Toilets Need to Change

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How often do you think about your toilet or toilet room? I'm guessing not too often...unless there's a problem. It's true that not much has evolved in the last 100 years or so. But, architecturally, the devices and spaces for expelling bodily waste has a fascinating history that corresponds with a host of factors including changing technologies, understanding of the human body, and cultural customs. This video explores the history and future of the toilet and its attendant rooms. What's next for this utilitarian object?
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Architecture with Stewart is a KZbin journey exploring architecture’s deep and enduring stories in all their bewildering glory. Weekly videos and occasional live events breakdown a wide range of topics related to the built environment in order to increase their general understanding and advocate their importance in shaping the world we inhabit.
_About Me_
Stewart Hicks is an architectural design educator that leads studios and lecture courses as an Associate Professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also serves as an Associate Dean in the College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts and is the co-founder of the practice Design With Company. His work has earned awards such as the Architecture Record Design Vanguard Award or the Young Architect’s Forum Award and has been featured in exhibitions such as the Chicago Architecture Biennial and Design Miami, as well as at the V&A Museum and Tate Modern in London. His writings can be found in the co-authored book Misguided Tactics for Propriety Calibration, published with the Graham Foundation, as well as essays in MONU magazine, the AIA Journal Manifest, Log, bracket, and the guest-edited issue of MAS Context on the topic of character architecture.
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University of Illinois at Chicago School of Architecture: arch.uic.edu/
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[@mk1st]

My wife works for a large plumbing supply and gets great employee discounts. She came home one day with a Toto (Japanese brand) bidet seat. At first I dismissed it as something we don’t need and a waste of money, but it is actually amazing. When I now use a public facility I find myself thinking “how primitive” as I rub away with a piece of dry sandpaper.

[@BradThePitts]

I have a TOTO toilet and the logo is RIGHT THERE when I pee... every time I pee I can't help singing "Rosanna" in my head 😆

[@joaomrtins]

How uncivilised

[@PrecioustheMovie1]

The very first thing I did in my very first apartment was install a bidet. I consider it essential!

[@kg-Whatthehelliseventhat]

I love toto! I'm from the US, My wife is japanese and we now live in Japan. Sad thing is I have an ostomy now... can't use toto. However, the Japanese do have special stomach high toilet/urinal that is designed for people with a stoma. It has a removable hose to clean a person's stomach.

[@Rawi888]

Okay. I gotta understand how these things work. Do they like... squirt water at your butthole ? Like Poseidon's kiss 😭? Okay. What about like... sticky poops though, like when you eat a lot of protein and fruits ? Wait..... How do you dry your butthole ? Does it have a vacuum ? I gotta understand, I think I'm losing it.

[@jeff__w]

11:12 One of the many things I _loved_ about Japan was that the every public toilet I encountered, even at a dinky train station-at least in Tokyo, Kyoto and nearby areas-was spotless _and_ well-stocked with toilet paper. It felt so civilized.

[@StefanVidenov]

Try Shibuya on friday an hour before the last train :D

[@jeff__w]

@@StefanVidenov My delusions shattered! 🙃😃

@@StefanVidenov Probably better than any station that I've ever been to ALL THE TIME.

[@HawkGTboy]

That’s because Japan is full of Japanese people and no one else. Diversity creates disorder. Check out Robert Putnam’s 2007 study if you don’t believe me.

[@toddcurtis1377]

As opposed to most public toilets in Korea which do not stock paper. You bring your own and there is usually a vending machine nearby.

[@Hiro_Trevelyan]

I have to note that you showed public toilets in Paris that are free while saying they're not. You're probably right about Europe in general, but those specific public toilets in Paris are installed by the city and free to use.

[@stewarthicks]

Thanks for the correction.

[@Hiro_Trevelyan]

@@stewarthicks haha don't worry, it's just not lucky !

[@andreja9425]

there’s not enough of them tho and they’re routinely not stocked/cleaned

[@Hiro_Trevelyan]

@@andreja9425 clearly. They have huge issues and take too much time to clean for a mediocre result. And some arrondissements don't even have any, like the 1st despite being a very touristic place. But at least, it's free, automated, 24/7 toilets and that's a good thing !

[@vacafuega]

@@Hiro_Trevelyan there is one just across the courtyard from the pompidou centre, but that being said you're totally right, there are way too few

[@lifeinhd4053]

Inventor of the flush toilet's name was actually Thomas... Crapper? And the architect who best understood the role of plumbers was named Adolf... Loos? I'm sus, but I choose to believe.

