The Great Toilet Paper Debate: Over or Under?
An 1891 patent, a century-old argument, and absolutely no reason for anyone to get this worked up. And yet, here we are.
There are two kinds of people in this world: people who hang toilet paper over the roll, and people who hang it under.
They may live together. They may even love each other. But sooner or later, someone will change the roll, and the argument will begin again.
So let’s settle this with history, engineering, and a completely unnecessary amount of investigation.
Team Over: The Case for Convenience
The argument for hanging toilet paper over the top is straightforward. The loose end is visible, easy to find, and generally easier to grab without fumbling around behind the roll.
It also keeps the paper away from the wall, where it might otherwise brush against the surface.
For Team Over, the arrangement is simply more convenient. The paper is right there, waiting to do its job.
Team Under: The Case for Order
Team Under has its own logic.
The loose end hangs closer to the wall, creating a neater appearance in some bathrooms. Supporters may also prefer it because the paper is less exposed.
And if you share a home with a cat that considers toilet paper an interactive toy, you may have practical reasons for choosing either arrangement.
The 1891 Patent: Does History Favor Over?
This is where things get interesting.
Inventor Seth Wheeler received several patents relating to toilet paper and its dispensing. One of his 1891 patents, U.S. Patent No. 459,516, describes an improved roll designed to make individual sheets easier to separate.
Its illustrations show a roll mounted on a simple fixture, with a sheet hanging from it.
Another Wheeler patent, U.S. Patent No. 465,588, also from 1891, became famous online because its illustration appears to show the paper hanging over the roll.
But there’s a catch.
The patents describe improvements to the paper and its perforations. They do not declare which direction a household should hang its toilet paper. Patent drawings illustrate inventions; they are not necessarily instructions for settling domestic arguments.
In fact, an analysis by patent attorneys at Brown & Michaels points out that the famous illustration does not conclusively establish which way the roll was intended to hang. Other Wheeler patent drawings even show an underhand arrangement.
So much for the definitive historical verdict.
The Verdict
The evidence gives Team Over a respectable argument, but it doesn’t give either side an official victory.
Over is easy to grab. Under has its fans. And Seth Wheeler, despite having a remarkable number of toilet-paper patents to his name, apparently left us to fight this one out ourselves.
The Good Roll Verdict: Hang it however you like. Just replace the roll when it’s empty. That’s the one bathroom rule we should all be able to agree on.