It doesn't really matter which way we hang it. My cat Bella will "fix" it for us.

i was an UNDERHAND all the way, but when we moved, the waterfall is best. i don't like living on the other side. the waterfall side. my heart is with UNDERHAND, but right now waterfall makes more sense.

i felt the same way when this white sox fan went to a cubs game.

The worst thing is that many men are convinced that the underhand method is something only women use, and many women are convinced that the underhand method is "a guy thing".

if you have cats, the underhand is the way to go. the waterfall only begets piles of unraveled tp on the floor...and who wants to know that their tp is getting "regurgitated?!" (unraveled and then re-raveled)

And another thing that really bothers me... When someone is showing an apartment or house and they have a picture of their bathroom.. PLEASE... close the toilet lid...for goodness sakes..

When you have the lid and seat up.. it just looks so tacky..

I always put the toilet paper over.. I worked for The Excalibur Hotel Casino in Las Vegas,NV and that is the way all Hotel's place their toilet paper. Even though I have always done it that way.

This is funny. My husband and I encountered this our first year of marriage, I went waterfall, he was underhand. We quickly resolved this with a tear-off, giving the roll a few tears with both methods to see which one "worked" best. To my surprise, the underhand tore cleaner while my waterfall method left a long tail more times than not, so now we both go underhand :)

I have an almost 4 year old, and the underhand method works MUCH better in helping him tear off cleanly, and avoid pulling out way more TP than he needs. Just saying...

Underhand is best if you have a cat, because they sometimes think that the toilet paper roll is a toy and if it isn't underhand then you will have a pile of toilet paper to clean up off the floor.

Haha, yeah, I always have a mini heart attack if I go somewhere where the toilet paper roll is underhand and I'll always try to fix it if I can. HOWEVER, it's much better to have it set up underhand than not replaced at all! That's the worst.

If someone puts my mother's toilet paper on underhand, it will unroll itself. Weird!

Definitely underhand, I think it's easier to handle from a sitting position. And I agree with the comment that it cuts down on tp square waste (more squares to spare).

As for lid up or down, I decided the best compromise in a multi-gender household is all lids down. Plus, it does look better that way.

Underhand works best, while waterfall looks nicer.

And people who care so much about this that they fight over it need to adjust their priorities. :-)

Yet another cat comment... Fuji uses the toilet, but he still has that reflexive need to 'dig' afterward to bury his business. If I hang the paper waterfall, he will paddle the entire roll onto the floor. If I hand the paper underhand, he will paddle the roll a few times, see nothing happen, and walk away. Hanging my paper underhand is a small price to pay to no longer need a litter box in a tiny studio apartment.

Funny post! I prefer waterfall but have found that it really depends on the location. My cat used to love unrolling the TP in the master bathroom so underhand was the way to go. At work, we have dispensers that work better when the TP is installed underhand. Seems to be a form vs function debate.

Back in the days of printed toilet paper, and even now with quilted designs, the waterfall was the intended method. Hotels & other venues mainly use the waterfall method. I have always followed a strict adherence to the waterfall method until my new kitten (now 6 months old) discovered how fun that rolly-squishy white thing in the bathroom is to play with!

I have a cat and always put my rolls waterfall. He has never even touched the toilet paper, in many years of living together. So no, underhand is not always "best if you have a cat." I find it easier to get paper off the roll when it is waterfall, and it's really not that difficult to prevent yourself from taking too much.

I have two cats and have no problems. They could care less about toilet paper! They are more obsessed with drips from the sink!! I can't stand underhand! I hate having to turn the roll to find the starting point. If I see them like that, I switch them (evil grin)!!

Cats, children and economy...simply a lot less used with the roll coming off the back. Just the name "waterfall" suggests paper pouring off.

And please, if you're a guest at my house, do Not "fix" my toilet paper.

Thank you for your kindness to friends and guests who are replacing a roll if it runs out and the spare is handy. You folks can put it in any way you wish.

You'll ALWAYS put the toilet lid down if you ever watch a certain episode of MythBusters! This episode showed how spray from flushing the toilet lands all over things in the rest of the bathroom. Now I loathe going into restrooms that have toilets without lids.

not spray, mist. any residue is in trace amounts. although i totally agree with you. lid down before flushing and pretty much any other time. i always feared dropping something in the toilet. then one day i did. hair brush flipped and landed in the toilet before i could flush it. now i appreciate the imposition of low-flow toilets.

