Did you know that the origin of the word “toilet” actually comes from the French word “toile” ? This basically means cloth, however over the years, the word was borrowed in English and it became the universal word “toilet”. Nonetheless there are various alternatives we tend to use such as “bathroom”, “the loo”, “The john”, “restroom” , “privy” etc.

Half of UK adults take their mobile phones to the toilet. It’s become a common norm for our generation to take our smartphone and devices to the toilet on a daily routine.  We are all guilty of it. You’ve probably come on here, however, to entertain yourself while sitting on the toilet seat-just be extra careful not to drop your phone! Based on previous findings, the bathroom is the second common place to damage your smartphones.

If you’re reading this and you’re not currently sat on the toilet then bookmark it and save it for later. It would be wrong for you to read these 17 crazy toilet facts when not on the toilet. Not only will you find yourself feeling enlightened having gained this additional knowledge, but the time it takes you to read all 17  should be long enough for you to…you know…take care of business. Shall we begin?

1: The First Flushing Toilet was invented by the Scottish inventor, Alexander Cumming. The S-Shaped pipe was phenomenal at the time. 

2: Herman Goering, one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, refused to use regular toilet paper. In fact, he would buy soft handkerchiefs in bulk and use them instead. (Sorry for ruining Handkerchiefs for you, but we thought you should know)

3: In 1992, Britain’s toilets were actually voted as being the worst in the world…dear o’ dear I think it’s safe to say that we’ve come a long way since then.

4: In America, toilets are flushed more during the Superbowl Half Time period, than at any other time during the year. That’s a lot of beer!

5: Apparently the King of Rock n Roll wasn’t the only King to die in the loo! As it happens King George II of Great Britain died when he fell off a toilet on the 25th October 1760. I’m not sure how tall his throne was, but if he were on Holiday in Thailand at the time, he wouldn’t have been falling off any toilets, that’s for certain.

6: The Average person spends three years of their life sat on the toilet…go on and skim-read the remaining ten facts – get outside and live your life while you still can!!!

7: The 1960’s movie: Psycho, was the first ever film to show a toilet flushing. Believe it or not this was considered inappropriate and caused outrage among many and caused a large influx of complaints. (Imagine how bad it would have been had the actor not bothered at all)

8: In public toilets, the toilet handle can have up to 40,000 germs per square inch…nice!

9: The Roman army didn’t have toilet paper, so they instead used a water soaked sponge on the end of a stick. I’m sure you’ll agree that this brings new depth and meaning to the saying: “a stick up your &$$”.

10: Back in the day, pomegranates with cloves were used as toilet air-fresheners.

11: We all love a good survey, so much so in fact, that over $100,000 dollars was spent on figuring out the correct way to place your toilet paper in the holder. Is it a flap in front or behind? Well, 3 out of 4 people have the flap in the front. Do you count yourself among them?

12: Thomas Crapper didn’t invent the toilet, but he actually perfected the Siphon Flush System that we used today.

13:The most expensive toilet, named the Universal Management System, in the world as of today costs about $23 million.  It is a toilet especially made for astronauts at the International Space Station. It basically takes the water out of waste and purifies it to drinking water! Pretty cool, huh?

14. Following on from 14, technology has transformed toilets into luxury ones. A toilet made by the Japanese-“Toto” has all kinds of features you can possibly imagine.A night light, air deodorizer, heated seating, phone sized remote control to play music, and more. How much more comfortable can one be? The only downside is that it’s insanely expensive!

15: According to the IWA(International Water Association), about 3.6 billion people lack access to basic sanitation services.

16: On World Toilet Day 2022, The WHO stated that more than 1.5 million die every year from diarrheal diseases.  

17: Our sewer systems contain huge doses of drugs, given that 90% of all pharmaceuticals taken by people are excreted through urination. This is quite a serious issue, given that a study by the EPA has found fish containing traces of estrogen, cholesterol-lowering drugs, pain relievers, antibiotics, caffeine, and even anti-depressants.

There are many factors that can contribute to the lack of sanitation, so let’s indulge into taking better care of our health and practising safe hygiene the next time you’re on the toilet!

Tips to ensure good toilet hygiene

Clean freak? Use the first toilet cubicle in a row. It is used the least and is subsequently the cleanest as a result.

Don’t flush with the lid open!

It may seem like a small thing, but it’s important to remember to close the lid before flushing the toilet. When you flush with the lid open, water droplets can be sprayed up to six feet in the air. This means that bacteria and germs from your toilet can spread throughout your bathroom and even beyond!

Move out quickly

When you’re finished using the toilet, move away about 6 feet since airborne germs can cause potential infections.

Wash your hands

We all learnt  better to wash our hands thoroughly with hand sanitizers and soap during COVID-19 so use that habit to do it after using the toilet as well!  That way, you won’t be spreading any germs and bacteria that might have been left behind by someone else. 

With all this in mind, you might be interested to invest in some different bathroom accessories such as a toilet roll holder and more to accessorise your bathroom, keeping it clean and dandy!

References

https://ourcommunitynow.com/home-and-garden/this-11000-luxury-japanese-toilet-might-be-the-fanciest-bathroom-gadget-ever

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/566425-world-toilet-day-over-1-5-million-people-die-annually-from-diarrhoea-who.html

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/disgusting-truth-how-many-people-17729479

https://listverse.com/2009/06/15/15-fascinating-facts-about-toilets/