If You Hang Toilet Paper This Way, It Can Be Covered in Germs: The Proper Way to Mount It [Health Issue]

According to The Financial News, concerns have been raised that when the loose end of a toilet paper roll faces the wall, the risk of exposure to germs can increase. This has prompted calls for greater attention to the proper way to mount toilet paper.
Experts explain that the loose end of the roll should face outward. This reduces the chance of contact with germs on the wall compared with hanging it so the paper unrolls toward the wall. Bathroom walls can be contaminated by various pathogens that spread when the toilet is flushed. Common examples include Escherichia coli, which can cause diarrhea and abdominal pain, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can lead to blood and lung infections.


A research team at the University of Colorado Boulder used lasers to observe how droplets move when a toilet is flushed. They found that heavier droplets fall to the floor within a few seconds, but smaller particles can remain suspended in the air for several minutes. Some particles were even seen rising above the toilet and walls, reaching as high as the ceiling.
In real-world settings, droplets can carry various bacteria, so walls near toilets are likely to be contaminated with fecal particles and germs. If the toilet paper is mounted so that it unrolls toward the wall, there is a higher risk that a person’s hand or the paper itself will touch the contaminated surface while being used.


This also aligns with the original intent of the inventor. In drawings submitted to the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) in 1891 by American entrepreneur Seth Wheeler, who devised the modern toilet paper roll, the loose end is clearly shown facing outward. Mounted this way, the inner surface of the roll naturally faces outward as the paper is pulled.
Lodging facilities also generally require the loose end of the roll to face outward for hygiene reasons. In particular, hotels often fold the first sheet into a triangle to signal that cleaning has been completed and to help guests easily locate the end of the roll.


hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter