Tomato, tomato. I'm sure you pronounced those same two words differently.
Toilet paper hanging over, or under? Not quite the same, am I right?
The over-or-under debate has been around for as long as I can remember.
Turns out, the way you hang your toilet says a lot about your personality.
A study published in The Independent by Dr. Gilda Carle found that people who prefer to have their toilet paper hanging over, where the loose end is draped over the top, are more likely to have a dominant personality.
And people who position the roll under, where the loose end is hanging inside next to the wall, are more likely to be less assertive and more empathetic and easy going.
All that being said, there is actually a right way to hang a roll of toilet paper, and you'd benefit from changing the position if you've been doing it wrong.
Why There's Only One Right Way
The tribe has spoken (when I say tribe, I mean science) that hanging your toilet paper the wrong way can make people sick, lead to lawsuits, and worker's compensation payments.
A 2011 study by the University of Colorado discovered that even the cleanest public restrooms are covered in dangerous bacteria that could make you very sick.
Their findings identified 19 groups of bacteria on the doors, floors, soap dispenser, faucet handles, and toilets.
Simply touching any of these surfaces puts you at risk of getting sick, and the problem is that most people are not washing their hands properly to get rid of these dangerous bacteria strains.
I don't think anyone's surprised by that, but here's where things got interesting...
The researchers discovered a lot of e.coli, which comes from human feces, around the toilet.
This bacteria can easily be transferred to your hands, and cause health problems, like food poisoning.
So if the toilet paper is hung "under," there's a chance that someone's fingers could come in contact with the wall. And because the toilet paper is closer to the wall, it brushes against it, and the next person's hands can get contaminated.
Also, when the toilet paper is hung under, someone's hands may come in contact with the top of the toilet paper as they're trying to rip out however much they need.
That's why hanging the toilet paper "over" is the right way.
A person's fingers would only be able to touch the toilet paper that they will use.
Now that you know this knowledge, it makes sense right? This is why many public restrooms have a toilet paper dispenser to restrict people from touching the whole roll.
According to Inc., employees have held their employers liable for food poisoning in the workplace.
And for good reason. In the worst cases, food poisoning can result in brain damage or death.
So what can you do to prevent yourself from getting sick, aside from letting coworkers know the right way to hang toilet paper?
Wash your hands properly for at least 20 seconds with warm water. And you might want to stay away from hand dryers.
