OK, I have no idea why, but the difference in bathrooms (toilets and sink) around the world has fascinated since I took my first international trip.

I remember one of my first experiences was wondering what the fuck a water closet was. I thought it might be some kind of prank where there's a five gallon bucket above the door ready to drop on your head.

Here's some interesting toilets I've noticed:

Mexico - foot pedal next to toilet for flush. Another bathroom was extremely clean but there was no toilet seat. Were they squating or sitting on the ceramic?

A different bathroom had urinals with a spigot to flush.

Ukraine - squat toilets with OK corral type doors. They had grooves on the floor so your feet wouldn't slip while I were getting rid of that borsh from last night. You had to either bring your own TP or buy it from a man sitting outside.

Also, sani-cans in public places (bus station) where you pay attendant 2 or 3 hyrivna.

Western Europe - Button on top of the toilet to flush. There is smaller button inside the first to just flush #1 and save water (good idea).

USA - side lever flush most common.
*liberal cities with lots of hippies - walk-in unisex toilets

Solchi Olympics - toilets with no barrier and chairs for viewing.

Brazil - Makeshift urinal in trench next to street.

Most of third-world - hole in the ground.

I'd love to hear about Asia as I'll be in Thailand next month. I heard the toilets in Japan wash your ass and play music???

Interesting thread. I'll add in Turkish squat toilets. Easily the nastiest thing I have ever seen especially with the lack of sanitation around it. One of the benefits of having normal toilets inside the home. Persian showers are also interesting. Honestly I find them really hygienic.

I thought the toilets in Rome were pretty weird.

Also - I quite like the idea of an outhouse (ie a separate building for the toilet). If you think about it - it is pretty disgusting having people shit in their houses. You wouldn't let a dog do it - so why a human?

Quote:Quote:

I'd love to hear about Asia as I'll be in Thailand next month. I heard the toilets in Japan wash your ass and play music???

Yes, and I love those washlet, warm your butt in cold winter months.

They also have squat toilets

Australia had standard toilets, but the water went down counter clockwise.

Afghanistan has porcelain hole in the floor.

Rural Korea had toilets that looked like urinals on the floor.

Japan had toilets that were short as Hell.

Canada

The one thing that makes me gag in Mexico is having that can of used toilet paper next to the toilet where you're supposed to put the TP after you wipe. So disgusting.

The awesome Japanese toilets are usually only in high end places or private homes I think. They are magical. Heated seats, heated water that shoots up, scents, music and everything else.

The toilets in Italy, were exceptionally shallow compared to what I was used to. So much so that I felt like I was going to brush my hand on shit everytime I wiped, so I would lay a turd, flush, then wipe and flush again. Didn't help that I was stuffing myself full of rich Italian food every day either.

Quote: (02-21-2014 07:21 PM)cardguy Wrote:  

I thought the toilets in Rome were pretty weird.

Also - I quite like the idea of an outhouse (ie a separate building for the toilet). If you think about it - it is pretty disgusting having people shit in their houses. You wouldn't let a dog do it - so why a human?

Cannot agree more on the outhouse. I find it nasty, but c'est la vie what can I say.

Talk about outhouse, I'd like to have one like this, relaxing while taking shit

In ancient Rome, the large villas placed the toilet next to the kitchen. The reason was that these were the two smelliest rooms.

German toilets where there's a platform and just a small hole, but at the front not the back. Apparently you're supposed to lay down a stripe of toilet paper on the platform (so your shit doesn't make a mark).. and it's sitting above the water line and out in the open.

Quote: (02-21-2014 11:28 PM)paninaro Wrote:  

German toilets where there's a platform and just a small hole, but at the front not the back. Apparently you're supposed to lay down a stripe of toilet paper on the platform (so your shit doesn't make a mark).. and it's sitting above the water line and out in the open.

I read years ago, I think it was in the novel Fear of Flying that the platform was there for you to inspect your shit.

One thing I love are the hoses provided next to the toilet in the Muslim world and Thailand. Just wiping yourself with paper does not cut it.

Japanese toilet

Quote: (02-21-2014 08:36 PM)Drazen Wrote:  

The one thing that makes me gag in Mexico is having that can of used toilet paper next to the toilet where you're supposed to put the TP after you wipe. So disgusting.

The awesome Japanese toilets are usually only in high end places or private homes I think. They are magical. Heated seats, heated water that shoots up, scents, music and everything else.

In Mexico that is a necessity, since the sewer system is so shitty (ha) it clogs up easily. So people prefer to put it aside than flush it down. Agree on how gross is that, but such it is.

In Japan the magical toilets are really amazing. Once you get used to (and figure out how to make work) warm water tickling your starfish, there is no going back to savage TP. Blot dry, and off you go.
OTOH a blast of ice cold water spray in your brown eye is one sure way to wake up and feel wired all day.

