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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How much toilet roll do you use?

137 replies

EmmaMY · 26/07/2023 03:55

So, we had some friends coming to stay last weekend, a family of 4 with young children(3&5). The have now left but I’m left completely baffled by the amount of toilet roll they went through whilst here.

We have a guest room with its own bathroom that I left 2 full rolls in plus all the other things they might need. (shampoo/conditioner/soap/toothpaste/towels) They arrived Thu afternoon/evening and left Mon mid morning. We spent 1&1/2 days out of the house sightseeing.

They came asking for toilet roll on day 2 and I showed them where they could grab some more and after that they helped themselves. I’ve now been up to tidy up and they left all the inner rolls on the side so can see how many the have used and I just can’t understand how they managed to go through 6 full rolls during their stay! What did they do with it all?

Are we possibly very light users of toilet roll ourselves and this is completely normal? We are also a family of 4 and we would possibly go through 2 or perhaps 3 during that time.

They obviously also used the downstairs toilet, so didn’t head up to the guest toilet for every visit either.

Please help me understand where it all went!

YABU - It’s a completely normal
YANBU - How did they go through it all?

OP posts:
AdoraBell · 26/07/2023 08:06

DH gets through lots, he uses about 6 sheets to blow his nose, despite the fact the doesn’t use tissue because he prefers a handkerchief. Does the same with kitchen towel. I stopped buying it when saw him taking 3 sheets, use 2 to blow his nose and screw the clean sheet up and throw it away😡

The man has dozens of handkerchiefs 🤯

ChocolateCinderToffee · 26/07/2023 08:06

I had two friends staying recently and one of them has IBS. We got through four rolls in the week and that includes the roll that the one with IBS pinched, presumably for the journey home. I noticed that only because I was keeping an eye on supplies.

changeyerheadworzel · 26/07/2023 08:09

I would probably have left a pack in their bathroom but it would never occur to me to count what they used though or even question it. It’s toilet roll.
Also it depends on what one you buy. The cheap does doesn’t last pissing time…pardon the pun.

changeyerheadworzel · 26/07/2023 08:11

ChocolateCinderToffee · 26/07/2023 08:06

I had two friends staying recently and one of them has IBS. We got through four rolls in the week and that includes the roll that the one with IBS pinched, presumably for the journey home. I noticed that only because I was keeping an eye on supplies.

See this … monitoring supplies of toilet roll crap. I would HATE to have gone to your house as a guest with IBS and you count how many toilet rolls I used and then say I stole one for the journey home. Ffs!

Zanatdy · 26/07/2023 08:12

I don’t use loads at all. Even for a no 2, if you’re using loads maybe you haven’t finished?!

CheersToMe · 26/07/2023 08:14

Absolutely no idea how much we use. Just buy a big pack when it's running down.

I do have the 'toilet roll of last resort' hidden in my wardrobe though, in case of emergency.

Helpel · 26/07/2023 08:17

'Who gives a crap' lasts ages - way longer than regular rolls. I know this cause my husband bought a box and I gave him a lecture about how expensive they were and he said it's because there's so much more paper per roll. I doubted him, but he was totally right. We are a family of 4, (3females!) and have had to delay delivery of our new box of 48 rolls for 3 months, so we've got through about 30 rolls in 6 months. That is about half the rolls we used to get throug from aldi.

EsmeSusanOgg · 26/07/2023 08:28

YeahIsaidit · 26/07/2023 07:05

Who is using over 2 rolls a week by themselves?! That is a crazy amount

Show quote history

I do and then some. Urinary continence that means I need to wee (and wipe up) quite a bit in a day. I also need to poo between 4-8 times on average a day.

Women tend to use substantially more loo roll than men, due to needing to wipe more for wees, periods and vaginal discharge.

People also vary with how often they poo. Once every couple of days is normal, but so is 3 times a day.

Throw in hayfever and needing to blow your nose more often and you can easily get through many rolls.

EsmeSusanOgg · 26/07/2023 08:30

CheersToMe · 26/07/2023 08:14

Absolutely no idea how much we use. Just buy a big pack when it's running down.

I do have the 'toilet roll of last resort' hidden in my wardrobe though, in case of emergency.

Pretty much what we do. Seems an odd thing to monitor very closely!

Gingerboy22 · 26/07/2023 08:31

PinkyFlamingo · 26/07/2023 07:38

Thought I had seen it all on MN but no along comes competitive toilet roll use!

