Shaken and Stirred – Toilet Paper Test

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Shaken and Stirred – Toilet Paper Test

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This toilet paper evaluation aimed to find out three things: how quickly the different TPs dissolved in water, how strong they were, and how soft they felt. Each brand was given a number (1 through 10) for blind judging. Four sheets from each roll were crumpled and placed in a clear plastic canister with two quarts of lukewarm water and were stirred for five seconds, or five swirls, with a plastic straw.

Tissue paper put into plastic jars

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Testers made initial observations and notes, waited five minutes, stirred again for five seconds, and made more notes. We let them stand for an hour, then mixed it up again by gently shaking, not stirring (to satisfy 007). Testers observed and noted differences.

To test strength, we used spring-clips to attach a plastic bag to individual sheets of tissue. We then added ¼-ounce fishing bullet weights until the tissue tore. Each product was tested three times to confirm the weight of the breaking point, and the average listed on the Value Guide table. The brands were ranked for strength (1 being strongest).

West Marine Mega-roll

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Thickness was tested with a Starrett #1010L gauge, and weight was measured on a Pitney Bowes postal scale.

To evaluate softness, seven volunteers were enlisted for a blind comparison. The volunteers rated each product’s softness on a scale from 1 to 5. The scores were averaged to determine the three softest products.

Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Supported entirely by subscribers, Practical Sailor accepts no advertising. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him by email at practicalsailor@belvoir.com.