Which way do you hang your toilet paper?

We all have bathroom rituals. You know what we mean – the order that you always wash in or when you clean your teeth. They are patterns of behaviour that we fall into and somehow don’t break away from. This is true, even though for most of us there aren’t clear answers about why we do something in a particular way.

 

For instance, one of those rituals includes the toilet roll. So how the toilet paper hangs can be a ritualistic problem for some, especially if there are conflicting ideas within the home. It can become more important than it actually is – who cares which way it is hung, as long as you can reach it?

 

Can you believe that a poll has been taken about whether you prefer to have your toilet roll hanging over the top or coming out from the bottom? About 13,000 people voted in this poll conducted by Houzz. Of those about 85% firmly came out on the side of ‘hang over’.

 

Over or under

In their findings, some claimed that ‘over’ is the way the toilet roll is supposed to be displayed for use. Their reasoning is that if the loo roll is patterned, it will only show when hung over. If the roll is hung under then it is a pointless exercise as it can’t be seen.

 

Another argument for ‘over’  is that hotels always hang it that way – and usually with a folded edge. One of those taking part in the poll explained that she’d been taught ‘over’ was the correct etiquette at prep school.

 

Does this mean that hanging under, the other way round, is an act of rebellion? Or is it to do with being right or left handed?

 

Reasons given in favour of under hanging toilet paper were do with ease of roll for little fingers or paws! These voters said that cats and young children find it harder to mess around and unroll this way!

 

Some claim that the paper is actually easier to roll and tear off when it is hung under. As always there are differences of opinion.

 

Spanner in the works

Of course many people now don’t have a traditional toilet roll hanger. Many plump for a straight pole to slide them onto and some stand them on a nearby surface. This means the question changes from hanging over or under to winding to the right or left.

 

This subject has been used in sociology. It leads to thinking about ‘rules and practices that we haven’t ever considered before.’  Apparently, alongside other rituals such as which drawer you keep your socks in and how you load cutlery into the dishwasher, helps create stereotyping and cultural bias.

 

As another example of how culturally important it seems to have become, even The Simpsons tackled the issue back in 1995. In the episode, the Simpson children are taken by Child Protective Services, and Marge is left a note to explain why – the Simpson home is a “squalid hellhole” with “toilet paper hung in improper overhand fashion”. Need we say more?