I’m a firm believer that the vast majority of the time, the only acceptable way to install a roll of toilet paper is that so it unrolls over the top in front.
However, I do concede there are circumstances where the reverse arrangement is better.
Thus far I’ve come up with two acceptable reasons.
One has cats or other pets in the household which unroll TP hung the traditional way.
One has small children which do this also.
I suspect there are other legit reasons but have difficulty coming up with them. Please, dopers, supply some other acceptable reasons.
NB: While “I like it better this way” is not something I’d want to argue against, further explanation of why it’s liked better that way would be nice to get.
Also: I see this thread as a tool for greater acceptance and understanding of my fellow primates, not as an opportunity to bash the minority.
In our master bath, the toilet paper roll is mounted directly over the AC vent in the floor. Sometimes when the roll gets down to about 1/4 left, just the blowing air is enough to cause the TP to unroll. It does not do this, though, when the TP is hung down the back instead of over the top.
To be fair, while I’ve vehemently believed all my life that unrolling at the front is the One True Way, i have a very difficult time articulating why that’s better. And I can’t very well expect the other side to come up with better arguments than I do.
I’ve seen home bathrooms with two dispensers installed, in different places and different orientations, to ac-commode-ate both members of a couple. It’s tough to argue against that.
I don’t pay attention, and toilet paper is installed willy nilly in the house. But I do have small kids, and I guess it is better installed under the bottom for this reason. I think I’ve always had a slight preference for this orientation, but I’ve been shocked and surprised at how many people actually pay attention and at least pretend to care about it.
If the toilet roll is fitted the wrong way round, then the paper hanging down may be only half an inch or so from the wall. This means that, when one is reaching for paper, one’s fingers - which one may have been using to wipe one’s ass - are liable to touch the wall, which isn’t hygienic for a start.
When the toilet roll is fitted the right way round, the hanging part is two or three inches away from the wall, which means one’s fingers will only come into contact with toilet paper.
Due to ergonomic factors of hand dexterity and location of the roll, I’ve found that I can more easily and gently tear off the desired amount of paper with one hand…my left hand… by bracing the roll with my wrist and pulling the desired amount of gently/carefully at the perforation(s) with my fingers easier with the paper feed being underslung than overslung from the roll.
In our main bathroom, the toilet paper dispenser is built rather far back into the wall, and since I’ve had back problems, it’s difficult for me to twist around and reach it. So we keep the roll on its side, on the top of the tank.
My wife always hung rolls so that the tissue unrolled from underneath. I always did the opposite, having it feed from the top. We mentioned the difference when we first got married. Now, whenever she replaces a roll, she installs it the way I prefer. Whenever I install a roll, I do it the way she likes. In other words, we each install it contrary to our own preferences in order to please the other.
