Essential Life Lesson #1: Over is Right, Under is Wrong

As part of our ongoing effort here at Current Configuration to make your life not only better, but also 10% more crunchy, we’re offering you this first installment of what will be an ongoing series of Essential Life Lessons. Kicking off this series will be a critical but even-handed examination of a common misunderstanding that occurs in a realm of many misunderstandings: the bathroom.

Put simply, there is a right way to hang the toilet paper, and a wrong way. Read on to determine the status of your own roll.


Toilet paper has a natural curve, a way of being that lends itself to certain orientations on the toilet paper spool.* If handled with skill and knowledge, it can provide an abundance of both sanitation and comfort, quilted together in each square of pillowy ply. If handled with clumsy ignorance, or worse, carelessness, it will beset the user with pain, filth, and frustration. Don’t let it end this way, with you curled on the tile floor of the stall, weeping in frustration, covered in wasted papier de toilette. To convince you, we’ve created some diagrams, harnessing the power of SCIENCE, to demonstrate the natural benefits of the over hanging method. First, we examine the optimal viewing benefits of the over hanging method.

Below are examples of the helpful and fruitful over-hung method on the left and the annoying and detrimental under-hung method on the right.

Right vs. Wrong

Free Sheetage Viewing diagram

Notice the dramatic difference in the amount of visible toilet paper. Ironically, it is the over-hung toilet paper that has both the most visible free sheetage and the least amount of sheetage free from the roll to do it. Now, this may not seem like a big deal on its own, but in these extra sheets lies your undoing. Observe.

Paper Positioning diagram

We here at Current Configuration, for the purposes of ease and expediency, do the one-handed tear (okay, really, it’s just me, but bear with me, er, us). The one-handed tear is a quick maneuver that takes advantage of the perforated squares, allowing your bundle of toilet paper to be liberated with one quick swipe of the arm. This is the foundation of bathroom ease, the cottony bedrock on which enjoyment rests in the restrooms of many nations.

Mechanics of the One-Handed Tear diagram

The one-handed tear relies on a quick and forceful motion directed either away from or towards the tear-er. The forces applied in this motion are great and, like the atom, are not to be trifled with. The natural curve of the over-hung method allows the roll to stand fast after a one-handed tear, but the under-hung method creates a calamitous tendency in the roll. This tendency can only lead to this:

End Result diagram

Wasted paper, frustration, the destruction of our forests. While we realize that it is possible to execute a one-handed tear on an under-hung roll, this is a game of sanitary Russian roulette. You are bound to lose eventually, and there is no re-rolling an unwound toilet paper roll. The results will only cause you grief. Don’t let this happen to you. Restroom attendants, janitors, maids, facilities crews, and responsible toiletowners take note: Don’t use the under-hung method for your toilet paper rolls. It leads to the destruction of our precious resources and the pillars of civilization as we know it!

*Does that thing have a proper name?

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Because you demanded it, we bring you the Overhanging Public Service Hanger Brochure.

380 responses to “Essential Life Lesson #1: Over is Right, Under is Wrong”

  1. Goddammit, I always knew there were reasons why the overhand way was the right and correct way, but never before this have those reasons been illuminated with such blinding force — the force of total and absolute truth.

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  2. When you put this into trifold form, with a doorknob hanger cutout on top, I would like to order 1000, please. I will take them with me and hang them wherever toilet paper is misloaded.

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  3. Yes, please reproduce this post as a PDF so it can be downloaded and printed on trifold with doorknob hanger cutout.

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  4. I have to disagree, if only on a technicality – the toilet paper dispenser thing in my mother’s bathroom has been under-hung since its installation (it is inset into the wall) and it doesn’t feel right the other way. This may be because it is slightly higher-set than a lot of dispensers, and thus the problems with under-hanging are somewhat negated.

    Otherwise, the over-hanging technique has proven to be more widespread than the under, and often more useful. This is not to say I was not indoctrinated in the under-hanging method as a child; perhaps this explains my later difficulties in life.

