Why is the toilet paper almost always mounted on the wall to the left of the toilet?
Asked by
ibstubro (
18804
)
February 10th, 2015
Thinking of my house, the houses I’ve lived in, and the public toilets I tend to visit, in every instance the bathroom is configured so that the toilet is against a wall standing on the left so that the toilet paper can be mounted there. Why?
Sure, we’re a right handed society, but are we multi-tasking in the bathroom? Wiping with the right hand while simultaneously pulling out another bit of paper with our left?
Sure, it’s a frivolous question, but one I think of a lot. I have mild scoliosis and it’s more difficult for me to turn to the left than the right. In my bathroom I’ve taken to leaving a roll of toilet paper on the floor right of the toilet so I can pick it up and use it easily. If bathroom stalls are very narrow, I have trouble getting toilet paper from the left.
Something few of us have given thought to?
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30 Answers
It’s a secret attempt to create a habit of turning towards the left in an attempt to get people to lean more left in the politics.
Honestly, I just sat here trying to identify all of the toilets I visit. I think most of them have the tp mounted on the right.
My house: both bathrooms, paper on right. Target: paper on left. Thinking about the restaurants I frequent the most: paper on right. Maybe it’s a regional thing.
MB toilet paper holder mounted on right because on left is a shower curtain.
Guest toilet paper holder on main floor mounted on left for arbitrary reasons. Could have equally been hung to right of toilet.
TP holder in basement bathroom (serving guests and those using family room) mounted on wall in front of sitter’s knees due to tight space.
Master bath: left
Guest bath: right
Parents house master: right
Parents house guest: left
Sister’s house master: left
Sister’s house #2: left
Sister’s house #3: left
Sister’s house #4: left
Pediatrician’s office: left
Therapist’s office: right
Obstetrician’s office: right
Library, cafe: right
Library, children’s: left
Except for my sister’s house, it seems completely arbitrary. Her house is a newer build. Could that be it?
My house: both on the right.
Daughter #1 – 2 Left, 1 right
Daughter #2 – 2 right, 1 left
Parents: 2 right
I would disagree with your assertion, @ibstubro .
I gave you a GQ, @ibstubro , because you managed to make this query so quietly compelling that I thought about it and answered before I really thought about it. As a subject, I couldn’t care less, but your wording or something got to me. Good for you! :-D
In bathrooms I am familiar with, the roll can be on either side, with no favoritism to one side or the other.
Thanks, @canidmajor. I’m trying.
I honestly have never lived in a place that had toilet paper on the right, that I remember.
Meaning I lived there more than a few weeks.
My bathroom at home (just one, but it’s just me) has it mounted on the wall in front of me. My church has it mounted on the right…
I found myself marching as I read @fluthermutter’s post
This question brings up something I remember hearing a great while back. Is there anyone here who can either confirm or counter the notion that there is a prohibition amongst Arabs to eating or handling food with the left hand, because that hand is designated to deploying toilet paper?
They don’t use toilet paper but clean themselves by splashing water.
The prohibition has been traditionally true.
Who knows what happens now with the influx of western porcelain toilets.
Islamic toilet etiquette
As Paul Simon says (pun intended):
“I been Ayn Randed, nearly branded
Communist, ‘cause I’m left-handed
That’s the hand they use, well, never mind”.
@gailcalled we had a couple of chinese students renting from us a few years back. They didn’t use toilet paper either but kept a wash cloth on the tp holder bar. I am assuming for cleanup; I didn’t ask.
I don’t shower daily any more due to dry skin, but take a French bath every non-shower morning and use a clean wash cloth.
Mine is always left. I am left handed and I wipe with the left every time.
2 toilets in my house, toilet rolls are on the right-hand side in both.
I have not notice any particular leaning for either side, public or private.
Girlfriend house-left
Barnes and Noble-right
My house-neither. No wall mounted holder at all. TP holder is a free standing hook on a pedestal that is movable.
My first barracks-right
The last hotel I stayed at-right
Freshman college dorm-left
House where I grew up-right
I don’t see a pattern
@josie YOU DON“T SEE A PATTERN!?!?!?!?!?
It is either right or left!!!!!!
Have you ever seen it in front or behind!?!?!?!?!?
This is a typical two dimensional world view!!!!!
We have one on the left, and one on the right in our house, and most I have seen in public toilets are on the right as well. Hey, doesn’t really matter as long as there is toilet paper right??!!
@rojo Which is exactly why I got a movable TP holder instead of putting it on the wall.
Maybe there is no toilet paper but a warm blast of air up your poop chute French style.
@ibstubro ….like thousands of tiny fingers urging you to let go….
@ibstubro Bwhahahahahaha good one!! Who would have thought toilet paper conversation would be so amusing…
Thanks, @Kburger, and I have to agree! Whoda thunk?
Since I have time to spare (and am obsessed with statistical analysis…and love to flaunt my useless knowledge), here are the locations of the toilet paper rolls in some of the hotel rooms at the hotel I used to work at:
201: right
202: both
203: left
204: right
205: right
206: left
207: right
210: right *
211: left
214: right
215: left
216: left
217: right
301: right
302: left
303: right
304: right
305: right
306: left
308: right
309: left
310: left
311: right
312: right
313: left
314: right
315: right
316: left
*The bolded rooms are where the placement seems to truly be arbitrary. For instance, in room 312, the toilet is surrounded by walls on all but 1 side.
In the rooms which the toilet paper does not seem to be arbitrarily placed, the placement is consistent based on the wing. One wing is more renovated than the other, which is my hypothesis as to why the pattern suddenly changes. In one wing, rooms 201–207 (202 an exception) and 301–306, the toilet paper is placed between the toilet and the sink. In the other wing, rooms 214–217 and 308–316, the toilet paper is placed on the wall next to the toilet but not next to the sink. So, it has nothing to do with left/right preference.
However, take a look at the bolded rooms where it really did seem like a tossup. In all but one of them, the toilet paper is places on the right. This goes against your conjecture.
In fact, in the “older rooms” where the toilet paper is between the toilet and the sink, it’s pretty awkward to access it, and I think it’s in part because the holder is mounted really low. I suppose they realized that when they renovated, so this factor may skew the results.
More statistics:
The toilet paper in my bathroom here is on the right between the sink and the toilet.
The toilet paper in my parents’ house’s bathrooms are both on the right.
The toilet paper where I used to live was on the left.
The toilet paper in another place I used to live was on the right.
In residential abodes, it depends upon where the toilet is placed. Often, it is between a counter and a wall. The wall will should always win. In my guest bathroom, the toilet is between the counter and the tub, so the dispenser is mounted on the wall directly across from the toilet and within easy reach.
With commercial facilities with multiple toilets, such as restaurants and gas stations, it goes either way.
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