[@g0d5m15t4k3]

If I invented the ubiquitous thing that everyone used every day, I would totally be proud to have my name permanently associated with it. Even if it was where you took a dump. There are worse things to be famous for inventing.

[@stevenlitvintchouk3131]

Thomas Crapper was one of the inventors of the flush toilet. But his name is just a strange coincidence. The slang term "crap" was in use before he invented the toilet.

[@calderov]

@@stevenlitvintchouk3131 that's how he knew his destiny

[@lifeinhd4053]

@@stevenlitvintchouk3131 I figure it's a coincidence; it's just an insane one.

[@gildedpeahen876]

@@lifeinhd4053 no such thing as coincidences

[@davelordy]

I went to school with a girl, let's call her 'Kate' (can't remember her first name! It was a while back!) her full name was 'Kate' Crapper, her great great great great ( . . . . ) grandfather was Thomas Crapper, and although he didn't quite invent the toilet, he redesigned, improved and steered the already existing water closet towards what it is now the modern toilet (which still gets called 'the crapper' in places like the UK and Australia).

[@downingbots]

Oh lo lThomas Crapper also gets mentioned in the video around 5:50

[@jacquelinesimpson6672]

Also in the US

[@JohnJ469]

He's also remembered in that Aussies "Have a crap" when using the facilities. Whether we care about something or not is also the difference between "Giving a crap" or not. Thomas Crapper helped shape our language.

[@PhantomFilmAustralia]

@@JohnJ469 Are you talking crap?

[@JohnJ469]

@@PhantomFilmAustralia Oh, I can crap on for hours.

[@JasonJones-sv1xe]

Not too long ago I used a public toilet in a small town in California’s Napa Valley. The water used to flush the toilet was the grey water from the sink and washing your hands. Something like this is so simple, but completely genius! We should be thinking outside the box more often!

[@DMorga]

It's actually a Japanese invention, they've been common in homes there for about 40+ years now, definitely efficient!

[@Stache987]

I have a roommate that enjoyed a soak daily in a clawfoot tub, it would be nice to supply the toilet with that water, our $109+ monthly water bill could be slightly cheaper

[@mencken8]

My grandparents had a cistern that collected rainwater that was used for everything except drinking and cooking. I’ve seen other houses of the same age with completely independent graywater systems. But they never became prevalent because abundant fresh water just made it cheaper to use for everything. That is now changing. Same with cars- there were electrics sold and driven in the early 1900s, but cheap, abundant petroleum meant their use never became common. That, too, is in the throes of change.

[@Stache987]

@rico567 my landlord says his gutter man was supposed to put guttering up 6 months ago when half of a piece was dragging on the side of the house.. still not done.. Our shower leaks underneath into the bathroom of the apartment below, he thinks we're not using a showrr curtain and blames it on us, and we are, it smells of sewer vent and we had to cover the drain with a rubber gadget for the kitchen when the shower isn't in use. Since it's not life threatening to us, we're just waiting for him to ultimately need to replace the bathroom floor. $475 a month heat included in this area is a bargain even though our nearest decent grocery store is 14 miles away. We just go the 40 to Walmart and load the trunk

[@g0d5m15t4k3]

I visited California in a similar drought/desert area and also thought it was brilliant to use gray water for toilets and outdoor irrigation. Rather than use processed drinking water. I get that Ohio has plenty of water, but if we implemented that idea here, it would save so much time and energy for water treatment!

[@luipaardprint]

For me as, a rule of thumb, can tell a lot about the quality of a restaurant by the attention to detail of the interior decorating of their toilets. The quality of the experience in the dining room and the bathroom are directly correlated.

[@afriedrich1452]

A restaurant is just a glorified outhouse, hence the correlation.

[@whatwasisaying]

So that is why the gas station toilet is no cleaner than the outside.

[@ladyrose3285]

I judge a restaurant or other business establishment by how clean their bathrooms are. In a mall I go to once in awhile is decent but stil not clean very well.

[@Jomoko89]

One thing about Japanese toilets I appreciate the most in homes, is the seperation of spaces. You have a room specifically for the toilet, and an adjacent connected room for the shower & bath, both can be accessed from the hallway or the connected room. And even further, the entirety of the shower & bath room is built so that the entire surface of the room is water resistance so you can shower anywhere within that room, which makes showering and bathing your children much easier, and you can save water by having multiple people shower / bathe at the same time.

