Behold The bathroom – it’s your personal
sanctuary, the place where you have lots of time to wonder. Like, why’s it called the John? Why not the Charlie? Why does the door in public restrooms always
open inward? And are my deepest bathroom fears justified… Get ready. One at a time, starting with… 1) Are the blow hand dryers really better
than paper? No, they’re not! The air in a typical public restroom isn’t
the cleanest thing on Earth because of open-flush toilets. (You’ll understand why, but I’ll get back
to that.) When you use a hand dryer, it can blow bacteria
around you – even though the air coming from it is perfectly clean! Stick to paper towels if there’s an option,
or carry a small pack with you at all times.
2) Is it ok to flush cooking grease down the
toilet? You know you can’t put it down the sink. But maybe the bigger pipes of the toilet can
handle your leftover grease? No, they can’t. It all goes to the same place, and in that
place, grease congeals and sticks to the pipes. If it keeps building up in your plumbing,
at some point you’ll have to call a plumber to fix a big greasy clog. Just let your leftover oil cool down, put
it in a closable bottle or jar, and throw it in the trash. 3) Why do some public bathrooms tell you not
to flush the toilet paper? Even though toilet paper is supposed to break
down when it gets wet, there’s still a possibility of clogging if the plumbing system isn’t
new or if you use too much of it. And where does a lot of toilet paper get used? Public restrooms – bingo! If you see such a sign, do as you’re told
and throw your used paper in the bin.
Unless you want toilet water sloshing around
your feet… 4) Is it safe to use toilet paper hanging
from the roll? The “open-flush” toilets in public restrooms
don’t have a lid to block all the germy microscopic droplets that come spewing out
with each flush. It covers the floor, the walls, the ceiling…
and the roll hanging right next to you. Experts say toilet paper has more bacteria
than an average toilet seat! If there’s a bit hanging down, don’t use
it – tear it off and roll some fresh paper down for yourself.
If the toilet paper isn’t in a metal or
plastic holder, then beware! (And bring your own wipes!). 5) Why are public toilet seats shaped like
a U? No not like You, like a “U”? The gap on the front of the seat that makes
it look like a horseshoe is there because of plumbing codes. Since 1995, all public toilets must have this
open seat.
The gap serves hygienic purposes – your
skin in that region won’t touch the dirty seat. 6) Are some stalls cleaner than others? One (rather dated) 1995 study suggests that
people tend to choose middle stalls more often. Does it make the side ones cleaner? Perhaps, since those stalls get less traffic
and, thus, less filth. But still, they might get cleaned less often,
or not as thoroughly by the staff for the same reason. I guess it’s up to you – which stall do
you usually use? We’ll do an updated study down in the comments! 7) Do those toilet seat covers protect you
from germs? Sorry to disappoint you, but not really. Those seemingly life-saving covers don’t
do much because they’re absorbent. Bacteria and viruses are tiny enough to easily
soak in through the paper the covers are made of. But good news: catching an infection from
a toilet seat is unlikely. You should be worried about that only if there’s
some wound on your skin that comes into direct contact with the seat.
8) Why don’t stall doors reach the floor? Lots of reasons for that. First, it’s just cheaper – less material
means less money spent. Second, stalls with such doors are easier
to clean. Staff can simply run their mop under the door
without opening and then closing it. The gap also lets you know if the stall is
occupied or not, and it lets in more ventilation. And finally, if you’re out of toilet paper,
your neighbor can help you out! 9) Why do most doors in public restrooms open
inward? Imagine there’s a long line of people waiting
for their turn to go to the bathroom. Someone leaves and opens the door outward
– everyone would have to huddle to the opposite wall. Even if there’s no line, an unsuspecting
person walking down the hallway might be knocked to the floor by the door. And “push to enter” doors are safer since
they have hinges and a lock on the inside.
This means there’s no way to get locked
inside the bathroom. Finally, the door opening inward helps a bit
with the smell problem – fresh air gets wafted into the bathroom every time the door
swings in. 10) Why is toilet paper white? Just to be clear, you can find toilet paper
in different colors on the market. But most manufacturers bleach it to make it
softer. Besides, turning toilet paper white makes
its shelf life longer. Hmm, bleaching makes sense, but why don’t
they color it later? Well, dyed toilet paper can potentially irritate
sensitive skin because of chemicals. And such paper would take longer to decompose. On top of that, white is usually associated
with cleanliness, so many people choose it anyway. 11) Why is the toilet sometimes called the
John? No one knows for sure, but some think that
this name appeared back in the 16th century when Sir John Harrington invented Britain’s
first flushing toilet.
Others believe the toilet was called “Cousin
John” even before Harrington. Why cousin? Probably because the word reminds us of something
familiar and close. 12) How do faucet and toilet sensors know
when to turn on and flush? They work a lot like your TV remote control. These automatic fixtures use the same infrared
light and detectors. Those detectors emitting a continuous beam
notice when infrared light is reflected from the user. There’s a microchip that controls all the
work and helps reduce the chance of false activation when someone simply walks past
the sink or toilet. However, quite often the detectors scale up
with lime and calcium and fail to work properly. 13) Why does the toilet water move when it’s
windy? Everyone knows the plumbing is underground,
so how can wind affect the water in your commode? In many homes, there’s a vent pipe that
goes outside to the roof. When the wind blows hard above that pipe,
the air pressure in it is lowered.
Because of that, the air tries to escape from
the pipe, creating a slight suction effect throughout the plumbing system. This makes the water level in the bowl drop
a bit and go back to normal every time the gust subsides. This led to that famous expression you normally
hear in bathrooms when someone exclaims: “Thar she blows!”. 14) Why are toilets made of porcelain? This ceramic-based material has plenty of
benefits. Porcelain is smooth, so there’s no place for
particles to get stuck in. The nonporous nature of the material is great
protection from bacterial build-up. What’s more, porcelain lasts longer because
it doesn’t corrode or oxidize.
The material is also easily molded into different
shapes, which makes it perfect for tanks, lids, and drains. 15) Why do American toilets have so much water
in them? The water line in the bowls baffles many visitors
to the U.S. You see, there are different systems of toilet
flushing. Most European bathrooms use a washdown system,
in which water inside the tank is forced out through water flowing from the rim of the
bowl. Most American toilets use a syphonic system,
which forcibly draws toilet water down the drain.
That, and a higher water line makes it easier
to keep the bowl clean and odors at a minimum. 16) Why do your legs fall asleep when you
sit on the toilet? You can sit comfortably for quite long on
a chair, but only 15 minutes on the toilet will cause you that “pins and needles”
feeling in your legs. This happens because when you’re on a chair,
your body weight is distributed evenly on your backside. Butt… when you’re on a toilet seat, your
weight is mostly resting on your thighs. This compresses the nerves, which hinders
blood flow to your legs. That’s never good, so don’t sit on the
toilet for too long.
If you can help it. Yeah, I know there are times when you just
can’t avoid it…but. Hey, if you learned something new today, then
give the video a like and share it with a friend! And here are some other cool videos I think
you’ll enjoy. Just click to the left or right, and stay
on the Bright Side of life!.