International Toilets - Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (2023)

FAQs

Why do Italian bathrooms not have toilet seats? ›

Most Italian public toilets don't have a toilet seat.

This has to do with maintenance. Since public toilets are often less than spotless, people often climb with their shoes on top of them, not to sit on a potentially dirty seat.

American partitions offer a good deal of privacy, but the exposed feet and top, combined with the sight lines between the door and frame, may make some occupants a bit uncomfortable. European toilets offer exceptional privacy because instead of a thin partition, it's actually an enclosed stall.

Why are toilets called a WC? To start, WC is an abbreviation standing for 'water closet', a name used in the 1900's for a toilet, due to most being fitted in a spare closet or cupboard. Over time WC has been used instead of bathroom to describe a room with a toilet but no bath.

plural water closets. Synonyms of water closet. : a compartment or room with a toilet.

After pooping, Italians use toilet paper on their butt, but not obsessively so. The person will get themselves clean enough then slide themselves from the toilet seat to sit on the bidet and get extra-specially clean.

Advantages: Energy costs in Germany are much higher than in the United States, which includes the cost of water. Therefore, the shelf toilets were designed to use much less water than their American counterparts - hence the shelf.

One of the reasons some countries have always favoured toilet paper, it appears, is the climate. Most countries in Northern Europe are cold for a good part of the year, and although we live in the 21st century and water heating is available today, it's just a habit that's been passed down the ages.

While Europeans do use toilet paper, WCs may not always be well stocked. If you're averse to the occasional drip-dry, carry pocket-size tissue packs (easy to buy in Europe) for WCs sans TP. Some countries, such as Greece and Turkey, have very frail plumbing.

The American Way

Because the fixture was a French invention, it was rejected by the English, and that sentiment drifted across the pond. During World War II, the Times notes, American soldiers saw bidets in European brothels, "perpetuating the idea that bidets were somehow associated with immorality."

The name “John” was later derived from “Jake” and “Jack.” Secondly but most notable amongst historians, John was the name of the first man credited with inventing the first flushing toilet. John Harington was born during the time in which Queen Elizabeth reigned.

What do British people call the bathroom? ›

In British English, "bathroom" is a common term but is typically reserved for private rooms primarily used for bathing; a room without a bathtub or shower is more often known as a "WC", an abbreviation for water closet, "lavatory", or "loo". Other terms are also used, some as part of a regional dialect.

A public toilet for women in the US is usually called a “women's room” or “ladies' room,” with verbal signs reading “Women” or “Ladies.” (In the UK, people often call a gendered loo “the ladies” or “the gents.”)

Latrine. The word Latrine has its roots in both Latin and French. It comes from the Latin word for wash, 'lavare'. Over time, this Latin word evolved into 'lavatrina' which was then shortened to 'latrina' before eventually becoming 'latrine' courtesy of the French people in the mid-1600s.

Despite its British popularity for a slightly less crude way to call the toilet, the word “loo” is actually derived from the French phrase 'guardez l'eau', meaning 'watch out for the water”.

A separate toilet room, sometimes known as a water closet, is an old design element that is popping up again in master bathrooms everywhere.

An Italian shower, more commonly known as a roll-in shower, is simply a shower with no curb or step between the shower and the bathroom floor. For many people in wheelchairs, this feature is not a luxury but a necessity.

Pat dry with toilet paper

Since you're already clean from your bidet, you won't need much toilet paper to do so–just enough to remove any excess water. Use a gentle pat-dry motion instead of a wipe to avoid any irritation. That's all there is to it.

They are there to replace soap, paper towels, maintain hand dryers, clean and sanitize fixtures and doors. So, leaving space for custodians and maintenance crews makes them happy. These openings also allow for air circulation in the restroom. With all the cleaning products, this may not seem like a big one, but it is.

But European toilets need more cleaning, as traces of waste often stubbornly remain on the side of the bowl, and for this reason European toilets tend to retain an odor that American ones don't. To make the siphon system work, American toilets must have smaller passages, and are therefore more prone to clogging.

