World Toilet Day: 10 Things You Don’t Know About Toilets

Happy World Toilet Day! Today is all about celebrating the humble water closet, along with the private ritual it is used for and recognising its very important part in making everyday life much easier. But what about those who don’t have a toilet? As we uncovered last week, over 2.5 billion people across the globe do not have access to safe, clean toilets. This means that they are also high risk to water-related diseases, including typhoid fever, cholera, trachoma and malaria.

Today is the day to spread the word about the global sanitation challenge. By simply joining the conversation on social media, you can make a difference in bringing safe and sustainable sanitary practices and resources accessible to those in need. We have been helping build awareness on:

Our top 10 most unusual facts about toilets:

  1. The word ‘toilet’ comes from the French word toilette, which refers to the act of grooming or cleaning one’s self.
  2. The average life expectancy of a toilet is 50 years.
  3. The first attempt to make toilet air freshener consisted of pomegranates stuffed with cloves.
  4. The first public toilets appeared at London’s Crystal Palace in 1851. They were also the first-known “pay toilets,” as patrons were charged a penny for their use.
  5. It is advised that that a person exits a public restroom stall immediately after flushing since ‘faecal matter’ can fly into the air when flushed!
  6. Only one in 20 people wash their hands properly after going to the toilet.
  7. Women spend up to 60 per cent more time in the bathroom than men.
  8. Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) was the first movie to feature a flushing toilet.
  9. The White House in Washington, D.C has 35 bathrooms, which means the First Family have 35 toilets to choose from!
  10. Thomas Crapper is the name of the person who first marketed the toilet to the masses.

Are we missing anything? Share your toilet fact with us in the comments below!