Can we take a moment to stop and appreciate one of the most important inventions ever?
No, not your phone, the Internet, or HotPockets.
I’m talking about the toilet!
And I challenge you now to count how many times I say “toilet” in this video because….it’s
gonna be a lot!
It goes by other names, of course – The Porcelain Throne!
The Loo!
The John.
I’ll bet John’s really happy about that.
And a bunch more pseudonyms that we’ll get into later.
But my biggest question has to be: Why are they always white?
For something that sees so much filth, why would they make it pristine white???
Wouldn’t that encourage stains?
Why can’t they be black or some other dark color that would hide any…graffiti… more
discreetly!
Well, for starters, commodes haven’t always been white…or porcelain!
Go back to the Middle Ages.
Mmm, not a time for germaphobes, I’ll say that.
Remember learning in school about how dirty the streets were in Europe back then?
Commoners had to use chamber pots—yes, for both numbers!
Chamber pots were just that—pots or bowls that people kept in their bedrooms in case
they had to GO in the middle of the night.
The chamber pots would have to be emptied, so people just dumped them out their windows
into the streets!
Don’t judge them too harshly (although…eeeewie!) – they had no idea about the danger of bacteria
and how it spreads to cause illnesses.
In the 1800s, people finally began to understand this better and realized that there was a
serious need to improve sanitary conditions.
So then EVERYONE wanted flushing toilets and a sewer system close to the one we know today!
And it was at this time that they started making toilets from porcelain!
But were they white?
Eh, kinda, if you take away the colorful decorative painting on the bowl.
Wait, so why don’t we now have commodes that are almost too beautiful to be soiled?!
I guess you might feel nervous about ruining that floral design by scratching your toilet
brush against it.
More on that question shortly, but a quick note on flushing because it goes along with
the choice for stark white…
It turns out that other parts of the world had the sanitary toilet thing down way earlier,
but the luxury of a toilet was only for royalty to enjoy.
The first-ever recorded flushing water closet belonged to King Minos of Crete over 2,800
years ago.
But the first patent for a flushing toilet went to a guy named Alexander Cummings in
1775, and then the real work—and cleanup— began.
(And, yes it was the Englishman Thomas Crapper who gave us many improvements to the toilet
– including that thingy floating in the tank to shut off the water.
In fact, manhole covers with Crapper’s company name on them are a minor tourist attraction
in Westminster Abbey.
- So, comes the burning question what exactly happens when you flush?
You know that tank with a lid that sits on the back of your toilet?
It’s full of water too, and that’s where all the magic starts.
Ok, the flushing magic, that is.
When you push down on that little handle (or button depending on where you are), water
from that tank floods into the toilet bowl.
This water, along with the water that’s already in the bowl, plus some gravity, is
what causes everything to go down the toilet into some S-shaped piping.
There has to be enough water in the bowl to get past a little pocket of air at the beginning
of that S-shaped pipe.
And a lot of water it is!
Currently, the average toilet manufactured today uses about 1.5 gallons per flush.
Anyway, the piping then carries everything into the sewer system.
Flushing also helps with keeping your toilet clean, which brings me to the thought that’s
been on everyone’s mind!
- Why are toilets and urinals usually white?
The first and simplest reason why toilets are white is because porcelain is white, and
95% of toilets are made from the stuff.
It’s a heavy material that doesn’t crack or leak very easily, so it’s perfect to
use for toilets.
In fact, with good care, one commode can last about 50 years!
Once the toilet is molded out of clay and other materials that make up porcelain, it’s
fired, and this is what makes it white!
“Wait, but what about those fancy toilets in the 1800s with flowers and paisleys?”
Well, we ditched those.
Why?
Because plain white has come to symbolize cleanliness and sterilization.
It’s supposed to make us feel clean in the bathroom!
Plus, you tend to feel safe in a clean environment, and it’s good to feel safe when you’re
doing your business!
And when you think about it, any speck of dirt and grime is going to be super obvious
on something so white.
So in a way, the plain white toilet encourages us to clean it often!
And you kinda have to clean it a lot, since…
- The average person uses the toilet 2,500 times a year.
Add up all that time, and the result is that we end up spending 92 DAYS on the toilet in
our lifetime!
That could get pricey if you’re using…
- Golden Toilet Paper A company out of Australia started selling
TPc made from 22K gold in 2013.
And yes, the price tag is hefty—a jumbo roll will cost you about $1.4 million!
Talk about flushing money down the Loo!
Speaking of which…
- What do you call your toilet?
We all know some of the common names: the Commode, the John, the Potty, the Loo, the
Throne, around my house it’s the Reading room.
But some more unusual names from around the world are the Dunny, Place of Easement, and
the Necessary.
The ancient Israelites called it the House of Honor, and the early Egyptians dubbed it
the House of Morning.
What do you call YOUR toilet?
Let me know down in the comments!
I’m especially interested in what they call it in India.
After all…
- India has its own Toilet Museum!
Located in New Delhi, The Sulabh International Museum of Toilets has amazing artifacts and
pictures that let you take a walk through the evolution of the toilet, going back 4,500
years!
It made TIME Magazine’s list of Top Weirdest Museums in The World.
I wonder if TIME knew about the toilet museum in Suwon, South Korea?
In fact, how many toilet museums are there on this planet?!
Yes, we love all things “toilet” so much that…
- There’s a World Toilet Day.
Every November 19th, the world celebrates the Porcelain Throne.
They even come up with a theme for the event.
Ok, it’s not like “come dressed as your favorite superhero” or anything.
It’s actually a big convention where improvements in public sanitation are discussed, as well
as any upcoming toilet technology.
cSounds…fascinating!
- The World’s Fastest Toilet Colin Furze of the UK built the world’s
fastest toilet in May of 2013.
It reached a speed of 53 mph, setting a Guinness World Record!
Furze tinkered with a scooter, attaching a toilet seat and adding a motorbike engine.
I don’t know, I think I should only count if there’s a functioning flushing toilet
on there.
Oh well…
How about another toilet-related world record?...
- Most Toilet Seats Broken…Over the Head!
In September of 2007, Kevin Shelley broke 46 wooden toilet seats over his head in one
minute.
Ouch!
Unsurprisingly, this Guinness World Record hasn’t been broken by anyone else.
Gee, kinda gives you some hope about humanity having better things to do.
- Have you ever wondered how many toilets are in the White House?
It’s famous for the number of beautiful rooms and fireplaces, but now you’ll know
that among those are 35 bathrooms and toilets!
And none of these are open to the public.
Some are even equipped with shoe polishers!
Wait, people who shine your shoes while you…
Never mind, let’s just keep moving along…
- Statistics show that before a child is fully potty-trained and can use the toilet all by
themselves, parents will change about 10,000 diapers!
Yes, I’m sure all parents are happy to eventually “eliminate” that chore!
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