HOWTO: Properly Install a Roll of Toilet Paper in a Dispenser

[marcmagus]

1. Preface

1.1 Copyright

Copyright (C) 2009 marcmagus

1.2 Revision History

v1.0: 2009-03-23

1.3 Authoritative Version

The authoritative version of this document will always be found at http://marcmagus.livejournal.com/98120.html

1.4 Feedback

If you have questions or comments about this document, please feel free to post a comment at the URL found in section 1.3 above. I welcome any suggestions or criticisms.

I would particularly welcome open discussion with any person who feels I have mislabeled the possible orientations.

2. Overview

There is, in fact, a correct orientation for a roll of toilet paper in a toilet paper dispenser. As it has recently come to the author's attention that this is not inherently obvious, this HOWTO is provided to educate the population.

3. Orientation

There are two possible orientations for valid installation of a roll of toilet paper in a dispenser. These will be referred to as The Wrong Way and The Right Way. Please see the following diagram:

Wrong Way       Right Way
   |                 |
   |@               @|
   |                 |

| = wall
@ = toilet roll, cutaway view, simplified

4. Discussion

Note that when the toilet paper is installed the right way, the leading edge of the roll will always fall somewhere between the far-top of the roll and hanging down the near side of the roll to the user. When it is install the wrong way, the leading edge will fall somewhere between the near-top of the roll and hanging down the far side of the roll from the user. As the range of near-top to far-top is common to both situations, the difference is that when the toilet paper is hung the right way, it will sometimes hang near the user, and when hung the wrong way, it will sometimes hang far from the user.

Please also note that if a user has a disability which requires them to use their far arm to reach the toilet paper, and the dispenser has been hung relatively low on the wall, these differences are exacerbated.

Comments

[shield-toad111.livejournal.com]

Before looking more closely at the diagram, I took it to mean that in the wrong way it is hung on the other side of the wall and is no longer even in the bathroom.

I totally agree with you on the right and wrong ways to hang the roll of toilet paper, however, and I not infrequently will change the orientation of improperly hung rolls.

[kdsorceress.livejournal.com]

I not infrequently will change the orientation of improperly hung rolls.

Mom and I both do that, too. Toilet Paper hangs over. Anything else is Wrong and Bad.

~Sor

[rosevioletsong.livejournal.com]

I like it better The Wrong Way. It feels "tucked in" and modest that way. *ducks*

I never thought about people with disabilities, though.

[marcmagus]

I've thought of that when considering this in the past, but I feel the effect is to change which portion of the roll is exposed to outside influences so, rather than it being the first sheet encountered, it's some later sheet.

In my experience, wrong way rolls tend to have more paper hanging down from the roll than right way. I believe this is because rolls are frequently mounted below hand-height, and users tend to detach the paper at the point nearest them (I think this might make sense with physics, too). If the nearest point is in the near-top quadrant, for a right way roll, the remaining paper will tend to stay put even if the roll is jostled a bit. For a wrong way roll, a bit of jostling will cause gravity to overtake friction, resulting in the length of paper running from far-center to near-top to hang down from the far-center point. I don't consider this tidy.

I'm certain I think about this too much.

[shield-toad111.livejournal.com]

But if you do it the right way you can fold it into a little point like they do at some fancy hotels.

[soulchanger.livejournal.com]

I agree with this position but it is more controversial than you may think. Some people are religious wrong-wayers. I think this is going to have to go down in the annals of preference-debates with the Lilliputian Endian controversy and the Great Sugar Shot Order of Operations Schism of Aught One.

[artemisfowl2nd.livejournal.com]

This is, of course, my opinion, but you are insane and wrong and toilet paper needs to hang with the last sheet facing the wall.

The reason why is simple: Cats and children.

Also, it looks nicer, but that's just a pleasant side-effect. The point is that if a small-thing that is curious about the toilet paper should go up to it and bat-bat-bat, if hung your way, the paper will completely unroll and you're out of a roll of toilet paper. Furthermore, they'll think this is fun and will learn to do it repeatedly.
If, on the other hand, it's hung with the sheet facing the wall, they can't do it as easily. Cats will bat-bat-bat all they want at the actual roll of the toilet paper and it will never unroll (I've never seen a small-thing bat at the wall to get at the bit of paper hanging over, but my studies on Children and Toilet Paper is limited, so I can't guarantee they won't just grab the sheet and yank); the small-thing will then get bored and wander off to find something else to destroy. Your toilet paper is safe!

Naturally, this is not a problem if you don't have a small-thing that has access to your toilet paper, but just think if you ever do! You'll already be used to hanging the toilet paper with the sheet facing the wall and won't have to experience the horror of finding toilet paper dragged through your cat's water dish and into the bathtub.

An aside: This is all if I actually hang the toilet paper in the dispenser. I don't, normally, because the dispenser in my bathroom is on the left side of the toilet and I always take too much when I use my left hand. I set the toilet paper on the counter. Granted, this could tempt the small-thing into bat-bat-batting the toilet paper all over the bathroom, but I've yet to have that happen.

[miintikwa.livejournal.com]

Oddly, with all the cats I have had, I have never (*knock on wood*) had any of them attack the TP. And I am an outside-TP-hanger. My brother, who has had at max count nine cats in his house at one time, reports the same results.

(My current cat-in-the-house count is six. Four are mine, two are the roomie's.)

*shrug* Different games for different cats.

[artemisfowl2nd.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, I'm not going to argue that. Rug-Rat's outgrown such things, it seems, although he used to have fun with it. Other people hang my toilet paper the "right" way sometimes and he never bothers with it.

I'm still a fervent "wrong" way supporter, though.

[miintikwa.livejournal.com]

By the way, I meant to put this in the original comment, and it was the entire reason I replied duh. (Long day.) Your icon is FAB.

And I think the GREAT TP DEBATE is one of those things. Everyone has their own way. :)

[kdsorceress.livejournal.com]

I'm with Marc. We're gonna have problems, sweetie.

...Or passive aggressive arguments where we each correct the roll whenever we care enough, and let laziness determine who wins.¹

~Sor

1: Well, yes, I am talking like we're gonna live together at some point. That is the plan, yeah?

[artemisfowl2nd.livejournal.com]

Re footnote: I hope that's the plan. I will be sad if it is not.

And, like I said above, other people have been putting the toilet paper the "right" way and I don't correct it unless I'm in the middle of a low, so it shouldn't wind up being a problem. Unless we wind up with playful cats. Then you'll be sorry.

Oh yes.

Then you'll all be sorry.

... unless you have cats.

[dhs.livejournal.com]

... who will cheerfully claw/paw at the roll of toilet paper until it all comes off the roll.

Other than that situation, I agree with you.

[miintikwa.livejournal.com]

I will dispute the "cats will claw the TP if you hang it the other way" arguement, given my consultation with the brother-owned-by-fifteen-cats" (not all at once, over the last howevermany years it has been-- he's got at least six at the moment, though), and my experiences with my pride.

I hang my TP the 'right' way, and none of my pride has ever clawed the TP. Michael agrees, and reports the same results.

Granted, we both ply our kitties with many shiny toys and catnip, though, so...