I can appreciate differing ideologies due to cultural and/or religious disciplines. I can even concede to objectionable behavior because of one’s circumstances. And over time, I have sorely recognized that things are never quite as they appear.
But all that wisdom aside, there is only one way to hang toilet paper. It matters not on your sexual orientation or your religious or cultural upbringing. It matters not on your ethnicity or political allegiance. It’s a matter of science. And given our pandemic circumstances that we are currently living under today, this issue matters.
Conventional wisdom would have us believe that there are two ways to hang toilet paper. The first being "over," with the detached end suspended over the top of the roll, away from the wall. And the second, being "under," with the detached end hanging under the roll or next to the wall.
Who better to dictate the correct posture of the hanging roll than the man who is credited with its invention, Seth Wheeler. A picture associated with his 1891 patent of perforated, roll-form, toilet paper clearly displays a series of illustrations depicting the toilet paper going over the top of the roll. But, unfortunately until recently, Mr. Wheeler’s identity and his designs had gone unnoticed, as did his intent.
Where intent fails, science and hygiene provide direction. In 2011, a study was performed by the University of Colorado, whereby they identified 19 different groups of bacteria on restroom surfaces, most of which, they determined to be E-coli, a food-poisoning bacterium easily transferred from surfaces to our fingers, and then of course, to wherever those fingers may travel. Sound appealing?
It’s worth highlighting the fact that we get nineteen different groups of bacteria just from the sink to the toilet. We’re talking countertops, soap dispensers, the bathroom doors, the flusher, the walls, and yes, the toilet paper roll. But the most surprising was to learn that the toilet paper dispensers have 150 times more bacteria than the seat. That’s crazy!
Who knew? And think of all those times we felt the need to cover a public restroom seat before sitting when it’s been the toilet paper receptacles all along that we need protection from. It’s an Armageddon of pathogens.
Here’s the science. Think about when you reach for the severed end of the toilet roll. It requires less effort to grasp it from the top rather than having to reach under and search for it. The “search” frequently requires a two-handed effort of spinning and grabbing. But with the “over” method, the paper naturally hangs away from the roll, allowing for limited contact with any portion of the roll that you don’t intend to use, or for that matter, anything other than the roll itself.
Alternatively, when you dispense toilet paper using the “under” method, it’s more likely that your hand will be manipulating more than just the paper that you will ultimately use and flush. Chances are your hands will have grazed the receptacle, and we know that can’t be good, or brushed against the wall or come in contact with more of the roll than necessary.
All indisputable havens for bacteria.
Then think about how many other hands have committed the same maneuvers before you. And given where this tissue is destined, does that seem hygienic? As an “under” person, you not only become a receptacle for bacteria, but also a conduit. Sure, most of the bacteria that we speak of is not harmful as long as you wash your hands. But can you be sure of all those hands before you? Admittedly, do you sing “Happy Birthday” two times while washing your hands after each flush? By the same token, how often do you wash your hands before you use the toilet? Over and out….
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