I always put the toilet lid down (habit forcibly picked up from my bf). It's funny because after picking this habit up, I could always tell when my room mates had used my bathroom. Now I'm somewhat offend/disgusted if I walk in and can see into the bowl . . . gross!

As for TP, my cat's never had an interest. Sort of wish she would, sounds funny! In any case, the waterfall way is the only way.

honestly, this is a post?

This drives me batty. My MIL always uses the underhand method in her guest bathroom, and I get so excited when I get the chance to replace it and put it waterfall way!
5-star hotels do waterfall, so I think that says something.

And I'm another one who ALWAYS puts the lid down before the flush. I hate the restrooms at my work, which are lidless - I have to try and escape the cubicle early in the flush but not too soon to see it has completed the task adequately!

My bf and I just moved in together, and funnily we had the tp conversation, we both strongly agreed that the underhand way is the only way!

It's funny how waterfall is winning in a landslide, but most of the comments are touting underhand.

I think it's just easier to get at in waterfall. Sometimes someone's roll holder is placed sort of low or is in an awkward position (like the wall opposite the toilet rather than next to it), and underhand places the flap a little further out of reach.

such a small thing that can drive me mad! waterfall for everyone!

I prefer waterfall, but underhand isn't a deal breaker for me.

Whatever delivery system works for you. There is no right or wrong.

However, what works for me is the Waterfall method, except when small children are visiting.

I prefer underhand because the weight of the TP keeps the roll from flying away. If I forget, or am using someone else's bathroom, I'll yank and end up with a handful!

When you have to go none of this really matters.

wow. one more question to ask a prospective partner.

waterfall is preferred, but with 3 cats...the opposite is required, or you will come home to toilet paper all over the house.

Am I wrong to say that I just don't care, as long as there actually IS tp to hand?.

And lid down, no question.

Most of you don't have to worry about spiders or scorpions in the bathroom, but we who live in rocky, semi-arid, and/or desert climates find that the waterfall method is safest. For some reason, scorpions like to hide on the backside of toilet tissue, and the Waterfall Method will let you spot them quickly. You DO NOT want a scorpion rolled up in your handful of tissue. Really.

Pick your battles...clearly the most important thing is that the person who finishes the roll replaces it with a new one!

Good old Ann Landers must be turning in her grave. She worked so hard on that (t)issue. It became the hottest topic in all her career.

How do you think Martha Stewart hangs her TP? Answer: Waterfall

Im a waterfall. Because of the position of my toilet to the roll holder, its way easier to grab the end if it is overhangin'

Under. Reason being is that the toilet paper rolls off smoother. Function.

Potatoe, potatoh -- The real key to domestic harmony is separate tubes of toothpaste if one party squeezes from the bottom and the other squeezes from the middle (shudder).

Waterfall for me. I get a little grossed out that my TP is touching a wall, as it does with many dispensers when it's the other way. I flatten the core, so my cant can't spin it out.

You forgot the third option, most popular at my house-- Balanced upright on top of the old, empty roll.

Actually, the MOST proper way to hang toilet paper is not to hang it at all, but to have your servant take a roll and amass a pile of tp squares which are then probably placed on a silver tray.

I read that once that this is what Edward VIII's (of Edward and Wallis Simpson fame) servants did, because tp rolls were considered vulgar.

Waterfall... a few years ago I didn't even realise there was a difference until I read an article that said all hotels use the waterfall... so I assume that's the "correct" way to do it... Husband thinks I'm barmy when I change it from underhand to waterfall...

I've always been an underhand girl but now I have a vertical toilet paper holder and it doesn't seem to matter which side the paper comes off.

UNDERHAND!

Another vote for underhand if you have cats. I really couldn't care less which way it goes on. I'm just happy if whoever used the last of it bothers to put a new one on at all.

Underhand! That's how my mom taught me and that's what I've done my whole life. I feel like it tears more easily, switfly and cleanly than the waterfall way.

I don't even have a toilet paper holder....

I'm with travelissness. Why make this a post? On the other hand, numerous people are commenting. But really?

With the overwhelming votes for waterfall, it probably explains why I (underhand) am single.

Underhand if you have children!! lol

Who cares? I am just happy as long as there is toilet paper in the bathroom.

Underhand.

Over, under, it's a little deeper than that. For a paper holder that's not recessed and extends from the wall as in the example at the beginning, It seems that waterfall mounting makes the most sense, since it presents the sheet to you and doesn't allow it to hide at the back of the roll.

