Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [toilets]

A sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement and urine.

22 questions
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Is cleaning yourself with toilet paper cleaner than using water?

As a Westener, I've always been raised to believe that the best way to clean most objects is warm water and soap - self, dishes, clothes, pretty much everything. Except what is probably thought of as the "dirtiest" thing of all - our butts after we…
Dogmafrog
37
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4 answers

If I buy "flushable" wipes, can I flush them without problems?

I know they say "Flushable" right on the package, but are they? Do they break down fast enough to not cause problems in septic/sewer systems?
Tester101
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Does defecating while sitting cause more strain than squatting?

This commercial1 from "Squatty Potty" claims that evacuating stool in a seated position is suboptimal for humans because we have a muscle that partially pinches the colon when seated. They claim that, due to our evolution, the colon only becomes…
CircleSquared
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Does standing closer to the urinal prevent urine splashes?

My work has a sign in the bathrooms requesting that you stand closer to the urinals to avoid splashing onto the floor. Is this actually a workable fact? My query is that if you stand closer, wouldn't there be more force impacting the back of the…
Mark Mayo
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Do the commercially produced toilet seat covers significantly reduce the spread of disease?

In many public toilets there are disposable toilet seat covers that can be placed over the seat before sitting down. These covers certainly allay some of the "yuck factor" associated with placing one bare buttocks where so many have gone before,…
DQdlM
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Is chewing your finger nails as bad as licking a public toilet seat?

I've heard the above mentioned many times growing up that chewing your fingernails will expose you to more germs than to licking a public toilet seat. Apologies for the provacative title, but here are quotes from the top 4 Google results from…
going
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Are there airborne poop particles flying around bathrooms?

I've heard claims of airborne poop particles that fly into the air everytime one flushes a toilet. Here's some examples: HERE someone states that flushing the toilet "aerosolizes" water/poop into the air HERE is another article referencing such…
Hendy
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Does placing a fly on a urinal improve cleanliness in men's toilets?

Recently Richard Thaler won the Nobel Prize for Economics for his "Nudge" Theory. Pretty much every news agency (in the UK at least) has chosen to explain his theory by using the "Fly on a Urinal" that was implemented at Amsterdam Airport and then…
user14708
15
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3 answers

Are toilet seats extremely unhygienic?

We've already seen a few questions about toilet hygiene but these styles of questions/myths more or less assume that toilet seats are the bottom of the hygienic barrel. Is this true? To wit, I have personally heard the following places and objects…
MrHen
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Is it more hygenic to keep the lid down on the toilet after use?

I remember a bit of folklore that suggested it was more hygienic to put the lid (that's the lid on the seat) down after use. Is this the case?
Phil C
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Is there a church in Ireland that has as its ministry providing toilets for local pub patrons?

My pastor today preached an illustration which he received from John Upton, head of the Baptist World Alliance, a large missions organization. He tells this story (paraphrased) in order to illustrate that churches should seek to build bridges rather…
Affable Geek
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Can urine aerosols reach my toothbrush if I pee standing up?

My girlfriend insisted that I should sit down in the future after reading this tip (German) for easier cleaning: When standing, the stream sprays up to 3.50 m far, as measured from a drop height of about 77 cm. This means, even toothbrushes are in…
Sven
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Are objects such as towels, bank notes, carpets, shopping trolleys and light switches dirtier than a toilet seat?

Are objects such as towels, bank notes, carpet, shopping trolleys and light switches listed in blogs such as these and these really dirtier than an average toilet seat since Dr Chuck Gerba, professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona has…
pericles316
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Do toilets that require squatting reduce birth complications in women?

When I was travelling in France, I encountered toilets without toilet seats. Essentially they require the user to squat. I was told that as a result, French women had fewer birth complications. Is it true that regular use of squat-toilets makes…
mycat
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Are wall-mounted urinals more sanitary than floor mounted units?

Men's urinals can either be mounted on a wall, or can extend all the way to the floor. According to this page, floor mounted urinals are less desirable because: Floor Mount These units are tall (36" - 40") and have the bowl and drain on the…
Affable Geek
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