Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Parents of adult children

Wondering how to stop worrying about your grown child? Speak to others in our Parents of Adult Children forum.

AIBU to ask my son to limit toilet paper use?

9 replies

SoggyMess · 06/01/2026 17:14

We're not on a septic tank but in the time we've been in this house (less than three years) the drains have been blocked at least four times. I say drainS plural but actually it's always related to the toilet my son's been using, & although he denies it, I know (from appallingly intimate knowledge of aforementioned blockages) that there are huge wads of toilet paper involved.
There's only the two of us in the house, & at a rough estimate I'd say he uses easily six or more rolls to my one. I've never actually done an accurate calculation.
This son is early 20s, mental health not good, substance overuse not good.......and always has an answer, usually that it's not my business how much toilet roll he uses per poo. Which - if it weren't causing an issue with our drains - might be fair (apart from the environmental & cost considerations). But it is a big blooming issue.
Now he says he can't use the bathroom that's less likely to clog cos it's nearer the main sewer because he says that loo is uncomfortable.
So. AIBU raising the subject? And/or how could I raise the subject more fairly/rationally so he might understand?

OP posts:
Andthatrightsoon · 06/01/2026 17:20

Ask him to put it in a special bin. Many countries have loos that can't have tissue put down them. Get him to empty and change the bag, obviously.

TiredWife · 06/01/2026 17:20

We've had a similar issue in our house with a young adult! In our case I think it's an OCD thing and I think he was lining the toilet seat with paper as he didn't want to use it after other family members! 😬 I did have a discussion and threatened to change to boxed sheets of loo paper! Squishing the roll flat before putting on the hanger also limits the speed at which it can be pulled off a bit.

Once our other adult child left home the problem seemed to get better (hence my theory about the reason!)

No solutions other than making him solve the problem/call the plumber/ buy his own loo roll?

PrizedPickledPopcorn · 06/01/2026 17:22

He needs to pay the plumber. And buy his own toilet paper. He doesn’t get to opt out of the problem he creates.

PrizedPickledPopcorn · 06/01/2026 17:22

And it is your business while he lives in your house.

muddyford · 06/01/2026 17:24

He buys his own loo rolls and pays for the plumber. If he's misusing 'substances' he can afford them.

TiredWife · 06/01/2026 17:25

Put a padlock on that toilet door?

littletwinkle · 06/01/2026 17:55

I’ve always bought Lidl basic loo roll ( on a septic tank).When our children were younger, on the odd occasion bought ‘premium loo roll’ if on special offer as a treat😂. Didn’t end well!
Cheap bog roll is your friend.

reversingdumptruckwithnotyreson · 06/01/2026 18:23

YANBU at all. I had a former coworker that used an unreasonable amount of paper towels when drying her hands, it was painful to watch.

I’m not exaggerating, she probably pulled out 20 each time. It was crazy.

TiredWife · 06/01/2026 21:42

Put a camera in that loo to 'solve the mystery' of where all the loo roll is going if it isn't him using it?😆

On a more serious note, why is the other loo 'less comfortable' - heating/ seat material etc? Is there something you could easily change to increase the comfort level?

New posts on this thread. Refresh page