When visiting a country for the first time, bathrooms may not be the first thing on your mind. However, knowing the correct toilet etiquette can help improve your trip. As plumbing is different around the world, there are several places where flushing your toilet paper can create big problems. This is because narrow pipes and sewerage systems that can’t handle toilet paper mean they can become blocked, causing very unpleasant floods.
It is even more essential that you don’t flush anything other than toilet paper anywhere in the world, as even a simple tissue can cause problems. This is because toilet paper is designed to disintegrate easily in water, whereas tissues and wet wipes (yes, even the flushable ones) are not. The main thing to remember is that if in doubt, find out any toilet tricks you need to know before you visit the bathroom, or simply don’t flush it.
Countries where you can’t flush toilet paper
Toilet paper is such a hot topic that there used to be a travel blog called Wheredoiputthepaper.com dedicated to it, but it is sadly no longer active. There are also many countries where people use water to clean themselves, so toilet paper may not even be available. If you don’t know whether or not to flush and there happens to be a bin available, it may be better to use the bin, otherwise, you may become very unpopular.
In Europe, you cannot flush toilet paper in Greece, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Turkey and Ukraine. Around the world, you are not allowed to flush toilet paper in Egypt, China, and rural South America either. In remote areas, you may be unable to flush paper as plumbing may not be as good as in the cities. However, places that attract tourists generally use signs to remind you, as well as the tell-tale bins to throw your used tissue in. You could even use your vacation as an opportunity to give up toilet paper altogether.
More toilet tips from around the world
If you want to save money (and trees) while on the road, you can adopt the same method as the people with whom you’re sharing a country. Otherwise, you may need to buy your own supply of toilet paper and carry it with you to the bathroom. In China and Korea, public bathrooms no longer supply paper as it used to be stolen so regularly.
So, to do as the locals do, you can use a bidet (sink to wash your bottom in), a special hose next to the toilet, or a cup or lota (a type of teapot for pouring water on your bottom). While the washing implements will depend on where you’re staying, whether a hotel, hostel or someone’s home, it helps to know how to use it. That said, next time you use a bathroom abroad where washing is the norm, then have a go. This will make it easier to clean yourself on the road, and you won’t need to worry about bringing your own paper, finding a bin, or, most importantly, clogging the toilet.
