People Are Just Realizing That They’ve Been Hanging Toilet Paper All Wrong

Life before toilet paper rolls was strange, if not grotesque altogether. Ancient people relied heavily on materials they could gather from their surroundings: sticks, stones, leaves, grass, moss, coconut husks, seashells, and even animal fur. As time went by, people started tearing pages of newspapers and magazines to do the job. A magazine even added a hole in the corner of each edition, to make it easier for poopers to tear, read, and wipe, hopefully in that order. But as the much-needed toilet paper came into the picture, the paradox of choice popped in, too. The debate whether toilet paper should go “under or over” has been going on for decades. But it seems, the solution lies in an illustration shared by its inventor, reports Insider.

Should people make the toilet paper roll wrap and hang over the spool, or should they simply let it hang under? For decades, this question has stumped Americans. Statistics show that an average American uses 141 rolls of toilet paper in a year and approximately 11,000 in a lifetime. The feasibility of this bathroom item naturally makes people curious about whether it should be hung over or under unless they’re planning to use this paper for Halloween’s toilet paper mummy costume.

The verdict to this eternal debate has already been resolved and the argument has already been put to rest, thanks to the 1891 patent by New York businessman Seth Wheeler, who invented the toilet paper. Wheeler’s original illustrations, available on Google Patents, of the toilet paper rolls show that it ought to be hung “over” and not “under.” While he did not specify this preference for the roll’s orientation, his illustration makes it seem obvious. No one knows what his reason for this preference could be. It could be scientific, hygiene-related, or simply bathroom aesthetic.

Experts agree that the answer to this debate is “over.” “Research after research reveals that the proper and most hygienic way to hang your toilet paper is over and not under,” Jackie, an expert in this area, told Daily Mail. “Might I add, that goes for paper towels too, if hanging from the wall? Not only is it hygienic, it lends to maintaining proper hygiene, which is proper etiquette."

"For one, it's more convenient and easier to get access to the toilet paper instead of having to dig underneath," Melissa Maker, cleaning expert extraordinaire and author of "Clean My Space," told Insider. Hygiene is another reason, she added. “From a cleaning standpoint, your hand is doing what it does when you're in the bathroom and the fact that the toilet paper is hung over means that you are touching and affecting less of the surrounding area with said hand," explained Maker. "Whereas, if the toilet paper were hung backward and it fell underneath and you had to rip from the bottom, you'd be doing a lot of digging around and you'd probably end up touching the walls or part of the actual toilet paper holder itself.”

A 2011 study revealed that surfaces like surfaces like door handles, faucets, soap dispensers, toilet seats, and bathroom floors often contain invisible traces of bacteria that may transfer onto the toilet paper can infect the person using it, with bacterial germs. “By hanging the toilet paper over, you are actually preventing, in some way, the transfer of bacteria," said Maker. No wonder why even the queen of daytime, Oprah Winfrey, prefers the “over” option, as she once said, "I prefer it over because it tears so readily."