Toilet paper over or under?

The case for Team Over

Team Over has the numbers. In a February 2022 YouGov poll of 27,810 U.S. adults, 59% said they prefer toilet paper hung so the next sheet comes from over the roll. Only 14% picked under, 21% had no preference, and 6% were not sure.

It also has history, sort of. Seth Wheeler of Albany, New York, received U.S. Patent 465,588 for a toilet paper roll on December 22, 1891, and its drawing appears to show the sheet hanging over the top. The patent was about the perforated sheets, not the direction, so the drawing is a hint, not a ruling.

Then there are the practical arguments. With the paper over, the loose end is easy to see and grab, and your knuckles are less likely to brush the wall. Fans of over also note that it lets hotels fold the last sheet into a point to show the room was cleaned.

The case for Team Under

Team Under argues from the look of the room. With the paper under, the loose end tucks against the wall and mostly disappears, which reads as tidier. Nobody walks in and sees a flap dangling off the front.

It also has a defense that matters in some homes. A cat or a toddler batting at the roll is less likely to spin out the whole thing when the paper hangs under. Under may also unroll less in a moving RV, which is a niche win, but a win.

Team Under adds that the patent proves nothing. Wheeler was patenting perforations, and the direction in his drawing was never part of his claim. A picture of a roll is not a law about rolls.

The court's ruling

This fight is older than most of the people having it. Advice columnist Ann Landers took it up in 1977, and in a 1986 speech she reportedly said it was her most popular column, drawing about 15,000 letters.

Both sides have real reasons, but over has the majority, the easier grab, and the 1891 drawing. Team Under is guilty of hiding the evidence behind the roll, and is sentenced to flip every roll in the house to over. Homes with a roll-batting cat or toddler are granted an exemption until the cat retires. The court also notes that an empty roll left on the holder is a far worse crime than either direction.

How to settle it at home

Buying the paper does not automatically make you the judge. Agree on one direction for the shared bathroom, and let each person do what they like in their own space. If a pet keeps unrolling things, try under for a week and see if the shredding stops.

If the house is still split, file both sides with Judge Whiskerton and let the court rule on your roll.

Questions people ask

Should toilet paper be over or under?

Over, for most people. It makes the loose end easy to find, and 59% of U.S. adults preferred it in a 2022 YouGov poll. Under is a fair choice in homes with cats or toddlers.

What does the toilet paper patent show?

Seth Wheeler's 1891 patent drawing appears to show the paper hanging over the roll. The patent itself covers the perforated sheets, not which way to hang them.

Does over or under say anything about your personality?

Not reliably. A widely shared survey of about 2,000 people by relationship expert Gilda Carle linked over-rollers to being more dominant, but it relied on people rating their own assertiveness from 1 to 10, which is weak evidence.

Sources

1. YouGov: Toilet paper over or under (February 22, 2022)
2. Google Patents: US465588A, Toilet-paper roll (Seth Wheeler, 1891)
3. My Modern Met: Original patent drawing and the over or under debate
4. Wikipedia: Toilet paper orientation
5. Joseph Reagle: Toilet paper orientation and the Ann Landers columns
6. KTNV: How you hang toilet paper says a lot about your personality