Humans are different from other animals when it comes to evacuating the bladder and bowels. Much of this has to do with anatomy and culture. Other animals might do what they need to do as they munch on grass, while other animals do their thing in communal middens. Others do it whenever and wherever they feel the urge. On top of this, many animals use bodily wastes to mark territory and advertise their reproductive and social status. Humans just want to get rid of the stuff, and this is where the toilet comes in. Here are some weird toilet facts.
The Amount of Your Life Spent on the Commode
According to folks who study such things, the average human spends about a third of their life on the toilet. They also spend about a third of their life sleeping, so one must assume that the final third is spent doing everything else.
Why Toilets Are Made of Porcelain
Porcelain is clay fired to high temperatures to make it vitreous. It’s perfect for toilet bowls because it’s waterproof, easy to clean and tough. It can bear up under harsh cleansers and resists germs. It won’t shatter even under the weight of a person of considerable size, and it’s affordable.
Japanese Toilets Are the Best
Japanese toilets are so high-tech that they are a marvel of the world. They have heated seats to keep the booty comfortable on chilly mornings as well as bidets, soothing music, different spraying mechanisms and even their own sinks. Once you experience a Japanese toilet, nothing else will do.
The First Time a Flushing Toilet Appeared in the Movies
It took a surprisingly long time for the movies to get around to showing a flushing toilet. It was, believe it or not, in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Marion Crane had stolen a nice sum of money and had to flush the evidence of her crime down the loo.
The Inventor of the S-trap
Modern toilets have some kind of trap that holds water and prevents sewer gases from seeping back up into the house. The person who invented the S-trap was Alexander Cumming, a watchmaker from Scotland. Like a lot of things we assume are recent inventions, the S-trap is older than we think. Cumming patented his invention in 1775.
Fergie Drops the Tea on Buckingham Palace Toilets
According to the Duchess of York, you have to push the handles on the toilets in Buckingham Palace up instead of down. Queen Victoria first installed toilets in the 1880s. When she moved into the place in 1837, there was no indoor plumbing to speak of. Now good old Buck House has 78 bathrooms.
Modern people take toilets for granted now, but their history, like the history of so many things we overlook, is astonishing. We hope you’re flushed with enthusiasm for the subject now. Ask your plumber for more info. When you need toilet services in Charleston, SC, contact C&C Myers.