Which side of your toilet should your toilet roll holder go? It’s a question you only need to ask yourself when you install or re-fit your bathroom. There is no set rule, it’s your throne (so to speak) but here’s some general guidance.
So, which side of the toilet should your toilet roll holder go?
Toilet roll holder height should be about 75-85 cm (29-33″) off the ground. Toilet roll placement on the wall should be no more than 38 cm (15″) from the end of your toilet seat. Toilet roll holders can be on the left or right-hand side of the toilet.
The position of the toilet roll holder is one thing to consider, but so is the type of toilet roll holder you choose. You have so many options including free-standing holders, twist and lock toilet roll holders as well as stick-on alternatives. Here’s a bit about each of them, so you can decide which one is right for you.
Toilet Roll Options That You Have To Consider
Standard Fit Toilet Roll Holder (Drill in)
For me, this is the best toilet roll holder option (link to Amazon) and the lowest maintenance option in the long run. It’s also simple and inexpensive. But there are also some other reasons.
Standard Fit Toilet Roll Holders are great because:
- They are long-lasting and will not fall off
- They are wear & tear proof
- Lots of options and styles to choose from
I was looking at alternatives because I was worried about cracking my ceramic tiles and drilling through to the other side of the wall so we might as well go through the other options. But before we get into that – should you choose a standard fit toilet roll holder, here’s how you fit it:
How to fit a standard fit toilet roll holder
If you haven’t drilled in a toilet roll holder before, it’s a useful skill to learn, as it’s basically the same theory as drilling in anything in your home.
Here are general steps you should take in any case:
- Choose the location of your toilet roll holder (75 cm height from the ground and no more than 38 cm away from the edge of the toilet seat.
- You should get a template that will mark out where your toiler roll holders should go. Use a pencil and mark on the wall. Double-check by lining up the holes with the toilet roll holder and ruler as well.
- Line up the bracket screws or screw if there’s only one, and mark the screw holes, preferably with a felt tip
- Use a masonry drill bit to drill into the tile. It has a pointy end to drill straight through. Start slow and follow through. The size of the drill bit should be the size of the raw plug or anchor plug. You want the plug to fit snug so it doesn’t move.
- The hardest bit is done. You should now be able to fit the toilet roll holders in place. Use a spirit level to check the holders are in line.
- Start using your toilet roll holder! Yay!
Free Standing Toilet Roll Holders
Freestanding toilet roll holders like this one (link to Amazon) are a super easy solution if you want to avoid drilling holes into a wall, or if you have a new build home and need to let the building settle for a few months before you drill any holes.
They are also great for storing toilet rolls too, a lot of the time you can just stack one on top of the other.
Twist and Lock Toilet Roll Holders
I’m a fan of twist and lock things in general. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s essentially where you have a suction cup on the back of the accessory like a towel holder for example that you have bought that sticks to the wall (works best on ceramic tiles) and a tightening knob to hold it in position.
Twist and lock accessories in bathrooms are better with items that are not moved around that much in my experience. A great example would be a twist and lock caddy shelf like this one (link to Amazon). It’s great because you’re not moving the caddy much and can easily hold all of your shampoos, body wash, or whatever else without falling. I would not recommend it with toilet roll holders because of the push and pull actions associated with its use.
Stick On Toilet Roll Holders – Not Worth It – Here’s Why
Toilet Roll Holders are usually in bathrooms and are not only subject to wear and tear from people, but also temperature changes.
Bathrooms get hot and cold throughout the mornings and evenings when people take showers, and as a result, going for a stick-on type toilet roll holders, sooner or later you will have to replace it.
Putting The Toilet Roll On The Left Or Right Hand Side Of The Toilet
As mentioned before, there is no general convention when it comes to which side of the toilet you put your toilet roll holder.
Generally, it makes sense to pick the side where you have more room, to move your arm and body for obvious reasons.
If you have the room and wall on both sides of your toilet, It would make sense to go with the right-hand side if you’re right-handed or left-hand side if you’re left-handed.
Where To Store Toilet Rolls In A Small Bathroom
Thinking of where to store your toilet rolls in your bathroom can be pretty fun. there are so many solutions out there to choose from, you should be able to find something to suit you.
There are some pretty funky toilet roll storage options available online, like this one on Amazon. It’s not really to my taste at all, and not something I would ever buy – but you might like it!
You can just decide to put your toilet roles underneath your sink cabinet, as a lot of people do. The problem is that if you put other toiletries in here as well, you may find yourself short for space.
Toilet roll packs often come in large packs, unless you intend to put your additional toilet rolls in another room you are not going to have enough space.
The best place to store your toilet rolls is actually directly above your toilet tank in a cabinet on the wall (if you have room). It’s usually under-utilized space and can become a feature of your bathroom as well.
Another option is to put another cabinet above the kitchen sink to hold your toiletries and instead of using the sink below for your toilet rolls.
Toilet Placement- Decide Your Toilet Roll Holder Position Here
When deciding on your Toilet Placement, decide where you put your toilet roll. This may seem like a simple decision, but its easier making it at this point.
You may not have that much flexibility, when it comes to the position of your toilet in your bathroom, because of the fitting of your waste pipe (unless you are changing it).
Bear in mind though that most codes require a distance of at least 15″ from any sidewall. With that in mind, you can have a think about the placement of your sink placement along with any other features.
Decide Now Where To Hang your Towels In A Small Bathroom
Where you hang wet and dry towels is another consideration in your bathroom. If you are putting in your toilet roll holders now, you might as well decide where to hang your towels.
Dry Towels
Your dry towels can be in cabinets, or alternatively, you can use the wall space and corners to hang them.
As a rule, it just looks better if you can keep them out of sight in my opinion, but it comes down to personal preference.
If you genuinely do not have the room to put your dry towels in your bathroom, or it will make it look cluttered, consider putting a cabinet in your hallway or just using drawers in another room.
It makes more sense to maximize the space in the smaller rooms.
Wet Towels
If your bathroom is very small towel racks that hang on the back of your door are really useful. If you have a curtain pole you can always use hangers to dry your towels when they are done too.
Drilling in a towel rack is the best option. I decided to do this. Towel racks on the back of your door work great for some people, but I just prefer things fixed into position. Going for something simple is my advice.
I prefer having a few hooks like this rather than a rail, as you can fit more towels.
Hand Towel
When it comes to hand towels, placement next to your sink makes sense. In a small bathroom, handrails tend to take up space.
In our bathroom, I decided to go for a ring, which I drilled in next to my toilet roll holder which works a treat.
In Summary…
Hopefully, this article has helped to clarify your options when it comes to toilet roll holders as well as placement in your bathroom.
It’s a simple decision that you can spend a lot of unnecessary time if you overthink it.
Along with fitting your toilet roll holder, it’s a great time to think about where to hang your towels mainly because you will use the same tools to fit the associated accessories.
Good luck bathrooming guys!