# Do women put toilet paper in the water to prevent splash back?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 19, 2015, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055 "2015-04-19T18:43:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2015, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/1 "2015-04-19T18:43:23Z")
We go through toilet paper at an astounding rate, eventually my wife revealed she puts toilet paper in the bowl before using the toilet to prevent water splashing back up on her but or vaginal area and claims most women do this.
:dubious:Yea all I have to say on that claim.
Anyway I was curious if any other women do this.
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### Author:  [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/2 "2015-04-19T18:48:40Z")
Don’t do it. Never heard of it. Don’t know anyone else who does either. Have never experienced splash back. Never heard of another woman experiencing splash back. Women are not peeing from as great as height as men, in relation to the water’s surface, so it really shouldn’t be an issue.
My bet is I couldn’t even create splashback no matter how hard I tried!
Tell us, are toilets configured differently in the islands, perhaps?
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### Author:  [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2015, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/3 "2015-04-19T18:56:42Z")
> [@elbows](#):
>
> Tell us, are toilets configured differently in the islands, perhaps?
Nope, your standard porcelain throne.
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### Author:  [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2015, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/4 "2015-04-19T19:05:58Z")
I never have, never thought about it because splash back is not an issue.
I couldn’t tell you about other women because it has never come up in conversation.
It will now.
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### Author:  [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2015, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/5 "2015-04-19T19:09:04Z")
I’ve never done this because I consider back-splashing just a minor annoyance–not something I need to spend money or effort to avoid.
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### Author:  [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/6 "2015-04-19T19:20:44Z")
> [@elbows](#):
>
> Never heard of another woman experiencing splash back. Women are not peeing from as great as height as men, in relation to the water’s surface, so it really shouldn’t be an issue.
(raising hand) Hi, nice to meet you.
It doesn’t happen while peeing… it happens while pooping. I’ll spare you the gory details, just trust me that it happens, it’s unpredictable, and it’s icky.
Aside from that, I agree with **monstro**.
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### Author:  [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/7 "2015-04-19T19:22:37Z")
Never done it. I also don’t hover when I pee or freak out over droplets contaminating the bathroom when I flush. What is it with (some) women?
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### Author:  [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/8 "2015-04-19T19:26:07Z")
Never occurred to me to do it. Splashback is like a once every few months issue, completely unpredictable and shocking and nasty when it happens, but not worth wasting toilet paper as a preventative measure.
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### Author:  [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2015, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/9 "2015-04-19T20:53:56Z")
Splashing only happens when I’m kinda constipated. When I’ve had enough fiber and water in my diet, my shit comes out in a non-splashy way.
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### Author:  [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2015, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/10 "2015-04-19T23:06:54Z")
Never heard of this.
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2015, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/11 "2015-04-19T23:37:24Z")
Nope
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### Author:  [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2015, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/12 "2015-04-19T23:50:54Z")
Yep. Splashback is nasty, and for women can cause infections. I’d rather not risk it.
More importantly though, this is a really minor issue to be bugging your wife about. I mean, that is some very serious micro-managing there. Unless your children are going hungry to keep toilet paper in the house, I suggest you apologize for bringing it up and find something else to think about.
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### Author:  [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)
#### Post date: [April 19, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/13 "2015-04-19T23:53:50Z")
> [@TruCelt](#):
>
> More importantly though, this is a really minor issue to be bugging your wife about. I mean, that is some very serious micro-managing there. Unless your children are going hungry to keep toilet paper in the house, I suggest you apologize for bringing it up and find something else to think about.
Excellent point.
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### Author:  [@Lee\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lee_Q)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/14 "2015-04-20T02:00:44Z")
> [@monstro](#):
>
> Splashing only happens when I’m kinda constipated. When I’ve had enough fiber and water in my diet, my shit comes out in a non-splashy way.
This, exactly.
So, nope. I’ve never heard of using TP to prevent splashback. It’s not a common enough thing for me that it ever even occurred to me and I’ve never heard any of my woman friends mention it either.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2015, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/15 "2015-04-20T03:47:47Z")
Been a woman for all my life, never heard of this use of toilet paper before, never done it.
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### Author:  [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2015, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/16 "2015-04-20T03:54:24Z")
[quote=“bobkitty, post:6, topic:718055”]
(raising hand) Hi, nice to meet you.
[quote]
“Hi, bob(kitty)!”
(Every thread needs a Newhart reference.)
> [@](#):
>
> It doesn’t happen while peeing… it happens while pooping. I’ll spare you the gory details, just trust me that it happens, it’s unpredictable, and it’s icky.]
And THAT’s when it’s appropriate to use one of those “feminine hygiene” “refreshing wipes” things.
I don’t think that TP on the water would prevent the kind of splashback described by bobkitty, though.
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### Author:  [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2015, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/17 "2015-04-20T04:37:54Z")
For anybody, male or female, is this a bigger worry when using a (usually filthy) public or semi-public bathroom?
Do they have ass gaskets for you to use? Do you use them?
Read the instructions very carefully. You’re not supposed to tear out the center part completely. Just partly, so it’s still connected but dangles in the water, where it floats on the surface. It’s done that way for a reason – to prevent the splashback.
ETA: [Discussion of the proper usage of ass gasket](http://skullbrain.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=24330). (Yes, there is discussion in terms of preventing splashback.) This is right up there with the proper hanging of the toilet paper!
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### Author:  [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2015, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/18 "2015-04-20T05:10:45Z")
Nope. And this:
> [@TruCelt](#):
>
> More importantly though, this is a really minor issue to be bugging your wife about. I mean, that is some very serious micro-managing there. Unless your children are going hungry to keep toilet paper in the house, I suggest you apologize for bringing it up and find something else to think about.
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### Author:  [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2015, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/19 "2015-04-20T07:11:09Z")
> [@TruCelt](#):
>
> Yep. Splashback is nasty, and for women can cause infections. I’d rather not risk it.
>
> More importantly though, this is a really minor issue to be bugging your wife about. I mean, that is some very serious micro-managing there. Unless your children are going hungry to keep toilet paper in the house, I suggest you apologize for bringing it up and find something else to think about.
There is no bugging going on, unless “we’re out of TP AGAIN?!” qualifies. I get asked the same mostly about food products(whoa you used all the cheese for that pizza bead?!). 🙂
I was just curious how common it is, splash back never occurred to me.
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### Author:  [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2015, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-put-toilet-paper-in-the-water-to-prevent-splash-back/718055/20 "2015-04-20T10:46:20Z")
> [@Senegoid](#):
>
> […]
>
> Read the instructions very carefully. You’re not supposed to tear out the center part completely. Just partly, so it’s still connected but dangles in the water, where it floats on the surface. It’s done that way for a reason – to prevent the splashback.
>
> […]
I did read the instructions once, not even that carefully, but it said to leave the center part connected this way so that flushing drags the entire assembly in. Anyway, why would leaving it connected change the splashback?
I’ve actually done the floating bit of paper thing when I have to poop into a public bowl that looks filthy. The seat, I can easily wipe off first. But when the bowl looks like the water carries cholera or worse, why not?
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