While many of us design our bathroom storage around convenience, certain common habits could be inadvertently harming the hygiene of our homes and generating the right conditions for mould growth. In fact, one everyday product, used by everyone and kept within arm’s reach in most bathrooms, is now sparking concerns among experts. Annoyingly, your toilet roll’s design makes it highly susceptible to the kind of damp environments that bathrooms are notorious for, especially those lacking proper ventilation.
Storage expert Sarah Day at Pay Less for Storage explained the hidden consequences of this popular storage mistake, saying: “For many of us it might seem the most practical and logical space to store spare toilet rolls is in the bathroom, after all, no one wants to be caught short at the end of the roll.”
But this routine decision could be doing more harm than good, as you could be creating the perfect conditions for mould to thrive.
“Contrary to popular belief, the bathroom is actually one of the worst places for long-term storage for additional rolls of paper other than the one currently in use,” she said.
“This is because damp and enclosed environments can quickly ruin tissue-based products, not only making them unusable but also contributing to hidden mould build-up.”
Toilet rolls are inherently absorbent, which means they quickly draw in excess moisture from the air, particularly after steamy showers or baths.
Over time, this can result in soggy, unhygienic paper that becomes a breeding ground for mould spores.
The risk is even greater when spare rolls are kept in bulk, especially on the floor or inside tightly shut cabinets where moisture has no escape.
The expert added: “If you don’t have a bathroom with proper ventilation or at the very least storage off the floor, you’re actually far better off keeping spare toilet rolls in a dry airing cupboard or hallway cabinet and restocking the bathroom as needed.”
