Over or under? Evidence settles TP debate

There’s a lot of superfluous stuff on Facebook, and I try hard not to get sucked in to most of the bantering that’s done via social media. I couldn’t help zeroing in on a recent recurring post, though, that seemed to settle once and for all the great toilet paper debate: Should the roll be placed in an over or under position on the toilet paper holder?

I’m guessing a good many of us have had this discussion. 

Perhaps we’ve even argued over whether the toilet paper tears off more easily one way or the other. It’s come up through the years in our household. I have long declared my “under” position is the superior way because the sheets seem to tear more easily.

My husband, however, will always, always put on a roll in the “over” position. Now there’s evidence that my husband is right, and oh, how I hate to admit defeat.

The original sketches of inventor Seth Wheeler’s toilet paper roll, patented Sept. 15, 1891 — revealed recently on Facebook — clearly illustrate the toilet paper in the “over” position.

Right or wrong, I’m a creature of habit and will continue to put toilet paper on the holders in the “under” position.

What’s interesting is the amount of information on this subject available on the Internet. An online article by CNET Magazine explained the advantages of the “over” method. It’s easier to tear off the desired number of sheets and less chance of scraping a wall with your knuckles. And it’s easier to locate and grab the end, the article states, pointing out that the personality traits of “over” proponents include “likes to take charge, over-achiever and stays organized.”

This riveting over-and-under explanation also notes that 70 percent of people support the “over” method, so clearly I’m outnumbered in society, let alone my own home.

There are advantages to the “under” position, though. There’s less chance of the toilet paper unraveling in an RV or during an earthquake. And there’s less chance of a cat or toddler unraveling a roll. People like me who choose “under” are laid back, artistic and dependable.

I even found The Toilet Paper Encyclopedia online, full of fascinating statistics about this most essential product. Here’s a sampling from that encyclopedia found on toiletpaperworld.com:

• If stranded on a desert island with only one necessity, 49 percent of people would chose toilet paper as their greatest necessity, even ahead of food.

• The number of days a standard roll of tissue lasts in the most-used bathroom in the house is five, according to Charmin customers.

• Consumers use an average of 8.6 sheets per trip for a total of 57 sheets per day or 20,805 sheets per year.

• One cord of wood yields 1,000 pounds of toilet paper.

• The first recorded use of toilet paper purportedly was in 6th Century China.

• In 1996 President Bill Clinton passed a law regarding toilet paper, taxing each roll 6 cents and increasing the price to 30 cents per roll.

• The Pentagon uses 666 rolls of toilet paper daily.

All of this newfound trivia goes to show there’s a lot to know about everything, even toilet paper.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.