Whenever I visit a bathroom, I can’t stand it when the toilet roll is folded under. If you don’t know what that means, it’s when the end of toilet roll goes over the top and down the back of the holder, meaning you need to reach against the wall to unravel it. It bothers me so much that I need to take it off the holder and flip it around, so it faces ‘the right way’.
To me, it seems like the right order of things, but is there method to my madness? Or am I just being passive-aggressive in someone else’s home, unnecessarily reorganising the amenities? Here, we explore the pros and cons to going over and under with the toilet roll, and declare a winner – to finally settle the debate.
The history of toilet roll
Toilet roll has come a long way since it was first made available to the masses by Joseph Gayetty in 1857 and then later perforated by Seth Wheeler in 1891. But the question is: how was it initially intended to be used?
Gayetty named it ‘Medicated Paper for the Water Closet’. These sheets were made from manila hemp and sold flat in boxes, so that’s not much help in this debate. But when Wheeler came along and gave us the first, official perforated toilet roll, you can see from the patent (above) that it is ‘folded over’. So, at the very least, Wheeler intended for it to be used as such.
Toilet roll has come on in leaps and bounds since, improving in comfort, durability and ease of dissolving (thank goodness), but the basic concept remains the same.
What’s so bad about folding it under?
You might be asking what’s so wrong with the toilet roll folding under and facing towards the wall? There are a couple of problems at play here. First, your hand likely needs to touch the wall to remove a sheet – a wall that many others have likely touched, too, spreading germs and bacteria.
If you don’t bother to wash your hands or don’t wash them thoroughly – or even if you innocently grab some toilet roll to blow your nose – you can pick up a range of viruses, including norovirus.
Then there’s the hygiene of the toilet roll to consider: if your hand catches it from beneath as you try to grab a sheet, you’re liable to leave behind ‘residue’ for the next unsuspecting user or even for yourself. Cross-contamination is likely as a result, with UTIs being a possibility from faecal bacteria.
The main pro to folding your toilet roll this way is that the wall holds it in place and blocks easy access, so it’s not so much a target for young child or pets, but the cons far outweigh the pros, considering the above. Plus, you could always invest in a holder with a panel on top to stop it from unravelling so easily.
So, folding the toilet roll under is actually dirty habit to break in the bathroom.
Verdict
Folding the toilet roll over is the more hygienic option because bacteria and viruses are less likely to spread. Each time you need to tear away a sheet, you won’t accidentally touch a contaminated surface or leave behind residue that could spread to others.
So there you have it: ‘folding over’ is the winner. Not only is it more hygienic, but it looks better in my opinion, so I won’t feel bad about switching it around in the future!
When the roll comes to an end, we’ve found 7 crafty ways to reuse empty toilet roll tubes.
Our favourite toilet rolls