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  5. Now, answer this: should the men of the household be required to lower the toilet seat after urination, or should the women of the household be required to raise the toilet after doing their thing?

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  6. See, my ‘Toilet Paper Spool’ is side-ways, i.e. it is set vertically. So, for me, it is a matter of clockwise or counter clockwise. Any suggestions? Otherwise, I am 100% for the ‘over-hung method’. I remember years ago (probably 17 years or so ago) there was a national plumbers convention. At this convention they had a giant display with the over-hung and under-hung configuration. There was also a vote counter above them. The over-hang won.

    Oh, and the question about who is responsible ofr the toilet set? I am big fan of ‘just check the damn thing’. Everyone is responsible for the seat themselves, before they do the business.

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  7. Do you think it’s possible to get t-shirt iron ons of that first picture (“this is right” “this is wrong”)? I’d wear that thing everywhere!

    As for toilet seat up/down, I was raised with 2 other women and no other guy in my house, so I actually feel a little uncomfortable when I walk into a bathroom and the toilet seat is up.

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  8. Oh, I also remember in college there was a label on the inside of those giant size, double roll toilet paper dispensers in the bathroom stalls. The label differentiated between the correct way to hang the toilet paper and the incorrect way (as you did above) and then titled the label “This is very important!” I don’t think even those label makers realized quite how important.

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  9. I disagree with this analysis. I have always found the one handed tear to be facilitated by the slight hesitation the under hang method gives to the roll. Also, what happens when the toilet paper becomes overly friendly with itself and the end cannot be found? On the under hang this is never a problem due to our friend gravity, but with the overhang it requires one to spin the roll until the end becomes free. Depending on what grade of tp is available, the loose end of the paper may become stuck, necessitating quite a few turns of the roll before it is even noticeable. how is that more convienient? Besides with an underhanging roll, there is no need to see free tp, a small touch sending it backwards makes the location of the end more than visible.

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  10. As for the toilet seat, it’s every person for themselves. Alisa and I take equal responsibility.

    In light of the requests, I’ll see if I can put together some ‘Over is Right, Under is Wrong’ downloads for everybody.

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  11. Another consideration — for men who desire a little extra cleanliness when standing, the under-hang makes it extremely difficult to reach the free end. Over-hung paper is easily reached and removed from a standing position.

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  12. This posting is very cool. I agree wholeheartedly. I work for a book publisher and think there would be a hilarious book in this. Would be great if the writer of this posting would contact me at lmp1001@hotmail.com

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  13. The toilet. Serious business!
    As far as men and women and the toilet seat argument goes, there is a very simple solution. The men should lower not only the seat, but the cover as well… forcing anyone who wishes to use the toilet to lift something first.

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  14. Your Mother In Law Avatar
    Your Mother In Law

    Dear Chris,
    I’ve always felt that the under-hung method was the only way that worked, at least for me. With one casual twirl, I can release the exact amount that I need, while with over-hung tp, well, the amounts were just not controllable. Now, you’ve been to my house enough times to know how much I like to control EVERYTHING, so you can imagine my reaction when the amount released does not seem to be in my control. I might actually tear the damn thing out of the wall. So, dear son-in-law, when in your mother-in-law’s house (true, dad-in-law lives there, but – whatever), please apply the under-hung method if you ever have to replace the tp in our powder room. After all, if you don’t – I KNOW WHERE TO FIND YOU!!!!
    Love, Your loving Mother-In-Law

    P.S. It’s great having a genius (and a funny one, too) as a son-in-law!

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  15. No wonder I’m confused!

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  16. This is just scraping the tip of the iceberg. now one HAS to ponder the depth and sincerity of the thought process that goes into the placement of the tp dispencer. Here in South Africa, the self-tought “masters” of the fine art of D.I.Y (note the deliberate omition of “home IMPROVEMENT”) tend not to conform to a single universal yoga-like possition one has to settle into in order to even reach the when sitting down. what do these gus think? do these home engineers just wipelessly take a leap of faith accross their bathrooms for one grasp at sanitary bliss? one favoured tp dispencer placement i’ve grown acustomed to over the last 27 years is the infamous blindsided-slow-pull-quick-tear dispencer mounted on the wall NEXT to the toilet facing the same way as you do!

