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Expert clarifies

Should you really not store toilet paper in the bathroom?

This is not how it should be done. Toilet paper should not be stored openly next to the shower.
This is not how it should be done. Toilet paper should not be stored openly next to the shower. Photo: Getty Images/tonito84

October 13, 2024, 11:51 am | Read time: 2 minutes

Some media have reported that toilet paper should not be stored in the bathroom. It’s a “hygiene problem,” they have said. But is this really the case? myHOMEBOOK spoke to Philip Heldt, a paper expert at the consumer advice center.

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Let’s be honest – most people store their toilet paper in the bathroom. But if you believe various media reports, you should avoid doing so. Allegedly, toilet paper turns into a paradise for insects and germs. What is the truth of these claims?

Should you really not keep toilet paper in the bathroom?

“Of course, you can keep it in the bathroom,” emphasizes Philip Heldt from the NRW consumer advice center. On average, probably 90 percent of people store their toilet paper in the bathroom. It just depends on how he explains. “If the bathroom is permanently so damp that even the toilet paper gets moldy, then you have a completely different problem than the toilet paper getting old. Then you have a massive mold problem in the bathroom, and you need to deal with it urgently.”

If you left the toilet paper in its original waterproof packaging, it wouldn’t be a problem. “If you have 1 or 2 rolls decoratively in the bathroom, it’s not a problem. If you use them promptly, it’s not a problem.” The expert adds that toilet rolls should not be placed next to the shower where they could get wet.

Heldt gives another important tip: “You need to air the room after showering, or if you have a ventilation system in the bathroom, you should also switch it on so that the humidity in the bathroom goes down quickly.” This is not only important for toilet paper, the expert emphasizes. “Otherwise, towels would also start to get moldy in this extremely humid air that doesn’t dry out in between.”

More on the topic

Can toilet paper go “bad”?

If the paper is stored in a dry place, it can be kept forever, explains Heldt. “The ancient papyri from Egypt also prove that paper lasts forever or for many millennia.” There is no expiration date for toilet paper; it is the storage that is important.

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of MYHOMEBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@myhomebook.de.

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