[@godfreypoon5148]

You can also put the garden hose in the room and turn it on, and just let it whip around.

[@sa3270]

I don't mind if the toilet is in a separate compartment, but it needs to be directly accessible to the rest of the bathroom for hygiene and privacy purposes.

[@lzh4950]

@@enterprisestobart Yeah Japanese toilets usually put the sink outside (while those on trains have sinks both inside & outside, but only the latter one has soap for some reason). I stayed in an AirBnb in Japan also where the toilet bowl room was beside the house's entrance but the sink is in the backyard for some reason, with the shower cubicle accessible only from there too. I imagine it'd be tricky to use during winter

[@duimu]

I did not expect to see a fellow Holo fan here. Hello~

[@nusaibahibraheem8183]

I came here to learn why toilets need to change but it feels like I was just given a summary of how toilets look from limited places.

[@Henry-px8ot]

Is there a code for faucet length? It's infuriating to me when after using the restroom I go to wash my hands, like a normal person, and the stream of water is 2 inches from the edge of the sink. It's insane to me that is even allowed, you're supposed to clean your hands there, not re-contaminated it with something else.

[@herseem]

I completely agree, it's a pestilence. It's as though the sink and the taps were designed by two separate people who weren't talking to each other

[@TwilightMysts]

I see this problem all the time.

[@flagshipbowtie]

🤣 Agreed. That's the most tarded and common thing not only public toilets but at homes now. I call those taps pricks. Whoever thought it's a good idea should be quartered

[@fredorman2429]

Back in the early 60’s I worked for the ORIGINAL Abercrombie & Fitch on 45th street and Madison Ave. the pet department had a dog toilet that was a bit bigger than a toddler’s playpen, was made of stainless steel and cost more than 5 grand. It worked perfectly, except that dogs wouldn’t use it.

[@bobjacobson858]

In Thailand a couple decades ago, a huge outdoor toilet was designed---for elephants, and they were trained to use them. I used to have a picture of this, but after two moves I've probably lost it.

[@ivermec-tin666]

Fred, just put a food bowl in the toilet. IME, most dogs like to poop where they eat.

[@user-qv6ud2hx6f]

@@ivermec-tin666 Sounds strange. Never saw this behaviour.

[@ivermec-tin666]

@@user-qv6ud2hx6f That's because you haven't met my neighbor's dog. He is a poop machine. Dogs will poop anywhere.

[@mochiebellina8190]

Turn it into a hobo encampment

[@blacksheep_77]

Finally, someone is publicly discussing the toilet. My funniest memory of architecture school some 35 years ago was a 5 week journey in architectural history about the toilet and how ludicrous most design standards are...and yes...how opposite it is to how the human body best gets rid of the crud. Designers unit! Make a better bathroom already.

[@Stellar-Cowboy]

Linking to this, we should also get rid of toilet paper. It’s absolutely insane to clean something with thin, dry paper sheets.

[@ChemEDan]

@@Stellar-Cowboy Culture is weird LOL. My great-great uncle, accustomed to outdoor toilets: "Why would anyone sh!t in their own house? That's nasty!" My Asian friend: "If you get sh!t anywhere else on your body, you wash it wash thoroughly, right? But on your butt, you smear it with paper and call it good?" Me: **puts toilet paper roll on backwards**

[@SCComega]

​@williamt1989 it makes sense as a finishing touch, like drying off with a towel after a shower, so toilet paper after a bidet makes sense, but.. yeah.

[@paulah5910]

Here in my city ( Curitiba - Brazil) there is a very famous weird building called Suite Vollard from 2004. The kitchen , the bathroom, fireplace and a/c are located in the middle of it, and all the rest of the apartment spins around with motors that take only 1 hour for a complete spin (each floor is independent and had voice control, 20 years ago!). This would made possible having sun light in everyroom, because here is a very humid and cold city. Sadly, the apartment was to expensive and no one ever lived there and the building was auctioned or something. I am architect too, love your videos🇧🇷

[@arthurmezacasa1021]

Chocado que eu nunca tinha ouvido falar nesse prédio! Curitiba sempre surpreendendo com suas invenções urbanísticas. Um abraço desde Porto Alegre!

[@jemmrich]

i don't know about anyone else but I often think that the breakdown of society starts with the toilet. I swear it always seems like every man for himself and all rules are null and void with no common decency. Like, clean up after yourself so that the next person doesn't have to deal with your mess.

