DoctorBuzz
Member
I know that there's a debate as to which method of wiping your arse is better, in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, and hygenic reasons.... but I haven't come across much info about whether folding or crumpling could cause more clogs than the other.
I have always crumpled into a ball. It's quicker, obviously. It provides a thicker, puffier, multi-dimensional layer of ridges that can get into the very tip of my crack's crevice... regardless of if it's 1-ply, 2-ply or whatever. And it gives me the assurance that poop will not get on my hands. Folded toilet paper that gets wet from some loose stool will likely allow germs to instantly permeate to the other side.
But what I'm interested in is which method likely contributes to more clogs. My step son recently got caught folding a TON of paper in a friend's house and clogging the toilet. He's only an ignorant 6 year old, but I had to bag all that TP up and carry it out because a plunger wasn't going to help that load at all.
I think what happened was that he learned the folding method from his mother, but we both tell him to wipe until the TP is white. Fair enough, but his mother didn't tell him that after a wipe, she lifts the TP back above the seat and folds it again for another wipe!! Preposterous!! I've never heard of RE-USING toilet paper until that embarrassing return trip home.
But anyway.... the point is... I think what happened was that that with the folding method, the boy never was able to get the paper completely white. Each time he made a new tear, he kept getting brown on the TP. This is why I think the crumple method is more effective, more efficient, because it actually gets into the crevice better while keeping the fingers farther away from that very same crack.
As for clogs, however.... if the same number of ply / sheets... and if the same number of wipes were used.... could one method be more likely to clog the toilet (or even catch the flapper, so that water was constantly running)? I'd think that folding would again be the more likely culprit since we're repeatedly experiencing a flapper that's unable to seal the bottom bowl (i.e. - gurgling from the direction of the sewage line). Never had this problem until this toilet in this house.... but I think it's due to [excessive] folding. As a high school teacher once taught us, you can fit more paper in a trash bag if you don't crumple it, and instead lay it flat. This will lead to more busted trash bags, however.... as the bag isn't capable of holding that density of paper all the way to the top. Similar argument here... crumpling has lesser density, therefore takes up more volume, which would make it more obvious to some that they might need an extra flush (aka: another trash bag!).
And, of course... we know that we need multiple flushes for excessive loads.... but have you guys perhaps noticed a particular fold/crumple/scrunch method leading to more cloggings / problems ???
Sidenote: Was unaware I had this much to say about the different methods of wiping. I feel like doing so many science experiments with a faux butt and some soupy peanut butter, tho. Sounds like fun!!
I have always crumpled into a ball. It's quicker, obviously. It provides a thicker, puffier, multi-dimensional layer of ridges that can get into the very tip of my crack's crevice... regardless of if it's 1-ply, 2-ply or whatever. And it gives me the assurance that poop will not get on my hands. Folded toilet paper that gets wet from some loose stool will likely allow germs to instantly permeate to the other side.
But what I'm interested in is which method likely contributes to more clogs. My step son recently got caught folding a TON of paper in a friend's house and clogging the toilet. He's only an ignorant 6 year old, but I had to bag all that TP up and carry it out because a plunger wasn't going to help that load at all.
I think what happened was that he learned the folding method from his mother, but we both tell him to wipe until the TP is white. Fair enough, but his mother didn't tell him that after a wipe, she lifts the TP back above the seat and folds it again for another wipe!! Preposterous!! I've never heard of RE-USING toilet paper until that embarrassing return trip home.
But anyway.... the point is... I think what happened was that that with the folding method, the boy never was able to get the paper completely white. Each time he made a new tear, he kept getting brown on the TP. This is why I think the crumple method is more effective, more efficient, because it actually gets into the crevice better while keeping the fingers farther away from that very same crack.
As for clogs, however.... if the same number of ply / sheets... and if the same number of wipes were used.... could one method be more likely to clog the toilet (or even catch the flapper, so that water was constantly running)? I'd think that folding would again be the more likely culprit since we're repeatedly experiencing a flapper that's unable to seal the bottom bowl (i.e. - gurgling from the direction of the sewage line). Never had this problem until this toilet in this house.... but I think it's due to [excessive] folding. As a high school teacher once taught us, you can fit more paper in a trash bag if you don't crumple it, and instead lay it flat. This will lead to more busted trash bags, however.... as the bag isn't capable of holding that density of paper all the way to the top. Similar argument here... crumpling has lesser density, therefore takes up more volume, which would make it more obvious to some that they might need an extra flush (aka: another trash bag!).
And, of course... we know that we need multiple flushes for excessive loads.... but have you guys perhaps noticed a particular fold/crumple/scrunch method leading to more cloggings / problems ???
Sidenote: Was unaware I had this much to say about the different methods of wiping. I feel like doing so many science experiments with a faux butt and some soupy peanut butter, tho. Sounds like fun!!
