Talk:Toilets

"How to"

I know this sounds like - pardon the pun - a shitty idea, but can we really assume each and any WV-reader would automatically know how a squatting toilet for example is meant to be used? Should we give at least one or two sentences of info about the way they are supposed to be used while limiting discomfort and avoiding getting things or oneself dirty? Hobbitschuster (talk) 20:18, 20 March 2015 (UTC)

LOL. But seriously, yes, plunge forward. Oh look - another pun! But yes, absolutely. It's probably also good to mention the sophisticated toilets in Japan that can shoot water into different orifices. We might also cover bidets - most Americans are unfamiliar with them until they come across them in Europe. Ikan Kekek (talk) 20:26, 20 March 2015 (UTC)

"Traditional flush toilet seats are common in high-income countries." Pakistan is not high-income country but these flush toilets are every where here. Interesthing thing is Mohenjo-daro was the first in the world who actually introduced flush toilets. And yes, it is worth to mention about Japanese toilets. When I made first trip to Japan back in 2009, the bidet thing was all new to me but it was surely a fun thing! --Saqib (talk) 20:59, 20 March 2015 (UTC)

Having never used anything but "traditional" flush toilets and pissoirs (or whatever you call those things in English), I would gladly defer to somebody with more experience. Hobbitschuster (talk) 23:18, 20 March 2015 (UTC)

We call them urinals. Ikan Kekek (talk) 04:57, 21 March 2015 (UTC)

Ok. Thanks. Hobbitschuster (talk) 14:38, 21 March 2015 (UTC)

Questions that could use some international perspective

Here are some thoughts I have that I don't feel qualified to answer/write about by myself:

What's a generic word we can use throughout the article? I tried to use "toilet" as much as possible, but as an American this is odd because it generally refers to the device containing water, not the room. I referred to "family restrooms" and "accessible restrooms", but of course British readers will find this equally odd.

For little children that need to go with an adult, I almost always see them go into the room of the parent's gender. That is, dad will take kids to the men's room even if it's his daughter, and mom will take her sons to the women's room. Is this universally true, or are there regions where it's better to do the opposite? Are there other choices that are common/recommended in some places, such as asking a stranger of the correct gender to accompany a child?

Is there more advice to give that doesn't fall in the realm of Captain Obvious? Since the page is in English, probably most people know how to use a sitting toilet, but is it worth explaining anyway? Some explanation of bidets might be useful.

Are there other types of toilets besides the ones listed?

How about advice for camping, outhouses, latrines, etc.?

Is there other advice to add, such as Stay Healthy, Stay Safe?

--Bigpeteb (talk) 15:32, 18 May 2015 (UTC)

We have advice on outdoor "waste disposal" in our article on leave no trace camping... Hobbitschuster (talk) 16:24, 18 May 2015 (UTC)

We should tell enough about the sitting toilet also, for the article to be complete. Although the readers know English, this doesn't mean they are from an English-speaking or Western country.

I added a section on non-flushing (dry) toilets, mostly from a Nordic perspective. The leave-no-trace camping article is just about the do-it-yourself version.

Camping and boating toilets may be important for those renting a boat or van. Perhaps this should be handled as a section on unusual circumstances.

--LPfi (talk) 13:00, 19 May 2015 (UTC)

Out of curiosity, are there actual countries where people would be unfamiliar with sitting toilets? In my experience, even in countries where another toilet type is the norm, sitting toilets are common enough that I would be very very surprised to find anyone who needs to have them explained. I would think pictures of types of squat toilet in the article would be far more useful in the article than that chart on how not to squat on top of a regular toilet, which I somehow doubt is really representative of any Finnish misconception that can be said to be common. Texugo (talk) 13:10, 19 May 2015 (UTC)

There might be a few old people left, as the infobox mentions, but I think the infobox is being a bit sensationalistic. And anyway, if an old person is that far behind the times, it is exceedingly unlikely that they would be using Wikivoyage to learn how to properly use a sit-down toilet, so I doubt we truly need any detailed explanation of them. A traveler is infinitely more likely to misuse a squat toilet. Texugo (talk) 13:26, 19 May 2015 (UTC)

Restrooms without toilet paper

The section about "restrooms without toilet paper" now focuses on lack of towels. Although this might be a problem, it certainly is a minor one and should be treated separately. What about soap and warm water? Water at all? I think we could have a section on washing (and drying) your hands.

