The Biggest Mistake You're Making in the Bathroom

One thing that non-Americans want to know: why do you call toilets "bathrooms"?

Because we're awesome in our enigmatic befuddling ways. Keep you nonAmericans second guessing with our bizarre idiosyncratic idioms.

The typical American bathroom contains a sink, a bath tub +/- shower, plus a toilet.

The American bathroom, maybe called "the toilet". When this is done,

"the toilet" is short for "the toilet area". ( my best guess!)

Actually I call a toilet a toilet. It is a part of the bathroom in many homes. It is a part of the restroom when it comes to public restrooms.

A good reason for it to be called a bathroom may be due to the sink in the room, which is a place to wash up, bathe the arms and face. In some cases a rather complete body cleanup can be done (be sure to lock the door first).

a bathroom/washroom/restroom is more than just a toilet

(that's the Canadian take on it)

I always wash the hands and wash the levers or knobs which control the water. Think about it- after doing ones business, many people take their soiled hands and touch the controls, then after washing up they take the clean hands and shut the water off. Sort of puts the germs and glop back on the paws, making the cleanup useless.

Do you think there might be an decrease in washing by having multi gender restrooms. Those who currently wash would continue to do so, if anything, the wash up rate might increase as men would be more likely to see women washing up and want to show similar health awareness.

I question how important it is for men to wash their hands after they urinate. I get that this is a cultural taboo, but there isn't much infectious in a healthy person's urine and one can pee without touching anything.

I wonder if there is actual scientific data on this.

When I was young I read an (American) sociology text in which there was a section about a public housing project called Pruitt-Igoe in St Louis, Missouri. It included interviews with residents of the project. One lady said she was tired of non-residents getting into the building and "going to the bathroom on the landings". I remember thinking how enlightened the city authorities were to provide bathrooms on the landings.

Even if you walk around with your dick hanging out, you'd need to stop it from pissing down your leg?

Many folks wash the different parts of the toilet as do you. Some then throw the paper towel in the waste basket and THEN...touch the dirty (?) door knob to exit the toilet facility ( bathroom).

In the hospital, many of the staff will use the "dirty" paper towel to open the door when exiting the bathroom area.

The genital area is rife with microbes, and I don't know of anyone who can pee without handling his penis.

Ah, Pruitt Igo was a key disaster, famous when I was studying architercture and planning, probably still is.

Me, I'm not very germ phobic, but then I've a (knock on wood) pretty good immune system. Yes, I know a fair amount about microbiology. I'm probably more phobic about germ killing stuff used unwisely, than I am about a daily germ quotient from various surroundings.

Surroundings do differ from place to place, though. Depends.

If you're only talking about URINE, the pH is usually acid, which could kill off most bacteria in a urine stream. However, many fungi ( molds/yeasts) will thrive at very low pH levels ( acidic).

In the US, in the PROJECTS, as you've mentioned, and in the subway elevators, too many riders just can't stop urinating. The smell is unbelievable.

In the US, the OUT- HOUSE is just an outdoors toilet ( covering a long dirt tunnel). I've never heard of a urinal being in an OUT-HOUSE.

You've never been inside a porta a potty

Using public restrooms 101:

Use foot to flush toilet (optional)
Wash hands thoroughly
Use paper towel to turn off water, discard that towel (in order to get water shut off quickly to avoid wasting water)
Use 1 more paper towel to dry hands (yes you only need 1)
Use same towel to open door, then discard towel

Why is this so hard?

It's not that hard. It is just a little neurotic.

Your genital area might be rife with microbes. Mine isn't (to be honest, I haven't been using it as much as I might like).