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  17. I’ve re-opened the comments, due to some increased interest. Also, my apologies to the person whose comment was eaten during the upgrade-then-downgrade mess earlier this week.

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  18. I also like the overhung method but one good argument against it is that cats or kids that play with it will most likely unravel it when using the overhung method. The underhung way will wind it up.

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  19. Thank you SO MUCH for giving me visualizations on the proper ettiqutte (spell that?) of hanging toilet paper. I agree with a comment above that says we need to have this printable in PDF format and also printed on a door hanger for our bathroom door handles. What a concept… The world may not be ready for this though. I know I am, but you never know — it may cause such a stir that men may even consider putting the seat down when done peeing in my toilet. Which brings to mind this catchy little verse: “If you sprinkle when you tinkle, Please be a sweetie and wipe the seatie”…

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  20. Randy Spencer Avatar
    Randy Spencer

    This is completely wrong if you are a pet owner. If the animal gets going with the over the top method the paper will be all over the floor, however if one goes under the pet can bat at the paper all they want it will just keep rolling up. Much neater.

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  21. Overhung method is not sensitive to the child rearing community. If the overhang is visible, your 18 month old, (or my child anyway)will have half the roll on the floor in a tangled cluttered mess and have already commenced to tear the floor pile into little pieces in the only second in the #2 bathroom ritual which both the thronemaster’s hands are occupied. Bread before you concede.

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  22. Way to rock. It’s about time somebody actually documented this. I’ve always done it the right way and my wife always does it the wrong way.

    I never told her about it because I figured she’d just think I was a nut case. Now that I know I’m not alone, I’ll tell her the next time she does it the “wrong way”.

    Later…

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  23. Omg too funny. This totally reminds me of that old Mama’s Family episode when they talked about the right way to put on a roll of toilet paper…

    Thelma ‘Mama’ Harper: He even put on a new roll of toilet paper… and the right way too – from the bottom out!
    Iola Lucille Boyland: I always thought it was supposed to roll over the top…
    Thelma ‘Mama’ Harper: WHAT THE HELL DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?

    I prefer the roll over the top way and I agree that it is less wasteful. Great blog post, thanks!

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  24. Now we just need a lesson on wiping

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  25. Some things are not up for debate, and this is one of them. No doubt, over is right! I’ve argued this point many a time. But one thing you’ve overlooked, that I think is worth consideration: a female (I think) uses the TP while she is standing or sitting (not to be confused with…), a male is likely standing every time. This make reaching for the under that much more frustrating. Having said that, I actually know some guy – claiming to be a man – that’s on the wrong side of this issue.

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  26. I have always wanted this answer……..

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  27. OMG, glad to know I’ve been right all along 😀

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  28. While I completely and unreservedly agree with over hanging paper on a simple, uncovered dispenser, in pretty much all dispensers which in anyway encapsulate the roll, under hanging is better.

    The additional surface friction offered by toilet roll covers/dispensers, often leads to an unsatisfactory separation of the paper into its component squares when the operator intends simply to draw the required length of paper.

    That said, I am immediately forwarding this webpage to my little sister, who like most of their ilk, desperately needs to be told.

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  29. Forget all that krap just written. There are two ways to setup the roll and why.

    [1] paper outside: best if you have kids. Its easier for them to access paper.

    [2] paper inside: best if you have pets (dogs or cats). They love to pull DOWN on the roll and you don’t want to find 30 feet of paper on the floor.

    That’s it end of story.

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  30. If you have cats, it becomes necessary to hang the TP the “wrong” way. The cats can then paw at the spool all they want, and can’t unroll it. With the overhand method, it only takes one misplaced paw to start the whole roll unwinding.

    To the gentleman discussing toilet seats” if you have pets, seat and lid go down, all the time.

