::a lesson for the ladies::

Warning: another bathroom post

One thing I will NOT miss about working is changing the toilet paper dispensers in the women's washroom. It's odd because I think most women are responsible for this job at home and HATE it. Yet they get to work and - lo and behold - these commercial TP dispensers are just too darned confusing to figure out! "They must be designed by a man," says lazy coworker #1 as she unwraps a new roll and balances it on top of the two empty ones.

I'm talking about these dispensers:



Maybe some women think a key is required (um, do you see a keyhole?). Maybe some think it's magic ("Ooooh, ahhh!"). Either way, it's just plain annoying and rude to leave it empty and I'm surprised more women don't just say, "Does anyone know how to change this thing?"

Is it because I've worked in hospitality for 10 years that I know this? Heck, I learned at age 15 when I worked at McDonald's how to change these things. But I really thought it was common knowledge.

So, if it's not, today I bring you a lesson on how to be the hero at work by changing these TP dispensers.

1. Use all the paper right down to the cardboard roll.

2. Positioning your fingers behind the roll with your thumb in the front, pinch the outer edge (left edge for the left roll, right edge for the right roll) of the cardboard with your thumb and index finger so that you are now clamping the flat bar (which holds the roll) in between the now flattened edges of cardboard.

3. You will feel a flat prong in there (see pic - look closely at the edges of the bar where they meet the circular clamps). It is a piece of spring loaded metal parallel to the bar. Give 'er an extra little squeeze and - "pop!" - outward will swing the arm on the outer edge of the dispenser. (GASP! It is magic!)

4. Remove cardboard roll, insert a new roll (the right way), and swing the arm back onto the bar into the locked position (it will click into place).

5. Ta-Da! You have successfully changed a roll of commercial-grade TP! And you have saved the next few users the sigh of exasperation that comes with seeing the lazy-woman's TP dispenser on display for all.