Toilets of the World
Welcome to the Toilets of the World
Are you wondering why people hoard toilet paper? Wondering how to use a bidet, or even what a bidet is? Curious about what the toilets are like in other countries? Toilets from ancient history? Do you wonder who invented the flush toilet? (It wasn't Thomas Crapper!) You've come to the right place!
Toilets around the world:Belgium Bulgaria China France Greek Islands Japan Morocco Trinidad Russia and many others
Toilets from throughout history:
The Stone Age Ancient Greece Ancient Rome Bible era King Arthur's England Invention of the flush toilet To the toilets of the future
186 days until Thomas Crapper's birthday
245 days until World Toilet Day
Seatless Toilets
Who Took The Seat? Sometimes you will find that a toilet is missing its seat. I don't mean a squat toilet, but a raised porcelain commode that has holes for mounting a seat and lid but has neither. It seems to need a seat, but the seat is missing. Why does the owner do this? It's for hygiene. Toilets can be much cleaner without seats.
How are you going to use a raised porcelain commode style toilet with no seat?
Toilet seats are made of relatively soft and somewhat porous plastic or painted wood. That soft, porous surface provides plenty of opportunity for dirt and microorganisms to take hold, and it is nearly impossible to get it completely clean.
The bowl itself, however, is vitreous. That is, glass-like. A toilet bowl is extremely hard and non-porous. The outer surface of the bowl is a ceramic glaze that has been fired or baked to convert it to a material similar to glass.
You can be about as harsh or aggressive as you want, mechanically or chemically, in cleaning a toilet bowl.
Meanwhile the entirely non-porous glass-like surface provides no place for microorganisms to hide. So where do you sit? On the rim of the bowl, of course!
Above is a compact private toilet in a First Class sleeper compartment on the City Night Line. A similarly small compartment houses a private shower.
My collection of Czech plumbing includes both stationary toilets and sinks, and a wide variety of train toilets.
Who is the Toilet Guru? Is he obsessed? What is it like to be the Toilet Guru? Why does this site exist?
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