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  31. Tim Harrnacker Avatar
    Tim Harrnacker

    No no no…. Underhand is best.

    Why?

    So a cat standing on the toilet won’t unroll the whole roll as it plays with roll! If its underhand, it just goes around and around….

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  32. It’s also about the tension the overhand method delivers. You maintain better tension as pulling it forward is tangential to the delivery of the roll. If you try that from underneath, the tangent comes right at your face, and you pull off more than you need.

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  33. Sparrowhawk2000 Avatar
    Sparrowhawk2000

    As a cat owner I must agree, under is better.

    But to me the alternate way is best-not even mounting the TP, keeping the roll free and easy so you can twirl and rip. No fuss with adding/removing with the little speciality bar created just for the TP purpose.

    Ah Beevis said it best…I need TP for my bunghole”.

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  34. I totally agree with Sparrowhawk. I grew up in a female dominates house hold where the tp roll usually sat on the back of toilet and all was well in the world. My fiancé would have none of this, insists a tp holder would be used and further argues the proper way the roll is to be hung. Who would have thought a roll of tp would cause so many issues. This is my side of the argument(to my fiancé). Being the female, I use way more tp and statistically because I usually finish the roll I should be the one to decide how the next roll is hung (if at all). I personally prefer the jumbo fluffy brands, which does not even fit into the damn apartment wall mounted tp holder to begin with. This is solved by not using the tp holder or buying me a house so I can install a tp holder that will accommodate my needs. Now, is this issue worth a mortgage to you? Hopefully you see it my way and if you choose to have the last word, it better be “I’m sorry dear, you’re right”. And if you decide to pursue this issue I am sure I can come up with an arm length list of nitpicky items to ‘discuss’ with you and you can sleep on the couch until you see it my way. Your choice.

    @ Sparrowhawk – I have another solution to the free range tp roll in the bathroom. A Kleenex box on the back of the toilet. It stays put, you can put in a decorative holder, negates the germ transfer argument and you can pull out as many pre cut squares as you wish. Sure it’s more expensive but as I stated above the alternative is much much more painful.

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  35. Excellent! I hope you address the other great TP debate — scrunch vs fold — with the same scientific rigor.

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  36. Whyy!? xD

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  37. I also have an upright dispenser and use the equivalent of the “underhang” method (I think! Meaning the roll dispenses from the far side of the toilet). The reasoning behind this is that the dispenser is very close to the toilet so the underhang method places the grabbing/ripping point at a comfortable distance. Otherwise, I would have to lean back or reach through my armpit to grab tp — no way!

    I think the upright dispenser also makes it easier to perform a one-hand tear. The tp roll rests on the bottom of the dispenser arm so it has more rolling resistance than a flat dispenser. For example, one could pull down really hard on EITHER an overhang or underhang dispenser and immediately release yards of tp; not so with an upright unit. Of course, there is a downside, in that the increased friction caused by an upright dispenser may cause premature tearing if cheap, single-ply paper is used. This shouldn’t be a problem for any enlightened pooper who wouldn’t dare use anything thinner than a discount double roll.

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  38. One more problem with the under-hung method for wall-mount dispensers. It places the free sheets against the wall.

    By the way, both lids should be closed on the seat. Otherwise flushing splashes water out of the bowl.

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  39. I don’t use toilet paper anyway. Ishit in a cardboard box and I wipe myass with the flap.

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  40. The author of this article is forgetting two basic realities, and should consider a third:

    Cats. Love to bat at TP. If the roll is over-hung, when batted, it will unfurl onto the floor. Which, to a cat, is wonderful!!
    Small children.
    He should revisit his tearing technique. The spool of the TP is no looser one way than the other.
    With proper technique, the one-handed tear is just as effective either way.

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  41. RayofSunshine Avatar
    RayofSunshine

    Back on February 24, 2005 Chris said he’ll see if he can put together an “over is right, under is wrong” PDF download for those of us who are neurotic about TP rolls. Did he ever create one? Can’t find it if he did. Would he try again? Please, please, pretty please?

