Fun Facts to Know About Toilets

Want to visit a nice public restroom? Try Japan
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 29, 2010 3:29 PM CST
Fun Facts to Know About Toilets
You should consider using water, not toilet paper, after using this.   (©cloudsoup)

Toilet habits are a taboo subject for most of us, but not for Harvey Molotch. Salon spoke to the sociology professor, who co-edited Toilet: Public Restrooms and the Politics of Sharing, about the bathroom fixture. Highlights:

  • We should be using water, not toilet paper, to clean up: It's more eco-friendly, and also offers "more complete cleansing," Molotch says.
  • Public restrooms should be unisex: Segregated bathrooms are inefficient, make no sense for LGBT people, and are not as secure as unisex bathrooms would be, he argues.

  • Japan has the best public restrooms: "They take toilets more seriously than anywhere else in the world."
  • The coolest toilet he's ever seen: Is, not surprisingly, in Japan. The top of the toilet is a sink, allowing you to wash your hands but not waste the water—it's used in the next flush.
For the complete interview, including a restroom in New York City that Molotch says is the coolest one he's ever seen, click here. (More toilet stories.)

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