It Happens in Every Household

Thanks for the image, Google images

Well, am I?

Are you?

This will be more a rant than a chat, but you are still very welcome to join in.

What is it with empty loo rolls?

Why can't anyone SEE them, but (in our house) me?

I think in a past life, I was caught in a toilet paper shortage and vowed I would never be without toilet paper again. Our household is NEVER without at least one full pack of 9-rolls of loo paper in the utility cupboard. Whether we need it or not, a 9-roll of loo paper is in the supermarket trolly. It's one of the unique things G loves about me (really, he's told me)

One of my best purchases at Costco was the 54-rolls of loo paper in one gigantic pack. I loved knowing the bathroom cupboard was full of the stuff. I felt safe knowing we'd always have loo paper.

G often likes to remind me there are only 3 of us in our family; in our current home, we have 3 toilets, and Monday - Friday for the majority of time, no one's home to use the loo, so why do we need so much loo paper 'in stock'. I've no logical answer.

Stock photo, thanks Google Images

As I am the only one to replace the loo roll, it always goes on the RIGHT WAY, i.e.: paper rolls away from the wall. If I'm at a friends, and the loo paper is rolling the wrong way i.e.: along the wall, it takes an enormous amount of control to leave it there.

MissM's loo paper often slips off the wall bracket (no idea why) and she will put it back on any old-how, often the wrong way. I have no problems changing it to the RIGHT WAY.

Which way to you think is the right way?

Stock photo, thanks Google images.

Bet you didn't think I could pop an expat angle onto a chat about loo paper - c'mon, it's me! ms-havachat. I once gave an impromptu 15 minute presentation on spaghetti growing in Italy at an i -house training course chaired by the Managing Director of the advertising agency where I was an intern.

Think of the brand you currently use.

How long have you used it?

What do you like about it - price? patterns? colours? texture?

Would you change brand? Why?

What would your family think if you changed brand?


When you move internationally, and your preferred brand from home ain't available you go into a slight melt down. The choice can be overwhelming.

If you look up Tesco online (www.tesco.ie)  and search for toilet paper, no less than 102 product items are listed.

Sainsbury in the UK offer 53 online toilet paper products.
Woolworths in Australia offers 34 products.
Walmart in the US offers no less than 3,358 items when you search 'toilet paper'. Don't believe me, click here.

Check out your local online supermarket and search for toilet paper and see what I mean.

How can there be so many variations on the same, simple, disposable square of tissue paper?

When you go to the supermarket for the first time, in your new city to yet again, establish a pantry/laundry/utility room/fridge/freezer, and you THINK you know what global brand of something as simple as loo paper will end up in your trolley THINK AGAIN.

Chances are, you'll be seeing a very long wall of loo paper with everything from koala's, to puppies, to polar bears, to aloe vera or photo's of loo paper starting at you. Then you have to sort thru the different ply (weight) of loo paper; then there's texture ....... size of each square can vary brand to brand, number of squares per roll.

Recently, manufacturers have got an edge by adding moisturisers to the paper.

Don't get me started on the evolution of loo paper - it now comes scented!

How did something so simple become so complicated? And expensive!?

Think of every place you see a loo - home, hotel, restaurant, pub/club, school, office building, public buildings, theatres, galleries, museums, airports, train stations, government buildings, retail malls/shopping centres, tourist attraction ........... they all need toilet paper.

So why is it, it's so friggin difficult to change the roll when it's finished?

Our downstairs toilet roll.

Who left the empty roll?

Why was it so hard to put a new roll on ?

Oh, the toilet roll holder was empty!

Our downstair toilet paper holder

How hard is it for who ever put the last loo roll from the toilet paper holder onto the toilet roll?

I've no idea how I would cope if there was more than 3 of us permanently in the house. When we have guests staying with us for long periods, I have to admit, I'm even more concerned about having enough loo paper.

I was busting to go to the loo and instead ran into the laundry, opened the new 9-roll pack, popped 3 on to the toilet paper holder, and one on the roll. When I was done, I took the remaining rolls up stairs and filled the toilet paper holders up.

Of course, there will be another empty loo paper roll left behind; of course the toilet paper holder will be empty but one day, ONE DAY I hope that the other 2 people in the house SEE the empty items before me and rectifies it before I see it.

What happens at your place?

Who's the one to 'always' do this job?

Rant over,

With friendships
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