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  42. Actually, you have neglected to list the one reason why the ‘Under’ configuration is best. That is that the natural inclination for a person to get the roll ‘rolling’ so to speak, is to slap it downwards with the hand. If the paper is on top it will, by all known laws of TP physics, spin uncontrollably in a forward rotation and thus, in the case of an ‘Over’ hung configuration, end up piled uselessly in a crumpled mess on the floor.

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  43. OMG YOU FRICKING ROCK! YES finally someone shows the truth. I am crazy about this issue. As for the others that ask about the toilet seat well there is a very easy solution. neither man or woman should lift or put down the seat alone. Everyone in the house hold man woman and child alike should put both seat and lid down. The reasons are this! everyone is expected to do somthing so it is everyones job equally so there is no sexest issues there plus it is the most sanitary way. Cats and dogs cant get in unless they are smart and can lift the lid. Also it detors young children though not always which leads to getting toilet locking devises which also ends in putting the lid down as well. If I can train my 4 year old to do it then everyone else can too. I got her doing it at 2 years old. What I cant stand is the fact that for some damn reason I am still the one cleaning pee off the floor when the grown men miss the toilet. Now that is not fair in anyway!

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  44. I completely disagree, and so does the law.

    According to the simpsons, CYS has determined that overhanding hanging of the TP roll is not proper.

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  45. I have a spool, but I never leave it there. I leave out two rolls, one on the spool, one on the back of the can. Back of the can comes first, leaving the spooled roll as back up until the can roll is used up. Also good for just reaching over easily and grabbing off a couple of sheets if I gotta blow my nose.

    I find the spool, in general, utterly useless except for keeping the roll in place. I much prefer running the roll over my hand to collect the needed length as a full roll often jam in the spool tearing the paper prematurely. I feel like I lack control with the spool. Using my hand in running the roll, I feel a greater degree of control in obtaining the amount of paper I desire with fewer hassles. I believe it also results in slightly greater efficiency as no quick movements are required for tearing, except for a quick flick of the wrist. There is the issue of setting it down on a surface, usually the floor, but it’s never been a problem for me.

    For the record, when left on the spool, the sheet is left hanging under, not over.

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  46. All over the floor is best, so please hang it over. Meow.

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  47. Damn! i know people who devorced over this…

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  48. Finally it’s in print! I’ve been trying for years to get my husband to hang toilet paper AND paper towels the under hang way. He says if I can give him a good reason, he will. LOL..I have 3 years worth!

    Besides, if you overhang, it’s too easy for those people of Hispanic decent to put it all over the toilet seat in 3 or 4 layers to sit on…then they pee on it and leave it on the seat for the next person to remove! Yuck, Yuck, Yuck. And I do not say Hispanic not because I have anything against any race or creed. This was a carefully designed, single person study of airport toilets in the SE Florida area.

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  49. That would be because people like you (miamisoozeq) have been their before us and whizzed all over the toilet, and then touched everything before leaving without washing your hands. It’s called a butt gasket. And since we are the ones cleaning those bathrooms after the fact, we have every right. Get over it.

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  50. Thank you for the excellent SCIENCE, sir. There is however a mistake:

    In Free Sheetage Viewing, the difference is actually even more dramatic than depicted in the image. When the roll is under-hung, one can only see a part of the free sheet from below. When it’s over-hung however, one can usually see more than one free sheet, especially if the roll is partly unwound the way it is in the image. The mistake is then that the visible ready t.p., the darker blue area of the image, should be even wider, as usually a single sheet is about the same length as the diameter of the roll.

    This is an important observation, because some rolls may not have standard size sheets. In an under-hung orientation a non-standard sheet size may lead to an even more disastrous catastrophe, when the perforation is not where expected, and trying to rip from the middle either destroys the perfectly good sheet or creates an even worse calamitous tendency in the roll. With the top-hung method the perforation is in clear sight and there is no such risk.

    Thank you for your time and consideration.

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