In some bathrooms in Germany, men are required to pee sitting down. To keep the bathroom clean and thus be nice to the person who needs to clean it, you will find a sign in many German bathrooms, requiring you to sit down to pee.

Do they use toilet paper in China? ›

Unlike in developed countries, most public toilets in China do not provide toilet paper onsite and users must bring their toilet paper. Moreover, an open waste bin is placed in each user's cubicle to collect used toilet paper and tissues.

Bidets haven't ever been widely embraced in American culture. A common origin story for this reluctance is that bidets were seen as lascivious because they were used in brothels as a form of emergency contraception.

China uses over 4 billion miles of toilet paper each year – more than any other country. The average Portuguese person uses 643.36 miles of toilet paper in their lifetime – more than any other nationality. It takes 31.11 million trees each year to supply the US with toilet paper.

The United States is the world leader in toilet paper usage. Nearly every American person uses a few feet of toilet paper in their daily life.

While Americans in particular are used to flushing their used toilet paper down the pipe, they must break that habit if they are traveling to Turkey, Greece, Beijing, Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Bulgaria, Egypt and the Ukraine in particular. Restrooms will have special waste bins to place used toilet paper.

It is said that pink was the regional preference at the time; how they came to this conclusion, is a mystery! It is thought that this colour was selected to compliment the bathroom décor – pink bathroom anyone? Of course, white toilet paper is available in France (it's also cheaper), it's just much less common.

Toilet paper is used in Japan, even by those who own toilets with bidets and washlet functions (see below). In Japan, toilet paper is thrown directly into the toilet after use. However, please be sure to put just the toilet paper provided in the toilet.

Con #2: Bidets can get gross and unsanitary

A bidet can get pretty disgusting, especially if it's not maintained well. Factors that influence just how clean a bidet are how often it is cleaned, whether it has self-sanitizing nozzles and how much the bidet is shared with others.

If you are using the bidet properly, and if your bidet is of high quality, you should not have to use toilet paper to wipe yourself clean. A high-quality bidet will clean your backside more thoroughly than any amount of wiping. However, you may want to use a small amount of toilet paper to dry yourself.

Why do sailors call the bathroom the head? ›

"Head" in a nautical sense referring to the bow or fore part of a ship dates to 1485. The ship's toilet was typically placed at the head of the ship near the base of the bowsprit, where splashing water served to naturally clean the toilet area.

There weren't always toilets as we know them today. Before the invention of the loo humans used a hole in the ground, potties and chamber pots!

A urinal (US: /ˈjʊərənəl/, UK: /jʊəˈraɪnəl/) is a sanitary plumbing fixture for urination only. Urinals are often provided in public toilets for male users in Western countries (less so in Muslim countries). They are usually used in a standing position.

Bog roll. Taken from the 16th-century Scottish/Irish word meaning 'soft and moist,' bog means restroom or lavatory. Bog roll, naturally, is an idiom for toilet paper.

Some speakers of British English also use subway to refer to a British railway system like this, but the London system is usually called the underground or the tube.

fag noun (CIGARETTE)

[ C ] UK slang. a cigarette: a packet of fags.

Bidets are bathroom fixtures that use a stream of water to clean you off after using the bathroom. Bidets have been popular in Asia, South America, and Europe for many years, and are standard plumbing appliances in many household bathrooms.

A bidet shower—also known as a commode shower, toilet shower, bum shower, shatafa (شَطَّافَة) or bum gun—is a hand-held triggered nozzle that is placed near the toilet and delivers a spray of water used for anal cleansing and cleaning of the genitals after using the toilet for defecation and urination, popularised by ...

'Lavatory' is a good option for people looking for a very formal word to use in very formal occasions​.

An old Tudor phrase for lavatory, jacks is a term more commonly used in Ireland. This is likely a reference to Jack Power, who invented the first multiple cubicle toilet.