But, if you have a recessed holder, it seems to make more sense to deliver the paper under the roll. When you put a fresh new roll on a recessed holder in the waterfall position and you try to pull off the paper, the downward force on the roll forces the roll to dig into the bottom edge of the holder where it meets the wall. Until enough paper is removed from the roll to allow clearance, it will continue to bind and tear prematurely. If that roll is installed so it comes out underhand, when you pull on the sheet, that forces the roll to rise up and allows the roll to spin easily. Finding the end of the sheet is usually easy since it tends to lay against the wall below the roll, and always will be against the wall until the last sheet.

Now since I also do my thinking and contemplating in the kitchen, this right or wrong discussion could also relate to the paper towel holder. The way the paper towel roll is mounted could be more annoying than toilet paper. Most of the holders seem to be the kind that hold the roll off the wall or below the cabinet, never recessed. For that, it seems to make the most sense to use the waterfall display which always presents the sheet at the front of the roll. If the sheet comes out under, it's usually hard to spot and grab the sheet, unless you start spinning the roll by hand to locate the end.

Either ways is find with me. I'm just happy to have toilet papers. So long as, I don't have to use my fingers or any tree twigs. I'll be a happy camper.

I have a cat. He doesn't bother with the TP. Logically, waterfall makes more sense because it's closer to where you are sitting and thus easier to reach. I am also guilty of changing it from underhand to the right way - especially at work, but no one is safe. MWAHAHAHAHA!

Neither, I switched to moist wipes, the cats haven't figured out how to get the container open (yet...)

LOL! I am typically in favor of waterfall, but now that my youngest has discovered the joy of spinning the tp roll, we've switched to underhand for the time being so our rolls aren't spread out all over the floor.

Waterfall all the way. It's just more aesthetically pleasing that way.

Waterfall for most adult applications. It presents the next available piece, easy to find.

Underhand if you have cats that play with the rolls. (Mine did only once.) Or, I guess, kids.

Lids down always, but in my house, it's so the cats don't play in the water, not because of the "mist of death" or whatever! (It annoys me when guests don't bother -- we have "soft close" lids on our Toto toilets, so USE them!)

My husband explored this issue with a great degree of thoroughness, back in 2005 ;) http://currentconfig.com/2005/02/22/essential-life-lesson-1-over-is-right-under-is-wrong/

How can toilet paper generate over 60 posts?.

This post is crackin' me up! ---- & reminds me of a funny story ---- my son was 4, we were at someone's house & he used the bathroom. When he came out he said ---- with total seriousness ---- "When I grow up, I'm going to marry an over not an under."
I laughed so hard I had to go in there myself!

I swear I had not brainwashed him at that point, but I did swear that he would put the seat down the second they said, 'It's a boy"(& he does ---lid & all! :-)

Well, looks like some of us have a definite opinion on this. I am a confirmed Underhand person. So much so, that if somebody else should have changed the roll of TP in my abode I will change it back. FYI I have heard that the waterfall method was endorsed by the army, which might explain other institutional policies f.e. the hotels mentioned.

I think the word 'unanimous' needs to be taken out of the post, as unanimity is NOT present here.

Lol. Every once in a while, I will get the phrase "toilet paper hung in incorrect overhand position", from an episide of The Simpsons, my head, and it cracks me up every time.

Fwiw, I prefer the underhand method simply because it makes the bathroom seem that tiny little bit bigger.

I am cracking up with laughter - how many choices to discuss on your fantastic site, and this one gets the most comments!!!!

Ah, the toilet-tissue issue - Lol, great post! But people have gotten divorced over this kind of stuff, seriously.

Or do like Mariah Carey (allegedly) does - carry your own TP with you!

i love tp origami.
http://www.origami-resource-center.com/toilet-paper-origami.html

ann landers got thousands of letters on this topic, and it was an ongoing debate in her column for years.

Yes, like Mrs. T, I thought the way hotels do it must be the right way. But since no one seems to know why one over the other (except cat owners) is best, I think I'll do "whatever" from now on. Oh, the freedom I feel! I wonder what Martha thinks?

I can't help but think this is a ploy to get us thinking about TP and in turn get us thinking about buying the new J Adler TP thingy....

Also-waterfall has my vote, but I try not to get too hung about it : )

Waterfall (no cats... or kids...?) Perhaps relevant: I don't tear off tp one-handed.

@skupa
Definitely underhand, [...] I agree with the comment that it cuts down on tp square waste (more squares to spare).

How so?

Hey, I checked Martha Stewart and she is not offering a preference -- only repeating the survey that Cottonelle took, that shows 70% prefer the waterfall.

Just keep the TP rolls in a cute basket. Problem solved.

