For older adults, the question can become less about tradition and more about convenience.

A toilet-paper roll that is easy to see and grab may be preferable for someone with reduced vision, limited hand strength or difficulty reaching into narrow spaces.

Accessibility guidance for toilet rooms emphasizes that toilet-paper dispensers should be positioned within accessible reach and should allow continuous paper flow.

That doesn’t mean every older person must hang toilet paper over.

It simply means that ease of access should matter more than an arbitrary household rule.

If someone has trouble finding the loose end when the roll hangs underneath, the over position may be the more practical choice.

If someone has a physical limitation that makes either position difficult, changing the holder itself may be a better solution.

What if you have children or pets?

Here’s where the under position can win.

A toddler sees a roll of toilet paper and doesn’t necessarily see “bathroom supplies.”

They may see something that can be pulled.

And pulled.

And pulled.

The same can be true of cats.

Because the loose end is less exposed when the roll hangs underneath, accidental unrolling can be reduced.

So if you’ve repeatedly come home to discover an entire roll covering the bathroom floor, you may want to consider the under position.

Or, perhaps, a closed bathroom door.

Is there actually a “correct” answer?

Here’s the surprising part:

There is no universally enforced correct way.

If we’re talking about historical evidence, the famous 1891 patent illustration shows the paper coming over the top.

If we’re talking about convenience, many people find “over” easier because the loose end is visible and accessible.

If we’re talking about pets and children, “under” can have an advantage.

And if we’re talking about personal preference, there is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing whichever way works best for your household.

So perhaps the most accurate answer is:

Over is the practical favorite, and the 1891 patent gives it an entertaining historical victory—but the patent did not actually establish a universal rule.

The patent discovery is still pretty fascinating

Even if the patent doesn’t officially settle the argument, there’s something amusing about the fact that a disagreement people still have today can be traced back more than a century.

The patent wasn’t really about bathroom etiquette.

Wheeler was interested in making perforated toilet paper easier to separate cleanly. The patent describes the arrangement of cuts and connections designed to help individual sheets tear away from the roll.

That basic idea became an important part of the modern roll of toilet paper.

And somehow, more than 130 years later, people are still looking at the illustration and arguing about which direction the roll should face.

That’s quite a legacy for a patent designed to make paper easier to tear.

So which way should you choose?

If you want the simplest answer, try over.

The loose end is easier to see, easier to grab and generally easier to pull away from the wall. Those are useful advantages in an everyday bathroom.

But if you have pets or young children who constantly unroll the paper, under may actually work better for your home.

And if another person in your household has a strong preference, you might decide that keeping the peace is more important than winning the toilet-paper debate.

After all, it’s only toilet paper.

Although if you’ve ever walked into a bathroom and discovered the roll installed “the wrong way,” you probably know how surprisingly strong that opinion can be.

Bottom line: The famous 1891 Seth Wheeler patent shows toilet paper hanging over the top, which is why “over” is often called the historically correct answer. But the patent itself was about the construction and perforation of the roll, not a rule telling everyone how to mount it.

So the next time someone in your house changes the roll, you’ll at least have some history to bring into the argument.