The Right Way Toilet Paper Should Roll from Planck's Constant

the right and wrong way to roll toilet paper

Yesterday I discussed with my readers The Right and Only Way to Hand Change to a Customer and since I still feel a bit rantish today I'd like to talk about another pet peeve of mine.

I believe there is only one way that toilet paper should roll. Please see illustration above. Now unless there is a physiological problem with your hand or a topographic defect with the enclosure that prevents you from pulling on the roll in the correct manner, the correct way for toilet paper to roll is over.

When the Kimberly-Clark Company, makers of Cottonelle Toilet Paper, took a poll of Americans last year they found that 72% of Americans roll their toilet paper correctly as I do: OVER ¹.

Let me explain why it is the correct way: in the over-hung toilet paper position, when pulling down on the paper, it is easier to stop a spinning roll by using your knuckle. In the wrong position it is awkward to try to stop the spinning since your hand is below the roll rather than on the side of it. In addition, if you want to tear the paper on the perforation line, you can see it in the OVER position but not in the UNDER position. Hanging the roll the wrong way it is more difficult to make a one-handed tear, you are forced to pull the sheet further down to be able to see the perforation and thus waste an extra sheet. See illustration below.

Photo Credit: Current Configuration

Also the natural way to spin the roll is in a downward wave of the hand rather than an upward stroke, especially with many toilet paper dispensers where gravity holds the tube in place. An upward stroke dislodges the tubes on many dispensers.

The truth is, UNDER people are not UNDER people because they think they are right but because they simply don't care.

For example, a similar Cottonelle survey revealed that the majority of OVERS are more likely to be annoyed when the roll is the “wrong way” than the UNDERS.

If I am in someone's home and I notice that their toilet roll is in the wrong direction, I correct it. I make it a point to mention it to my hosts so that in the future they'll know the right way to place their toilet paper.

You might find it interesting that the same Cottonelle survey found that 27 percent of “OVERS” admitted that they have flipped the direction of the roll at a friend’s home.

As final proof that the over-hung toilet paper position is the correct one, please notice that one can read the Quran if the toilet roll is in one position only, the correct one. In the wrong position, the printing is upside down. From my article: How to Make time to read the Quran:

Notes

(1):

toiletpaperworld, 19 Mar 2010, The Results of the Cottonelle Roll Poll are in!
For those who have been following The Cottonelle Roll Poll, Team Roll Over has been announced the official winner! Cottonelle found that 72% of Americans prefer to roll OVER while only 28% of Americans roll under.