Who cares?! As long as its on the roll and not on the counter...

Under, under, under.

what difference does it make?

Oprah brought this up years ago (like early 90s.) What's funny is I didn't/don't watch Oprah but for some reason saw that episode, and it was then I realized - without previous having an opinion or even noticing - I am a devout waterfall/over. The other is just plain wrong.

Overhand is definitely best. I don't want to have to hunt for the end of the paper. When it's overhand you can see it. When it's underhand you may have to feel around or roll it around to find the end. I just want to grab and go.

Posts like this are why I may finally stop reading AT - I mean Women's Day.

Haaaah, hah hah! This issue is one that falls into "Care" and "Never thought twice about it". I love it when it comes up at some gathering, and a quarter of the people are all hot and bothered about WATERFALL and everyone else is like what? what are we talking about?

That was me. We do it the way my husband likes it because...he cares. And I literally never gave it a second thought until we moved in together. People who care about this one CARE SO MUCH. The TP opinion people are always the same people who have opinions about how a dishwasher should be loaded, too.

"Who cares?! As long as its on the roll and not on the counter..."

whoops

Waterfall because of cleanliness. The underhand method allows the toilet paper to rub against the wall or whatever the holder is mounted on.

Underhand - No cats

Either way is fine with me, and same for the rest of my family -- no one really cares about this important issue. We're an apathetic bunch !

My littlest siblings (I'm the eldest of 7, from 25 to 6) all liked to pull on the toilet paper roll and no amount of trying to keep the door closed or covering the thing helped. One day I turned it over (underhand) and for some reason after that, they were perfectly happy just watching it spin on the bar. Now I always set it to underhand, and some friends of mine began to tease me about it - until they had their first daughter with the same love for pulling the toilet paper off the roll. Now they go underhand, too :)

Wow. I was shocked to scroll and see how much conversation about this topic! I answered 'either way.' Okay...moving on!

Underhand - saves paper. This comes from a household with 2 cats and a 4 year old.

All you waterfall people are wrong.

The reason I prefer waterfall is because the loose end won't be rubbing against the wall, btw. Huh, so like nearly 2000 ppl voted... I am surprised there are so many lurkers.

Underhand. Cleaner tear, and it does seem less attractive to cats, at least to my 2. My girlcat in particular LOVES to tear up rolls of paper if she can get a head start on them before I discover her in the act. She'll gleefully wrestle with any full toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls that she happens to find in a closet or temporarily sitting out somewhere unguarded. (if only she were that passionate about the cat toys I've bought over the years!)

Toilet seat: down for sure. Years ago, I accidentally dropped a small Clinique mirror in the toilet. The toilet had been flushed and was clean, but the damn mirror (one of those very small square ones with the flip-up cover) immediately got stuck in the bowl and no amount of workmanship by either myself or a plumber would unstick it or break it to free it. The landlord actually wound up having to replace the toilet! It was a flukey thing to have happen, but it sure cured me of leaving the toilet seat up for any amount of time.

Overhand (aka waterfall).

But I won't absolutely freak out if it's underhand. (Well, maybe for a second or two.)

This made me laugh, then made me laugh more that it had so many comments! It's so banal but at the same time something you use several times a day so if it's not right you notice.

I'm happy if it's on the spindle.

If you're right-handed and it's on the right side of you, underhand. If you're right-handed and it's on the left side of you, waterfall. That's how I see it, go with what's easier to grab.

some of these comments are too funny (I've read them all - a rarity!)

I have a tp roll question: in our 1950s bungalow we have a tiled-in toilet roll holder that is too small for today's "jumbo" rolls. I need an extender - anyone know where to get one or how to make one?

I agree with both sides... life is a compromise. He puts the seat down in exchange for my installing the roll waterfall.

Am I wrong, or are you guys posting a lot less frequently on the family page? And with more fillers (like this one) that aren't really related at all.

I had a fight with my husband over this a few months ago. But I won! Because the paper he likes is not smooth on both sides. So only using underhand method we could enjoy the best part of it!

I never really understood this issue. It used to be an "ice breaker" game at events and I would be left standing in the middle not understanding what people meant by forward or backwards. To me the most important this is to have it ON THE HOLDER. I don't care how it is hanging as long as it is there when i need it most!

Ha - love this! My husband will sometimes comment if I hang it "incorrectly" so I was curious to see how many people agree with them. Apparently he's right - the waterfall method is the way to go!