😂😂😂

cocksstrideintheevening · 26/07/2023 08:33

ThinWomansBrain · 26/07/2023 05:51

I live by myself - a roll lasts 2-3 weeks.
In lockdown I bought a case of "who gives a crap" paper. It lasted for more than two years - and I still keep finding the occasional roll of it.

How? Do you ration it to half a sheet for a wee and one for a poo?!

We go through way too much, one bathroom, 4 people, get through a 16 pack in a week.

user1471505356 · 26/07/2023 08:33

Loo rolls have suffered from shrinkflation.

lapisamethyst · 26/07/2023 08:37

1 roll a week, live alone.

Original poster
EmmaMY · 26/07/2023 08:37

I buy the cheeky panda bamboo ones. I was not keeping track of their usage but showed them where I kept the pack of 9 I had and after they left, the little empty rolls were all lined up next to the toilet.( They also told me when they took the last one, which was nice obv. )There was a bin, they just didn’t throw them away.

They did go through more than 2 a day, perhaps that’s completely normal, I’m just curious as it feels like a lot to me. Could have def been the kids though taking tonnes each time! 🙈

Will now check in with our own usage just to see how it compares as I’ve only ever estimated it in my head, which could obv be completely wrong. 😂

did not mean to offend anyone on MN with my post btw! 😅

OP posts:
continentallentil · 26/07/2023 08:38

Badbudgeter · 26/07/2023 06:51

My kids use an inordinate amount of loo roll. They are on 2 ply to save blocking the loo. Really they could of tidied up to put the inners in the recycling.

Peak mumsnet!!

Good thing you didn’t include a photo OP or the PP would have told you where you could tidy it.

Anyway, as another pp says, it’s not that much over average. Maybe they poo more regularly than you guys.

Whattosay81 · 26/07/2023 08:39

I’d say about 5 rolls a roll a day

Spanielsarepainless · 26/07/2023 08:41

One roll a week each.

mydogisthebest · 26/07/2023 08:41

Me and DH buy the Who give a Crap loo rolls. A pack of 48 lasts us 9 months

DontEatCrisps · 26/07/2023 08:44

This comes up a lot on MN and it's always surprising how different people are- some people getting through practically a roll per person every day and others having a roll between four to last a week. Some of this is explained by medical issues or having small children but a lot is just down to the mystery of what other people do behind the loo door. I know someone who lines the whole loo with paper before doing anything- God knows how much she must get through.

Lavenderblume · 26/07/2023 08:45

Many reasons that a family might use more than usual:

  • Periods
  • IBS/IBD or similar
  • "Toddler diarrhea" i.e. unexplained diarrhea in otherwise healthy young kids, can last beyond toddler years, certainly one of my kids has way messier poo than the other, and needs a lot more loo roll
  • Dyspraxia/issues with motor skills that mean one wipe isn't really effective and they need to wipe many times
  • Hayfever or other allergies and using loo roll to blow their nose
  • Ditto for having a cold

Plus, maybe they just like using a lot. I like using a decent amount to wipe comfortably and not a stingy amount. Loo roll is a relatively cheap commodity if you buy the cheap stuff.

CheersToMe · 26/07/2023 08:51

Quick question for the 'who gives a crap' users. - we tried the normal ones and nobody liked it as it's rather thin. Do you buy the more expensive one (bamboo?)?

GalileoHumpkins · 26/07/2023 08:55

Do they secretly identify as cats?

dottiedodah · 26/07/2023 09:07

I think thats about right really .From Thursday to Monday is 4 nights and 5 days.I would have left a pack really .We are a family of 5 and go through quite a lot (never counted how much though!)

Reugny · 26/07/2023 09:09

changeyerheadworzel · 26/07/2023 08:11

See this … monitoring supplies of toilet roll crap. I would HATE to have gone to your house as a guest with IBS and you count how many toilet rolls I used and then say I stole one for the journey home. Ffs!

Show quote history

I would be annoyed also.

I sometimes travel with my one or two loo rolls in case people give me the wrong things to eat.

So I guess with people like the OP we should turn up with our own pack of 9 and let them get a glimpse of it.

Gateappreciation · 26/07/2023 09:11

A family of three and use approximately four rolls a week.

A relative always ‘budgeted’ when having guests that it would be one roll per person per week.