Toilet roll holder

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In recent years, increasing attempts have been made to create clever alternatives to traditional toilet roll holders. This whimsical design, "Splash" (2004), is by the American industrial designer Brad Ascalon.

A toilet roll holder is an item that holds a roll of toilet paper. There are at least five types of holders:

A horizontal piece of wire mounted on a hinge, hanging from a door or wall.
A horizontal axle recessed in the wall.
A vertical axle recessed in the wall
A horizontal axle mounted on a freestanding frame.
A freestanding vertical pole on a base.

1 Wire on hinge
2 Vertical pole
3 Public toilets
4 Toilet paper security
5 External links

[edit] Wire on hinge

In the first case, the idea is that the toilet roll maintains contact with the door or wall as the roll's radius decreases. This provides enough friction to allow the user to tear off a piece of tissue. More sophisticated designs include a curved horizontal plate that covers the roll, thus removing the necessity of touching the roll.

[edit] Vertical pole

Vertical toilet roll holder of wood with a paint finish, holding three individual rolls of toilet paper. There is room for a fourth.

Originally intended to hold a stock of replacement rolls, the vertical pole has become the only paper holder in some households. It is particularly useful in homes where the family has mixed handedness.

Toilet roll holders are often finished in chrome.

[edit] Public toilets

The holders in many public toilets are designed to make it difficult to steal the toilet rolls. Various contraptions have been devised to lock the spare rolls away, and release them only when the active roll is used up.

An increasing number of public toilets are furnished with holders that hold very large rolls of toilet paper. These are designed to save money by reducing the frequency of janitorial services to restock the paper.

In many toilets, especially in elementary schools, a dispenser releases only a small square of toilet paper to prevent a user from intentionally clogging the toilet.

[edit] Toilet paper security

Many private and public toilets are provided with toilet roll holders, each of which can hold up to two complete rolls of toilet paper at one time. This arrangement is most effective if paper is always used from the roll with less paper on it. Then, there is an allowance of one complete roll before a completely used roll is replaced. (In effect, the inventory of toilet paper at the toilet has a minimum of one roll and a maximum of two rolls.) However, if both rolls are finished at the same time, there is a risk of being without toilet paper before the next replacement.