[@JasonB808]

The dumbest thing about most US home bathrooms is why does shower, toilet and sink are in one room? I been to my brother’s apartment in Japan. The toilet, shower/tub, and sink are separate. Basically it’s laid out like this. In a small hallway the Washing machine is on the left, the sink in the center. The shower/tub to right, with the toilet in its own little room next to it. No he didn’t have a fancy Japanese Bidet toilet). Japanese toilets actually have a small sink on them so you can rinse your hands with the water that is flushing the toilet. If he was taking a shower, I could use the toilet. Heck if both shower, toilet are in use, I could still use the main sink to brush teeth. But that would make too much sense. In Murica if someone in your family is taking a shower and you need to use toilet real bad. Well tough luck.

[@ohsweetmystery]

Only if you are so poor you only have a single toilet in your home.

[@ximono]

@@ohsweetmystery That would be most of the world. Only the richest can afford to have multiple toilets.

[@tubester4567]

@Joe Friday Right. Theres plenty of separate toilets, particularly decades ago. Many people these days have ensuites to bedrooms and have 2 or 3 toilets in the house,

[@fnorgen]

I've lived with both, and I much prefer to have them all combined in one room. If for no other reason than preferring one decently spacious room to multiple cramped ones. It works fine as long as there aren't more than 4 people sharing one such toilet room, and you don't live with anyone who's fond of hour long coma-showers or something like that. At least in my experience there really hasn't been much competition for the toilet, so efficiency is less of a concern than comfort. Though, that might be because my roommates and I just happen to have staggered schedules.

[@budisutanto5987]

Tub , toilet , shower in 1 line. Each with own door. Folding door/plastic curtain in between. Sink outside. Prefer janitor sink then normal sink, because can be use to wash - feet - rag - clothes if need - small kid Raised floor for plumbing & . . most important . . filter . If there's a clog, open/ lift floor section, clean the filter. Half hour job. There's no need to destroy concrete floor/wall to locate clog in pipe. Heated floor easy maintenance. Wall hang toilet, doesn't have foot on floor, easy to clean. Japanese squat toilet, just add plastic chair with hole. Prefer this then 'regular' toilet.

[@kg-Whatthehelliseventhat]

I see many comments about Japan's toilet. They also have special ostomy toilets. It is a cross between a urinal and toilet. It has a removable hose to clean the ostomy. You flush the toilet paper in the ostomy toilet. Even has a mirror to see the stomach. So considerate.

[@xenon53827]

We just have an aqua vac. You shove the pipe up and just push... Empty it once a week!

[@kg-Whatthehelliseventhat]

@xenon53827 wow bud that's some wild thoughts. May God help the woman who would be tricked to be with you. I feel so sorry if you have a daughter. Why are you even here. You're not here to help or be helped. Do you have a fetish?

[@leonmail0]

I have a calc final in 6 hours, but this is more important.

[@henryglennon3864]

Good news if you're an architecture student watching this: you'll never use calculus; you WILL design an ADA accessible toilet.

[@stellamcwick8455]

I have an engineering degree and I have never had to use calculus in any job I have ever held. Basic algebra and trig. If planned right, you two can successfully avoid having to use calculus ever again.

[@MatthewMS.]

Calc is obsolete due to Google. Personality is now more than ever an asset.

[@MatthewMS.]

Thanks 🙏 Jenn Z.!

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

Most important question: is the lid supposed to be strong enough to sit on? My toilet broke, so the landlord eventually replaced it. I put the lid down to sit on it while I put my shoes on before going out. It shattered into a million pieces and gave me a bit of a shock.

[@aliceinwonderland8314]

I thought the main point of the lid was to sit/put things on(eg if you're cleaning the sink and don't want to put stuff on the floor), with the secondary task of stopping things (eg from a shelf above)/pets from falling in/drinking.

[@dl2725]

For me the lid is a shield against “toilet plume”

[@normanclatcher]

@@dl2725 The lid is my weapon of choice against gender inequality. I don't care _who_ comes in after me, you're gonna have to lift that to do yours.

[@SSDD_NYC]

I’ve always assumed it’s only to be closed right before flushing if you’re not still sitting down- so that when you flush, the particles that fly into the air don’t float on to your soap, toothbrush, etc. To each their own, I guess.