I think there are more important thing's to think and worry about. ;-P

LOL - this was always a big joke in my family to which I always say "Ah! The Tissue Issue rears it's ugly head!" Three things never to be discussed, Politics, Religion and The Tissue Issue!

wow! and I thought one of the great Australian debates regarding toilet paper was petty: are you a folder or a scruncher?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gW3p5CA9eg

but definitely underhand :D

it is easier to put your hand against the roll and tear with it falling from the back, also,it's less easy to be spun and go all over the floor by the baby and the cat. Definitely the way to go!

So what happens if you go into a waterfall or underhand bathroom, and switch it on the homeowner, Armageddon?

Unreal!

Our laundry basket is in the bathroom under the Toilet Paper dispenser.

I was always a waterfall but I discovered that if I am lazy and throw things into the hamper from the door I end up with long streams of paper tangled in the laundry.

I worked at a resort as a housekeeper and they specifically tell you to load the toilet paper waterfall style, since then I've always been for that method.

Unanimous means "absolutely no one voted for the other method." Waterfall has a Significant Majority, yes; but it's not unanimous.

If you do a tp-hanging vote next year, a secondary check for "cat owner" versus "normal human" might show who's voting for which method.

I live in Europe and the TP holder has a little metal contraption that sits on top of the TP (see image below). I guess it's there for style and to aid in ripping the TP effectively by adding resistance to the roll. In this case I vote waterfall.

http://www.dinodirect.com/toilet-paper-holder-lid-european-home-decor.html

this is ridiculous. i want the old apartment therapy back.

DANGAB33 has the next poll idea! Folder or Scruncher??? My friends and I actually discuss this. Fun, silly topic.

Folder, all the way!

The husband and I both prefer over because we hate trying to find the edge. Plus, sometimes I like to do the hotel tp origami for fun! hehe

This topic was old when Ann Landers and the original Dear Abby were alive & writing.

Sure it's prettier hanging over, but if you have a toddler, a dog, or a cat, they can quickly learn to bat it down -- and toss all your paper off the roll onto the floor. In our house, (s)he who thinks to replace the roll gets to decide. Changing someone else's roll is just sort of sad.

so for people who prefer the waterfall they would rather spend money on a product to prevent it from unrolling and tear it off? unreal. go underhand then.

i once stayed at a hotel that actually had their logo on a sticker, on the folded end of the toilet paper. did they think i might forget which hotel i was staying at?

Our cat will unroll the waterfall hung rolls.... much like a previous post mentioned children - Under hand or under a TP cozy.

This is a good question when trying to decide if you should dump someone. If they get all hot and bothered over which way the toilet paper hangs they are obviously wound too tight for my taste (Unless they have diagnosed OCd/Aspergers or other some such where they really can't help it). There is no wrong or right way! It's toilet paper! Ugh! It irks me everytime I get into an argument with someone about this! Everytime I think about how many minutes I will never get back arguing with my family about how to HANG THE TOILET PAPER I feel like ripping out my nails! I have very strong feelings about people having strong feelings about toilet paper hanging! I can't even believe I'm on this thread! IT'S JUST SO IRRITATING! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!

*storms off in a huff and sets fire to the toilet paper roll*

Waterfall for me. But, I'm not OCD about it. What's worse is that there is no toilet paper at all when you need it.

Since I read vegan message boards, and poop is always a viable topic, this is kind of funny.

Anyone remember the Maude episode where Bea Arthur and the housekeeper are arguing about how the roll rolls?

As for my home, I typically have the roll underhanded, but I always squash the roll, and therefore the tube before installing so even if the cat/child/guest/ poltergeist gets a hold of the loo paper, not much goes because the verb form of roll no longer applies.

And for your googling fun: family cloth.

When I remodeled my bathroom in 2008, I installed a "spindle"-type toilet paper holder; now the question is should the paper roll out from the right or the left of the spindle?

Ha, I'm not aiming as high as dictating which way the roll goes on. None of the guys I've lived with ever managed to even replace the roll on the holder...

100% over. Under always pulls way too much paper and doesn't break easily, needs two hands to break cleanly.

What's next for Apartment Therapy? Fold or scrunch?

I have no idea why, but it drives me BATTY when people do the underhand way. Think about this- if someone were to take their hand to go for a second serving of TP after just having their hand all up in their business..they are then rubbing that hand against the wall to grab that underhanded roll. GROSS. Germs all over the wall, and subsequently all over the next person's first serving of paper.

This is probably a much more important issue that those being discussed in politics lately. I Tweeted this with the hash tags #vote #Republican #Democrat #RonPaul Don't count on it being resolved anytime soon. LOL