# Poll: Bathroom Habit **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 15, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455 "2009-01-15T17:46:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Telcontar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Telcontar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telcontar)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/1 "2009-01-15T17:46:46Z")
For a bathroom poll this is not too disgusting (I hope). After you pass solid waste do you: a.) stand then wipe b.) wipe then stand Personally I do (a) and it had never occurred to me to do (b), but I was talking about this to a friend once\* and she thought that (a) was quite strange. I’ve thought about tacking this on the end of one of my surveys, but it’s so out there that people might not want to answer. \*We were discussing automatic flush toilets and wasted water. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/2 "2009-01-15T17:50:17Z")
Wipe? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/3 "2009-01-15T17:52:28Z")
B. If you stand first, the butt cheeks come together and increase the chance of any residue soiling previously unsullied skin. Plus from the sitting position it’s trivially easy to drop the paper into the bowl. Why on earth would anyone stand first? ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/4 "2009-01-15T17:53:53Z")
Standing first is quite bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/5 "2009-01-15T17:58:23Z")
I stand first for both number 1 & 2…and I’m well aware that’s odd 😛 ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/6 "2009-01-15T18:17:01Z")
A½. I don’t really stand, just raise up enough to reach around, maybe a foot at the most. Leaning or reaching between the legs increases the odds of making contact with the bowl contents. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/7 "2009-01-15T18:45:17Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > B. > > If you stand first, the butt cheeks come together and increase the chance of any residue soiling previously unsullied skin. Plus from the sitting position it’s trivially easy to drop the paper into the bowl. > > Why on earth would anyone stand first? This sums it up. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/8 "2009-01-15T19:15:29Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > Wipe? Hee. and B. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/9 "2009-01-15T19:28:58Z")
I stand first. Only because I’m not as agile as I used to be. ---
**Author:** ![3acresandatruck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e79b87/32.png) [@3acresandatruck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3acresandatruck)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/10 "2009-01-15T19:30:42Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > I stand first for both number 1 & 2…and I’m well aware that’s odd 😛 But really… **AngelSoft**? _ **AngelSoft?** _ yeah..that’s wierd… And I’m switching my brand of TP. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/11 "2009-01-15T19:33:16Z")
> [@3acresandatruck](#): > > But really… **AngelSoft**? _ **AngelSoft?** _ yeah..that’s wierd… And I’m switching my brand of TP. 😉 Ahh XD I didn’t even realize the irony of posting in the thread. We prefer the brand with the puppy. No idea what it’s called other than it has a puppy on it. But seriously, been doing it all my life and I thought it was normal till I saw my sister in law potty training my nieces. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/12 "2009-01-15T19:35:18Z")
Stand first. Doing it while seated seems…impractical, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/13 "2009-01-15T20:07:16Z")
> [@Telcontar](#): > > After you pass solid waste do you: > a.) stand then wipe I’m not even sure how this would work. When I’m standing, my buttchecks are together, so I would I get in there to wipe? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/14 "2009-01-15T20:14:11Z")
I stand with knees slightly bent. This allows both the front to back motion and the back to front motion. If the stools are particularly tarry, a little spit on the toilet paper helps to break it up. ---
**Author:** ![Drygon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@Drygon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drygon)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/15 "2009-01-15T20:42:10Z")
I stand to wipe. My wife thinks its weird but until we were married, I had no idea people did it any other way. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/16 "2009-01-15T20:55:18Z")
Stand, of course…like any non-deviant would do. Wipe while sitting? How the hell do you not end up sticking your hand in the water? ---
**Author:** ![Gwyen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/858c86/32.png) [@Gwyen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gwyen)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/17 "2009-01-15T20:58:03Z")
You and your wife talking about pooping? B… always b Standing seems so strange. Did you always do that or were you taught? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/18 "2009-01-15T21:01:29Z")
I used to wipe first. Then for some reason, almost certainly back problems which I have on and off for 40 years, I started standing first and never changed back. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/19 "2009-01-15T21:02:23Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > Stand, of course…like any non-deviant would do. > > Wipe while sitting? How the hell do you not end up sticking your hand in the water? Somebody’s water level is too high I would say. Gary T got it up in post #3. Now I do lean forward a bit but not so much that an observer would call it standing. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455/20 "2009-01-15T21:03:04Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > Wipe while sitting? How the hell do you not end up sticking your hand in the water? I’m a woman and my hand doesn’t have to make it around a massive appendage. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-bathroom-habit/481455.md?page=2)