[@EmeraldMara85]

It depends on how old the lid was and what material it is. If it's plastic, it will break down sooner or later as it degrades with oxidation, sunlight, etc. Sooner or later you would have to replace it. Is it strong enough? Yes it should be able to withstand the average weight of a human even if they stand on it. But otherwise as people said, it's primary function is to stop water droplets when flushing, from hitting everything else in the toilet. Not covering will make fixtures rust and brushes filled with feces droplets.

[@misspaisleypants]

I say the gas stations along the highways should really up their bathroom game, like themed or fancy or fun, because when you’re on a road trip you’d say oh ya that place has a really cool bathroom! And you’d go and spend your money there.

[@g0d5m15t4k3]

Agreed!

[@Hyraethian]

Just a big sign that says, " Our bathroom is nice. Come on in. "

[@paulwillard5924]

Some of the nicest bathrooms in the US are in Love’s fuel stops.

[@jasonbegg3539]

Buc-ee’s hangs up big signs that talk up how great their bathrooms are. And yeah, they’re pretty good. Not individually luxurious per se, but well made to decently handle a lot of people with no hang-ups

[@kennixox262]

There is a large gas station just south of Las Vegas that has a very large restroom. Probably 20 or more stalls and very clean.

[@IAmMrGreat]

Personally I'd place the bathroom as the second most important room to have in your home, right after the bedroom. I could do without a kitchen, living room, office and any number of other rooms, but bed and toilet are the two things I couldn't do without.

[@eyesofthecervino3366]

I'd rather sleep on the floor than the other.

[@xWatanukix]

One aspect that doesn't come up in the video is where the toilet is placed. I've always found it strange that in the U.S. they apparently don't think at all about placing the toilet not in the bathroom, but in its own little room. There seem to be country-specific differences here. In some European countries this is common/widespread and it seems to me the case also in Japan. For me, this is the far more pleasant variant, both in terms of smell, but also because the bathroom remains free for other people to use. The other US-specific obsession is of course the number of bathrooms. I don't know of any European country where anyone thinks every bedroom needs its own bathroom.

[@dagwould]

Agreed. There are advantages each way. In a hotel I prefer a toilet in a separate room; in a home I'm not sure. For an ill person a toilet in the bathroom makes sense (I'll not go into details), but it limits the flexibility of the room.

[@michaeltb1358]

In a home with a single bathroom a separate toilet makes sense. In the UK it is rare. But nowadays the main bedroom often has an en-suite which is an expensive alternative. There is also a fashion of hiding the cistern and hanging the bowl from a frame. Just means it takes up much more space.

[@kennixox262]

Most modern U.S. homes, at least in the primary bathroom, the toilet is in a separate toilet closet. Typically because the bathroom is shared. The other bathrooms, not so much.

[@caseymurray7722]

Those two actually go hand in hand. Having a sink, shower, and toilet in one closed room means everyone must wait to use the bathroom. College dorms with attached bathroom typically do the opposite where either the toilet shower and sink are paired together. Usually it's an open sink but closed toilet/shower room.

[@snotrajohnson]

Just…no toilet in a separate room/closet without a sink to wash your hands before touching the door handle to exit said room/closet, please.

[@sonwig5186]

In ancient Rome toilets were actually a communal space, it wasn't arkward or anything. It would be a space for gossip and socialisation.

[@starshot5172]

Maybe because small penises were considered better than bigger ones 🤣

[@mocha-6957]

Cagatorum maximum

[@sams3015]

Bit like ladies room in school and nightclubs today

[@user-lv6rn9cf8m]

Here in Sweden it used to just be a simple wood construction, like a wood pole suspended between two trees or a simple construction like Y-----------Y where everyone sat next to each other while taking a dump. Pretty sure that was a thing in most of rural Europe until just a few hundred years ago. The Romans had it much more luxurious - like sewers, running water, somewhat comfortable seating.

[@ximono]

Plus, people had robes. They didn't see much, even when sitting down.

[@metricstormtrooper]

As an owner of a standard western toilet, a Japanese style bidet toilet and a composting toilet, I miss the bidet when I'm at my shack and use my composting toilet, where toilet paper is normal. When using the bidet toilet I miss the eco friendly and water saving nature of the composting toilet, and the standard toilet just has none of the benefits of the other two.

[@hailexiao2770]

What we really need is a water-separating composting toilet where the bidet effluent goes into the urine section. Of course you'd wipe before using the bidet instead of afterwards, but that's a small change.

[@iancormie9916]

Many toilets come with a spray hose (the same as used in kitchen sinks for rinsing dishes) - huge improvement over paper. If on a septic tank, it cuts sludge production by a factor of 4.

