Toilet Paper Factoids

The amazing thing about toilets, poo and septic tanks is that people become fascinated by such subjects. That’s why we thought we’d bring a few bits of our knowledge together in a blog and share them with you.

toilet rolls

How Much Paper We Use Each Day

A toilet paper manufacturer’s studies show that typically Americans use 57 sheets of toilet paper each day with 12 sheets used for each big trip to the rest room. It all adds up to about 20,000 sheets a year and at an assumed count of 180 sheets per roll, that’s an average 2 rolls per week or 2 tons in an average lifetime. 

Globally toilet paper production gobbles up a whopping 27,000 trees per day to produce 83 million toilet rolls.

Alternative Abuses of Toilet Paper 

In a research survey of convenience items taken advantage of the most, toilet paper outranked every other item by an amazing 69%! Aside from its intended purpose, toilet paper is also used for other household purposes, most commonly –

  • Makeup Removal
  • Cleaning Mirrors and Taps
  • Blowing / Wiping Noses
  • Clearing Spills
  • Cleaning Glasses

Women’s Toilet Paper Usage v Men’s

On average, man or woman, we urinate between 5 and 8 times a day, with some visiting the toilet more often if they are hydrated, on medication, or pregnant – some go less often if schedules don’t permit it or they simply have larger bladders.

Muck Munchers recent study does not weigh-up with the large-scale US study and comes to a significantly lower usage. 

Women tend to wipe after a pee. Men generally shake it off. The best estimate is that we use 8 sheets for 1.2 bowel movements per day, for both sexes, with women using an extra 3 sheets for urination, during the big daily trips. Multiply the women’s additional urination, based on using 3 sheets, means that women use some 15 sheets just for daily urination. Add the 10 sheets for the daily big trips and that makes 28 sheets per day to the average man’s 10. On that basis, we estimate the average household uses 46 sheets per day, say 17 sheets per person, excluding other uses.

That’s all pretty unfair to women.  Men do (and in many cases someone else does it for them) wipe the rim or seat and use a mass of sheets for wiping up the spills on floors. 

Toilet Paper Theft

What is it that makes the lowly toilet paper roll so appealing, or such an obsession?  HR News reported that in a study of 1300 employees last year, 9% admitted to stealing toilet paper. 

A Few Ridiculous Toilet Paper Factoids

Hanging Toilet Roll Backwards– One piece of research has found that hanging the toilet roll with the sheet falling down the wall rather than falling from the front results in less paper being used. 

Intelligent People Are Pullers– A further dubious study suggests that people who pull the paper from the bottom of the sheet, rather than from the top of the roll are more intelligent! Folders, Wadders or Wrappers – Do you wad it up, wrap it around your hand, or fold it up?  It seems that most women wad and most men fold their toilet paper.

  • 40% of people (mainly men) fold or stack toilet paper
  • 40% of people (mainly women) wad or roll it up.
  • 20% prefer the wrap method – you wonder what they do with the back of their hands.