What is a toilet called in Australia? ›

dunny – a toilet, the appliance or the room – especially one in a separate outside building. This word has the distinction of being the only word for a toilet which is not a euphemism of some kind. It is from the old English dunnykin: a container for dung. However Australians use the term toilet more often than dunny.

Squat toilets are regarded as traditional by many, and are being phased out in favour of sitting toilets or even high-tech sitting toilets.

What is the Cockney slang for toilet? Khazi. Another slightly dated alternative word to the toilet, 'khazi' (also spelt karzy, kharsie or carzey) is derived from the low Cockney word 'carsey', meaning a privy. It has its roots in the nineteenth century, but gained popular usage during the twentieth century.

As opposed to a traditional full bath, a three-quarter bath is usually characterized by an efficient combination of standing shower, sink and toilet. This simple but useful design is often used for guest bathrooms, and it can add tremendous utility and value to your home.

Therefore, a bathroom with a sink, toilet, and shower is considered a three-quarter bath. A bathroom with just a sink and a toilet is a half-bath.

The same applies in Vietnam, where you'll often see a sign in toilets asking patrons not to flush toilet paper down the toilet. Primarily attributed to the inadequate plumbing systems and the threat of blockage, there will be a bidet shower (or bum gun) on hand to wash your derriere.

PECULIARITIES OF PUBLIC TOILETS IN ITALY

Why don't public facilities (both pay toilets and bars/restaurants) have toilet seats? 2 reasons: Hygiene – It's cleaner to avoid sharing a toilet seat with strangers. Replacement – They break often (people stand on them) and are difficult and expensive to replace.

That's not a second toilet – it's a bidet, a place to clean yourself 'down there. ' Bathtubs aren't common. Showers are usually tiny.

Some public toilets in Greece might not have a seat. This is usually because a plastic seat is more difficult to clean than the toilet bowl, so the owners choose to remove it.

A bidet is a small basin located near the toilet that you use to wash your private parts after using the toilet. So, instead of just wiping with toilet paper, you use soap and water to clean the area. You can also use a bidet to 'freshen up' and wash 'down there' as you feel necessary.

When using a bidet do you wipe first? ›

Tips for use

Check out the bidet before you try to use it. Figure out where the jets of water are going to come from so you're prepared. When you first use a bidet, clean off with toilet paper first before attempting the bidet spray. You don't need to use soap to use a bidet.

The gap in the seat is designed to “allow women to wipe the perineal area after using the toilet without contacting the seat,” she tells Slate. Simick notes that the design also benefits men.

While Americans in particular are used to flushing their used toilet paper down the pipe, they must break that habit if they are traveling to Turkey, Greece, Beijing, Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Bulgaria, Egypt and the Ukraine in particular. Restrooms will have special waste bins to place used toilet paper.

Handheld Bidets – A handheld bidet is a nozzle that stays attached to the toilet. This type of bidet is used to manually clean the genitals and anus after using the toilet. With this type of bidet you are in control of the stream of water.

Don't flush toilet paper in Greece

There's a very simple explanation: Greek sewage pipes are approximately two inches (50mm) in diameter. American and British plumbing is twice as large (four inches/100mm). The Greek pipes just get clogged.

Many locations will also not have a high standard of running water. You will not necessarily be allowed to flush toilet paper or have taps to wash your hands. It's advisable to carry your own toilet paper and hand sanitiser wherever you go.

The potential issues with water you drink in Greece from the tap are bacteria, lead from the pipes and chlorine byproducts. Drinking unclean water can make you seriously ill in some cases.

When you are traveling in Italy you will see strings hanging down the wall over tubs and shower stalls. This is actually an alarm system required by building code, especially for hotels and other places renting out rooms or apartments to travelers.

For men, using a bidet is simple. Simply sit down and do your thing, activate the posterior wash, pat dry, and get on with your manly duties. If you're suffering from jock itch, you could also wash the area more thoroughly and use the front wash before drying completely and applying medication.