Are there regions where you are supposed to be carrying your own toilet paper even to well maintained restrooms? Is this the case for "China and parts of Japan"? Poorly maintained restrooms in most regions may lack toilet paper, so carrying some tissue is wise everywhere, which should be mentioned.

I started rewriting, but found I know too little.

--LPfi (talk) 08:59, 28 May 2015 (UTC)

As of the 1990s, it was very much true in Italy that if you didn't carry tissues with you, you were likely to be out of luck unless there was an attendant selling tissues outside the restroom. Ikan Kekek (talk) 09:16, 28 May 2015 (UTC)

So well maintained meant "having an attendant". :-) I think this was common in many countries. If locals go around with a roll of toilet paper (or some surrogate), then certainly we should mention it. In fact, availability of free toilet paper may be the exception globally (and there are probably no attendants in the poorer districts). --LPfi (talk) 09:36, 28 May 2015 (UTC)

Yes, and the attendant wasn't necessarily selling good tissues, either. Ikan Kekek (talk) 09:52, 28 May 2015 (UTC)

In Japan, particularly in train stations, for "toilet paper", you often have to buy packets of tissue from a vending machine, usually outside the restroom itself. This is also why promotional campaign on the streets (and again, particularly near train stations) often hand out packets of tissues. It's not necessarily for blowing your nose. Texugo (talk) 11:13, 28 May 2015 (UTC)

Comment on this section, Maybe it's only a UK thing, but in extremeis I've noted some places in the UK use old newsprint as makeshift toilet paper.. ShakespeareFan00 (talk) 14:22, 5 January 2018 (UTC)

Warm water

Macgyverjoel changed "soap and hot water" to "soap and water" as "there are no studies showing 'hot water' is needed". I suppose there indeed exists a lot of research on the matter, although I don't know any – not my field.

Any recommendation I have read about washing hands always include using soap and warm water (not "hot", I think). I cannot believe it really were a myth. Now, you don't always have warm water – or soap – handy, and it would be good to know how important it is to have those.

–LPfi (talk) 10:21, 22 October 2021 (UTC)

Not my expertise, either, but I think fecal pathogens can survive (or perhaps better: thrive) at body temperature (37°C; otherwise they couldn't colonise the intestines, and hence found in the stool), and any water significantly hotter than that temperature is simply too uncomfortable to keep your hands in for any amount of time for most people.

I've found this in Wikipedia (w:Hand washing#Warm water): "Water temperatures from 4 to 40 °C do not differ significantly regarding removal of microbes." However, also from the same article: "WHO considers warm soapy water to be more effective than cold, soapy water at removing natural oils which hold soils and bacteria." So what I gather is that water, soap, and scrubbing are the essentials; warm/hot water is slightly better to have than not, but not an absolute necessity. Vidimian (talk) 12:51, 24 October 2021 (UTC)

I suppose the reason to have warm water is indeed to remove fat ("natural oils"). Many fats melt between 4 and 40°C, and I think also the effect of the soap increases in warm water (at least easier to get a soapy feeling, in my experience – this and its effects may depend on soap type). The sentence in Wikipedia on absence of effects is from a single study, which can have any shortcomings. Another of the cited studies says (in the abstract, the study is on the adverse effects):

"Multiple government and health organizations recommend the use of warm or hot water in publications designed to educate the public on best practices for washing one’s hands. This is despite research suggesting that the use of an elevated water temperature does not improve handwashing efficacy, but can cause hand irritation."

The concerns are mostly about people in some trades, who need to wash their hands often, but can be relevant for people with sore skin.

So, should we repeat the standard advice or join the forerunners? I am not confident doing the latter until I have a better picture about the state of the research. Perhaps Doc James can shed some light?

–LPfi (talk) 18:27, 24 October 2021 (UTC)

Warm water is just nicer to wash with than cold... So people are more likely to wash properly. Removed the bit on COVID as 1) no evidence people are consistently washing their hands well now because of it or 2) that hand washing is really that important for COVID (much more important is masking). Travel Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 03:46, 25 October 2021 (UTC)

Restrooms in the U.S. don't contain a sink?

Is that some kind of regional definition? My experience is that "restroom," "bathroom" and "washroom" are synonymous, all have a toilet and most have a sink, or if they don't, a sink is normally right outside the room. Ikan Kekek (talk) 05:18, 6 November 2021 (UTC)

I thought the same too. (that was my experience on the west coast) SHB2000 (talk | contribs | meta.wikimedia) 06:11, 6 November 2021 (UTC)