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This Is the Correct Way to Hang Toilet Paper

By Medina Syla

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9 August 2024

toilet paper hang

©️ jcomp / Freepik

The internet can be a strange place. While some debates rage on serious topics, others focus on the seemingly mundane, like the age-old question: toilet paper hang over or under?

Well, fret no more, because the answer has finally been revealed, thanks to the original patent for the toilet paper roll.

©️ Freepik

A Brief History of Toilet Paper

For a long time, people used weird things to clean up after using the bathroom. Things like leaves, water, and even stones! It wasn’t pretty.

The Chinese were the first to use paper for this, way back in time. They even made special paper for wiping. But it took a long time for the rest of the world to catch on.

In America, a man named Joseph Gayetty made the first toilet paper. It was a special paper with medicine on it. Later, people figured out it was better to roll up the paper, and that is how we got the toilet paper rolls we use today.

toilet paper hang
©️ Freepik

So, Under or Over?

Now, back to the main event! The invention of perforated toilet paper by Seth Wheeler in 1871 marked another significant step forward in bathroom hygiene.

The answer is: “Over” is the hygienic way to hang toilet paper.

Reasons why:

  • Reaching for TP: A Prime Contamination Moment: The moment your hand reaches for toilet paper is when it’s most likely to pick up bacteria.
  • Public Restrooms: A Potential Breeding Ground: The study found that even seemingly clean restrooms harbor various bacteria, including E. coli, a common culprit behind food poisoning.
  • “Over” Minimizes Contact: With the “over” orientation, your hand only touches the toilet paper itself, which gets flushed away.
  • “Under” Increases Risk: The “under” orientation increases the chance your hand brushes the wall, potentially transferring bacteria you or others might have left behind. This creates a cycle of contamination for subsequent users.
  • Beyond Toilet Paper: The “under” position also makes it harder to use a piece of toilet paper as a barrier to avoid touching other restroom surfaces.

So, next time you are hanging a toilet paper roll, consider the “over” position for a potentially more hygienic experience!

You might also like to read: This Toilet Paper Refrigerator Trick Just Went Viral. But, Why?

Medina Syla

I couldn't help but wonder...

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