Some models do play a kind of noise to mask your business, last one I encountered sounded like a rushing river or perpetually flushing toilet. Kinda neat, and I imagine a must in crowded houses with paper thin walls. . . I could post a soundbite for anyone interested.

This toilets are actually very widespread, some newer train stations have them, some convenience stores, restaurants. Best part is that they warm the seat too, some of them '300% better than other models'. God forbid you get a cold butt, lol.
At the same time some older buildings and stations will not have even indoor heating, so you will get an ice cold seat greeting you. Or squat toilet. . . My apartment bathroom still has a little guideline on how to use a regular toilet.

One of the gross things here: some people put plush or felt material in the seat, I guess to make it feel not so cold. I think its gross, how do you even clean that? solution: thow it away every now and then. Very japanese.
--------------------------------------
one of my favorite toilets in the world was in Playa del Carmen. Faced the beach and the ocean. So if you opened the door of the little hut you would get an amazing view of the ocean as you did your business. It was even on top of a little cliff, so nobody could see you.
Amazing.

Close second: my uncle's ranch in the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico. Little outhouse, but the view was gorgeous. leave the door open and take in mountains, birds, flowers, a lake. Fantastically relaxing.
And not smelly at all, thank god for quicklime.

In my trip to edited I saw the worst toilets in the world, open gutters that stank the place out with no division between the genders. Had to pay to use it too, the Girl with me bailed immediately.

Though generally the facilities there were fine.

Quote: (02-21-2014 07:34 PM)vinman Wrote:  

Australia had standard toilets, but the water went down counter clockwise.

Yep

What would be a good invention for modern toilets is a fan built into the toilet that sucks air in so that the smell inside the toilet never leaves the bowl. People can then take a shit with no fear of making the "walk of shame" for bombing the bathroom. The fan could be attached to a hose that leads to outside.

Chinese toilets:

Quote: (02-22-2014 05:31 AM)Fortitudinal Wrote:  

The one thing that makes me gag in Mexico is having that can of used toilet paper next to the toilet where you're supposed to put the TP after you wipe. So disgusting.

I never understood this. If the pipes can handle some people's massive dumps, how can they not handle a bit of toilet paper?

Quote: (02-22-2014 09:57 PM)paninaro Wrote:  

Quote: (02-22-2014 05:31 AM)Fortitudinal Wrote:  

The one thing that makes me gag in Mexico is having that can of used toilet paper next to the toilet where you're supposed to put the TP after you wipe. So disgusting.

I never understood this. If the pipes can handle some people's massive dumps, how can they not handle a bit of toilet paper?

I think the fear is exaggerated. I've thrown toilet paper in the toilet in every poor country I've ever been to and never once did it clog the pipes. I think maybe some people use half a roll to wipe their ass or something. If you throw an enormous wad in the bowl of course that'll happen, even in American toilets.

The trick is, you take a nice size strip, fold it in half, wipe, fold it in half again, wipe, fold it in half again. You get three wipes with one strip and it compresses down into a tiny little compact wad when you toss it in the toilet. And since you are folding the "messy" portion inward, you aren't getting it on your hand. I think wiping your ass with only dry paper is kinda nasty, so if you got a baby wipe to finish everything off that's good. If not, a piece of toilet paper moistened with water. But only if the paper is strong, otherwise it'll crumble when wet. Ideally it's nice to have a bidet.

How could I forget the toilets in China!

The school were I taught had similar setup as above. Just bowls, no doors. I'd walk in and kids would wave and yell 'HERRO TEACHER!' as they did their business.

I could never use them.

Even the swankiest clubs had terrible, dirty bathrooms. Like they couldnt find anyone for hire to clean them. it was weird to fathom these 9's and 10's also had to put up with nasty, stinky toilets. I guess that helped keep them down a notch.

Iraqi outhouses in the country had homemade plumbing systems... that drained right out into their own front yards and streets. Talk about missing the point!

squatting is the healthiest position.would like to see statistics on hemmoroids by nation and toilet type.http://www.toilet-related-ailments.com/hemorrhoids.html medicine in the west is very poor. more about milking illnesses for money . the ancient greek spirit of curing people has gone.

Great thread. I also find the topic of different toilets highly interesting; in fact differences in little daily customs from all over the world is something I find quite fascinating.

I think the Dutch also have these sort of platform toilets where your shit kind of plops down onto a surface instead of the water. I have a lot of trouble with these squat toilets.

With respect to actually taking a shit, dnoone is right. The normal sitting position is bad for you. What you can do is get yourself a little foot stool and put your feet on there when you take a dump; it puts you into a squat-like position and makes things come out easier.