Is There An Ideal Place To Mount Your Toilet Paper Holder In A Bathroom?

There's nothing more irritating than having a beautiful bathroom that simply doesn't cater fully to your needs. Designing an aesthetically pleasing and simultaneously functional space is essential for a room in your home that gets used by everyone every day. Picking the ideal spot for your toilet roll dispenser is tricky, and deciding on where to put a toilet paper holder in a small bathroom is even more of a challenge with the limited space! A good rule of thumb is to follow ADA standards. Their guidelines are set out for facilities that will be used by the public to ensure that they are safe and accessible; however, they can also be a really useful starting point to determine the ideal placement for a toilet paper holder in your home.

According to ADA requirements, toilet tissue dispensers should be installed on a side wall that is closest to the toilet and be placed 19 to 36 inches from the rear wall. So if you're looking for the ideal spot in terms of comfortable use, avoid placing yours on the back wall behind your loo if you can. NCIDQ-certified Interior Designer Savannah Phillips (via DesigningIdea) says that a good average height for your toilet paper holder is approximately 26 inches from the floor. This makes it easy to reach from the toilet, and the position can be altered to accommodate how tall members of your family are and also any other objects that may be inhabiting the space.

Fitting a toilet roll holder is fairly straightforward, as you can see in the YouTube video above, but here are the most important steps. Firstly, you'll want to make sure that you have everything you need before you begin the job. This includes your toilet roll holder of choice, plus the screws and any other fittings that come with it. Extra items include a pencil and ruler or measuring tape, drill and drill bit, screwdriver, drywall anchors, hammer, and a spirit level. If you don't have a spirit level, download an app and use your phone as a virtual tool, or you can just eyeball it.

You should already have determined the ideal position on the wall for your toilet roll holder, so mark that up using your pencil and measuring tool. Next, use a template provided (sometimes this can be found on the inside of your packaging) or just use the product itself to mark dots in the correct places with a pencil and then drill the holes. You can now use your hammer to tap the anchors into place. Check that your bracket is the right way up before screwing it in place. Finally, slide your toilet paper holder onto the bracket so that it is secure.

There are several reasons why it is important to carefully consider the positioning of your toilet roll dispenser. Aside from making sure that it is easy to see and accessible to reach for everyone who will be using your bathroom, the correct type of dispenser and its position will also optimize hygiene for users. If possible, go for a wall-mounted dispenser, as this will eliminate the need for users to hold on to the dispenser to keep it steady when ripping off the tissue paper.

Keep in mind that it is essential to have a toilet roll holder in your bathroom, as placing the roll directly on a surface can lead to the tissue being contaminated by dust and dirt, or it may even get wet. Users also won't know if the roll has previously fallen onto the floor accidentally. A good dispenser can also reduce waste, limiting the amount of paper used, which can be especially useful if you have small children.

Another common question is – do you hang the roll so that the paper dispenses over the top or from underneath? You might think it doesn't really matter, and it may not to you, but for easier access and a more comfortable experience, go for "over" as you'll avoid knuckles coming into contact with the wall, which can lead to germ build-up.