# Toilet paper-- fold or crumple? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 2, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-fold-or-crumple/559231 "2010-11-02T17:08:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-fold-or-crumple/559231/1 "2010-11-02T17:08:29Z")
When utilizing toilet paper, how do you prepare it for use (let’s assume a #2 for simplicity’s sake)? (I’m a bit poll-happy today. Can you guess when the inspiration for this one came?) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-fold-or-crumple/559231/2 "2010-11-02T17:14:11Z")
I generally do the combo: I fold once, give it a single twist, then fold again. I feel it provides an ideal amount of strength and, um, “friction edges.” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-fold-or-crumple/559231/3 "2010-11-02T17:21:06Z")
Fold, fold, crumple, apply. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-fold-or-crumple/559231/4 "2010-11-02T21:52:56Z")
I don’t understand folders - it seems like a waste of paper. Crumpling gives you a better tool with less paper. ---
**Author:** ![Orange13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e57/32.png) [@Orange13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orange13)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-fold-or-crumple/559231/5 "2010-11-03T07:08:02Z")
> [@](#): > > I don’t understand folders - it seems like a waste of paper. Not if you refold it and use again :eek: ---
**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:** [November 3, 2010, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-fold-or-crumple/559231/6 "2010-11-03T13:17:40Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I don’t understand folders - it seems like a waste of paper. Crumpling gives you a better tool with less paper. How so? I’m not even sure how that would work. I always tear off about 8 squares, fold it up, and use it as a shield between my hand and the enemy when I come up to Uranus to wipe out the Klingons. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-fold-or-crumple/559231/7 "2010-11-03T13:22:33Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > How so? I’m not even sure how that would work. Nooks and crannies hold more than just butter. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-fold-or-crumple/559231/8 "2010-11-03T13:31:44Z")
[Aussie TV advertisement](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gW3p5CA9eg) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-fold-or-crumple/559231/9 "2010-11-03T13:44:16Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > [Aussie TV advertisement](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gW3p5CA9eg) Complete with a grammar violation! ---
**Author:** ![KinkiNipponTourist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e9bcb4/32.png) [@KinkiNipponTourist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KinkiNipponTourist)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-fold-or-crumple/559231/10 "2010-11-03T13:49:18Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Nooks and crannies hold more than just butter. That’s poetry right there. Excellent analogy!😃 ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-paper-fold-or-crumple/559231/11 "2010-11-03T13:58:17Z")
Crumple. The surface area and, yeah, nooks & crannies do a better job cleaning than a flat surface. ETA: I’m wondering about the one response in “Something else entirely”. Corncob?