There are 2 age-old debates when it comes to pooping and toilet paper:
- How to properly put the roll on the holder
- Fold or Scrunch the paper when wiping
Now, I know, this seems like nothing that is health related, but actually in researching this I did find links to your health.
First, let’s start with HOW TO HANG YOUR PAPER
Even after reading the two article I link to, the debate will continue. But there is a clearer, stronger argument for hanging in the “over” position vs. the “under” position. And there one of the arguments is that in the end it can be cleaner.
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.
This is according to Essential Life Lessons and the whole article can be read here:
http://currentconfig.com/2005/02/22/essential-life-lesson-1-over-is-right-under-is-wrong/
Either way you slice it, or install it in this case, people feel very strongly about their position on this. As I was researching for this blog I asked a number of people from all walks of life and they visibly got angry and frustrated when I questioned them on their belief. A few told me that if they visit the bathroom at someone’s house and the roll is installed “incorrectly” they will take the time to change it. So I guess it’s safe to say the feeling on this can be a little visceral for folks.
When it comes to folding or scrunching their toilet paper, people are just as visceral. They honestly cannot even fathom doing it the other way!
It’s not a men vs. woman thing or a generational thing. Turns out, it’s a personality thing. I found this info from various sources but a blog post by Ashley Duvan awesomely described the difference in personalities based on how you wipe.
Men scrunch, women fold, right? Actually, it has been found that men are far more anal about their TP preferences, whereas women go to town on that bad boy and grab themselves a quick cloud of paper at wipe time.
There are plenty of arguments for why one is better than the other, but whichever method you decide on says a lot more about you than you think.
Read the whole blog here:
http://www.puckermob.com/lifestyle/scrunch-or-fold-what-the-way-you-use-tp-says-about-you
Why do people get so emotional over this debate? I think because it’s so personal. It’s how they do something 1-3 (sometimes more) times a day their whole life. Nobody likes to be told they are “doing it wrong.” And no one. Just differently. And me, being the questioning soul that I am, am fascinated about how and why people choose to do and say what they do. So here we are. The connection to health? Still a debate. In some ways, folding is healthier because you have more control over the waste, however, scrunching keeps your fingers away from the filth more. Folding is better for the environment because typically you use less paper.
Whether you fold or scrunch, doesn’t really matter all that much. But it does matter that you wipe. And that you wash your hands. Let’s not forget about that please!
