked about their views on the positioning of the toilet roll, revealing that 42 per cent were annoyed if it was 'the wrong way'. 

A patent created by the inventor of the toilet roll, Seth Wheeler, granted in 1883, reveals the correct way to hang toilet paper on the holder is over the top. 

The original patent for toilet paper confirms that the correct way to hang it is with the paper over the top, as hanging it under 'increases bacteria risk,' experts warn

Half of people in the UK get annoyed when they see the toilet paper underneath, according to a study for London-based design company Bathroom Origins

Families, friends, housemates and colleagues have long argued over which direction the paper should flow over one of Wheeler's rolls, with 45 to 52 year olds the most upset if it isn't replaced on the holder the way they would expect. 

A study in 2011 by the University of Colorado found 19 different types of bacteria on a range of surfaces in bathrooms, including the toilet roll holder and nearby walls.

Experts say when the roll is on the back of the bar so the paper hangs under, the risk of touching the wall around it to grab the paper, and the related bacteria, increases.

Of the 42 per cent concerned about the direction the paper is placed, 52 per cent were women, and 48 per cent were men. 

People have been using paper for cleaning themselves since 6th century China, with mass production of paper for that purpose beginning in the 14th century, but it was more than another 400 years until Wheeler came upon the idea of putting on a roll. 

Sofia Charalambous, co-founder at Bathroom Origins, said when you place the paper so it comes out under the roll it is normally closer to the wall.

This leads to increased risk of it coming into contact with bacteria and droplets, including from viruses like Covid-19, on the wall surface behind it. 

'If you are unfortunate enough to go to the toilet after someone who has covid-19 and the toilet roll is under, not over, you are increasing your chances of coming into contact with the virus,' said Charalambous.

'There is also a reason why toilet roll bars that have flaps on have the flaps going over, not under.'

About 300 people were asked about their views on the positioning of the toilet roll, revealing that 42 per cent were annoyed if it was 'the wrong way'

The subject of which way the toilet roll should hang has been a light-hearted debate amongst couples and friends for many years, but it now holds a deeper meaning since the pandemic struck, with the virus able to live on surfaces for up to 72 hours. 

There are plenty of debates and polls online arguing which way is right. Typically, those who believe under is correct say that it looks more aesthetic and is also more environmentally friendly.  

They believe that putting the toilet roll under results in you using less toilet paper as the paper doesn't roll as easily. 

In the original patent drawings, a roll of perforated toilet paper can be seen on a holder, with the paper over the top of the roll. 

So it seems over wins when it comes to the official patent and cleanliness. 

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Some toilet roll holders or dispensers allow the toilet paper to hang in front of (over) or behind (under) the roll when it is placed parallel to the wall. This divides opinions about which orientation is better. Arguments range from aesthetics, hospitality, ease of access, and cleanliness to paper conservation, ease of detaching sheets, and compatibility with pets.

The US advice column Ask Ann Landers reported that the subject was the most controversial issue in the column's history and, at 15,000 letters in 1986, provoked the highest number of responses. Some writers have proposed that preference for one orientation over the other may have connections to age, sex, or political philosophy, and survey evidence has shown a correlation with socioeconomic status.[citation needed]

The case study of "toilet paper orientation" is a widely used teaching tool in instructing sociology students in the practice of social constructionism.

Arguments[edit]

Two paper holders, each with different orientation

The main reasons given by people to explain why they hang their toilet paper a given way are ease of grabbing and habit.

The over position reduces the risk of accidentally brushing the wall or cabinet with one's knuckles, potentially transferring grime and germs;[3] makes it easier to visually locate and to grasp the loose end;[4] gives the option to fold over the last sheet to show that the room has been cleaned;[5] and is generally the intended direction of viewing for the manufacturer's branding, so patterned toilet paper looks better this way.[6]

The under position provides a tidier appearance, in that the loose end can be more hidden from view;[7][8] reduces the risk of a toddler or a house pet such as a cat unrolling the toilet paper when batting at the roll;[9] and in a recreational vehicle may reduce unrolling during driving.

Partisans have claimed that each method makes it easier to tear the toilet paper on a perforated sheet boundary.[11]

The over position is shown in illustrations with the first patents for a free-hanging toilet-roll holders, issued in 1891.[12]

Various toilet paper dispensers are available which avoid the question of over or under orientation; for example, single sheet dispensers, jumbo roll dispensers in which the toilet roll is perpendicular to the wall, and twin roll dispensers.[13] Swivelling toilet paper dispensers have been developed which allow the paper to be unrolled in either direction.

Public opinion[edit]

In various surveys, around 70% of people prefer the over position.[16][17][21][22] In a survey of 1,000 Americans, Cottonelle found that "overs" are more likely than "unders" to notice a roll's direction (74 percent), to be annoyed when the direction is "incorrect" (24 percent), and to have flipped the direction at a friend's home (27 percent). According to W. C. Privy's Original Bathroom Companion, Number 2, "By more than 4 to 1, older folks prefer to have their toilet paper dispense over the front." The same claim is made by James Buckley's The Bathroom Companion for people older than 50. Toilet paper orientation is sometimes mentioned as a hurdle for married couples.[27] The issue may also arise in businesses and public places.[28] At the Amundsen–Scott Research Station at the South Pole, complaints have been raised over which way to install toilet paper. It is unclear if one orientation is more economical than the other. The Centralian Advocate attributes a claim to Planet Green that over saves on paper usage.

The case study of "toilet paper orientation" is an important teaching tool in instructing sociology students in the practice of social constructionism.

In the article "Bathroom Politics: Introducing Students to Sociological Thinking from the Bottom Up", Eastern Institute of Technology sociology professor Edgar Alan Burns describes some reasons toilet paper politics is worthy of examination. On the first day of Burns' introductory course in sociology, he asks his students, "Which way do you think a roll of toilet paper should hang?" In the following fifty minutes, the students examine why they picked their answers, exploring the social construction of "rules and practices which they have never consciously thought about before". Burns' activity has been adopted by a social psychology course at the University of Notre Dame, where it is used to illustrate the principles of Berger and Luckmann's 1966 classic The Social Construction of Reality.

Christopher Peterson, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, classifies the choice of toilet paper orientation under "tastes, preferences, and interests" as opposed to either values or "attitudes, traits, norms, and needs". Other personal interests include one's favorite cola or baseball team. Interests are an important part of identity; one expects and prefers that different people have different interests, which serves one's "sense of uniqueness". Differences in interests usually lead at most to teasing and gentle chiding. For most people, interests do not cause the serious divisions caused by conflicts of values; a possible exception is what Peterson calls "the 'get a life' folks among us" who elevate interests into moral issues.

Morton Ann Gernsbacher, a professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, compares the orientation of toilet paper to the orientation of cutlery in a dishwasher, the choice of which drawer in a chest of drawers to place one's socks, and the order of shampooing one's hair and lathering one's body in the shower. In each choice, there is a prototypical solution chosen by the majority, and it is tempting to offer simplistic explanations of how the minority must be different. She warns that neuroimaging experiments—which as of 2007 were beginning to probe behaviors from mental rotation and facial expressions to grocery shopping and tickling—must strive to avoid such cultural bias and stereotypes.

In his book Conversational Capital, Bertrand Cesvet gives toilet paper placement as an example of ritualized behavior—one of the ways designers and marketers can create a memorable experience around a product that leads to word-of-mouth momentum. Cesvet's other examples include shaking a box of Tic Tacs and dissecting Oreo cookies.

Why do people put toilet paper under instead of over?

What's the correct way to hang toilet paper?