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let’s discuss: the toilet paper roll…

which direction do you put the toilet paper roll on? over or under?

which direction do you put the toilet paper roll on? over or under?

There's something that happens in my house every few days that almost causes my husband and I to go our separate ways in life…

We cannot agree on the direction the toilet paper roll should be placed on the toilet paper holder. We have disagreed about this for the 20+ years we have been together. When he refills it, it puts the loose end on TOP. When I refill it, I put the loose end on the BOTTOM. So, if I see the roll close to being finished (but not quite there), I will refill it before he gets to it so that I can put it on the "correct" way.

I am guessing that the correct way is actually the way he does it since that's the way they seem to do in every hotel I have ever stayed at, and I feel like hotels are supposed to know the proper way to do things. BUT, I still prefer the "under" method because it's easier to roll back up that way. And if you have cats or babies, they are less likely to be able to unravel the roll in the under position…so really, I just want a less messy bathroom at the end of the day. I mean, have you ever seen a cat unravel a whole roll of toilet paper when it's placed with the end on top? It's a disaster.

So, tell me, friends, which way do you go when it comes to toilet paper?

{Photo by Casey Brodley, styling by Julia Wester, styling assistance by Jess Hong. Items shown: Pehr Designs basket, Eric Trine toilet paper roll, Eric Trine towel rack, Oh Joy! for Target table, Eric Trine plant stand.}

46 comments

  1. The original patent paperwork is floating around on the internet somewhere and yes the paper should rest over the top!! I am also a top loader but my husband thinks I am crazy for even caring which way it goes!!

  2. Loose end on top for me…and I really HATE it when I find it the other way !
    I’m really glad I’m not the only one concerned about this topic 😀

  3. I’m team top….except now as my toddler LOVES to unravel it. Under def. makes that more difficult. Until the TP becomes less interesting we are an under house

  4. The toilet paper goes over the top. It is easier to find the end when you are trying to wipe.
    Also, I have kids and cats and my toilet paper has never been unraveled, so that’s just a weak argument.

  5. Well to perfectly honest I don’t really care as long as it rolls smoothly and looks neat. I can’t get my lot to replace the empty one ?

  6. Top! I worked at a Thai restaurant in college & the owner was VERY specific about this chore when we restocked the bathroom. I thought he was such a weirdo because I had never thought about it before then. But he got me because now I’m solidly in the top camp. 😉

  7. I place it either way. …funny how now that I think about it…the task usually falls on me….I drink more water than my husband. Lol.

  8. We have the same argument although I am for the top and he is for the bottom! But… since having a kid who loves playing with toilet paper, I see the logic behind the bottom and often do it that way to prevent wasting a ton of tp!

  9. I used to share a bathroom with my sister and I was obsessed with placing it on top and she on the bottom. We fought about it constantly because whenever she put in new paper she would do it the other way and when ainwent to the bathroom, I would switch it. 20 years later, we still talk about it. I found that patent meme and proved to her there was indeed a right way. She actually just sent me a really funny meme about this, I wish I could post it here!

  10. I don’t actually get annoyed either way but I always put it on the bottom, too! I’m not sure why. My husband always asks me if I’m sure I wanted it that way, like clearly I just wasn’t paying attention because why would I do that on purpose.? You’re right though, such a silly thing to even think about! Bottom rollers unite! ??????

  11. Hahaha I am a brat and I always change it to come from the top when I visit my friends’ toilets. It’s easier to find the end from the top, so no wonder my kids unroll it so easily, but I’d rather not fumble with looking for the end when I need it.

  12. I’m an anarchist and don’t even care which way it’s loaded but EVERYTIME it ends up on the bottom you better believe I catch hell about it ???

  13. Oh for sure the bottom!! We have no toilet paper holders so I just have old metal egg baskets with rolls in it..,??

  14. I have been putting the toilet roll up loose end on top for ages thinking that it’s the right way. I never thought of how the other way might make it more difficult for toddlers and cats to unravel. This is a bazinga moment for me because I’ve lost countless rolls thanks to the cats. (RIP nearly unused toilet rolls)

  15. Very lucky in my house – my husband and I are both team bottom all the way. But I can’t tell you how many times I discover that a guest has “fixed” it for me.

  16. Maybe you’ve seen the meme, but the original patent for the toilet paper roll holder (or the roll itself? I can’t remember) shows the roll going over, not under. You can always trust a meme, right?? Also, Charmin did an ad a few years a back that showed that America voted that the proper ways was over, not under. And finally, after I learned that rolling over save more paper than under, I went ahead and converted from Team Under to Team Over.

  17. I remember being involved in a very heated ‘which is the right way to load a toilet roll’ conversation on a forum I used to visit. Who knew people can be so passionate about loo roll
    Someone pointed out that hotels and restaurants load from the top as you use less. If you yank the end when it’s bottom loaded it just keeps rolling so you tend to just break it off and use more.
    We’re top loaders in our house. And my cat isn’t interested in toilet paper at all.

  18. Side bar to this is that we just got our first Costco membership and bought a case of of those “mega” rolls. They are about a quarter inch too large and won’t roll at ALL until we use enough up so the roll gets smaller. So now we are balancing the roll for a day or two (until they get smaller) on TOP of the holder. Or maybe I will just unroll 48 rolls of TP and create a 49th roll with the excess, lol!

  19. I am shocked at how many “tops” are on here! C’mon people common sense is “BOTTOM” all the way! Maybe it’s a designer thing Joy as I am also a graphic designer…or just a very clever people thing ;)! Lol.

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