[@LauraMoncur]

Gah!!! You didn’t mention the dangers of composting toilet waste! There is a risk of disease transmission. This compost must NOT be used for food gardens or near waterways.

[@jimurrata6785]

Interesting that Stewart didn't mention Milorganite or Milwaukee marketing its "night soil" for garden amendment. I'm pretty sure it is autoclaved or something, but they certainly are doing better than flushing it into a lake or river.

[@ximono]

You mustn't use it directly, of course. Anybody should understand that. It requires special processing before it's safe to use, preferably only around fruit trees and bushes. But if correctly processed, it's perfectly fine to use in agriculture. It already is used like that. Urine, however, is perfectly safe to use, and a really powerful nitrogen fertilizer. If you want, you can store it in a container for a few weeks to kill off any bacteria. It will be completely sterile, and even more potent (ammonia -> nitrogen). If you don't believe me, there's a lot of scientific references I can give you.

[@unatrek2821]

A little poop is fine... I sorta think most viruses are fine unless CONCENTRATED INTO BIG LOAD... the ugly truth is we can't stop some lysteria or typhus or salmonella or etc from being around always, darn animals like rats move stuff around.. Just saying we may be looking at sanitation wrong, no way to sanitize, it's dilution and low levels that keep us safe since the bad bugs are always there...... Sorry to ramble .. Density of a city 200 per 2acrea block leaking stuff into soil is also different than a farmstead 2acreas with 4 people let alone the farm of 200 acres, that's going from 100people pooping per acre to 4/200 so 0.02, literally a 500x drop in poop per land area.... So human manure on farmland gets so diluted it's not a problem..... This is how people handled it for 10000 years and seems only in dense cities did it become problem.....I'm totally guessing...

[@bullzdawguk]

My partner and I live in the UK. Last summer, we went on holiday in Italy and decided to make it a road trip. As a result, we drove through quite a few countries in Europe along the route. We drove through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland, if memory serves me well. By the way, the alps are amazing. Anyway, during our long drive, we stopped at different service stations to go to the bathroom, grab a bite, etc. I can say, the toilets varied enormously, from country to country. From the dirtiest to the cleanest were as follows: Belgium. France. Italy. UK. Luxembourg. Switzerland. And, at number one. Germany. And, when I put Germany as the cleanest, let me stress, they are, BY FAR, the cleanest. Not only were they clean, they were immaculate. And, remember we're talking about motorway service stations that reek of urine in the UK. The toilets in Germany are self cleaning. I couldn't believe it when I saw my toilet cleaning itself when I entered the lock up. At first, I had no idea why the seat was moving around on its own. 🤣🤣Most European countries (apart from the UK, I think) charge you to use their toilets, Germany included. But, at least you get your money's worth in Germany. Also, I'd like to add, Germany was the friendliest country we drove through.

[@feliksulvaenisaksen9120]

I can't believe you said Thomas Crapper in this context without batting an eye

[@cartograp]

Just FYI, we're not "differently abled." We're disabled. Great video!

[@William0271]

100% agreed. I can't stand the constant retconning of language. Bs like "differently abled" implies that my limping around somehow makes me better at something else and it certainly doesn't. The whole "disabled community" and people who humor everything that comes out of some so-called "community"' is a joke. How long until they consider "differently abled" offensive too? The "neurodivergent community" changes what they want to be called every few years because they somehow find a way to consider the last one (that they pressured everyone to use) offensive. It has to stop somewhere.

[@igorbednarski8048]

​@@William0271 it can never stop because being constantly offended and playing victim is the whole point, it's basically an industry at this point

[@meh23p]

@@William0271 Neurodivergence can precisely be “different abled”. I wouldn’t use that term for it though. I’d just say neurodivergence. And if there are certain things you can’t do then it’s a disability, whether physical or mental.

[@tripleeyeemoji2685]

So based. Thank you

[@sha29i]

The way I understand it "differently abled" is basically "differently disabled" ie it refers to different levels at which you have or don't have what is considered "normal" abilities. So someone with a consistent backache isn't disabled per se but is certainly not fully able either. They are "differently abled". So it's an umbrella term.

[@chrisclouds4182]

Really wish you talked more about composting toilets! Its a simple concept but folks have developed them in really cool and practical ways.

[@eyesofthecervino3366]

Same. They're actually a big part of why I clicked on this video.

[@jasonrodgers9063]

The European public sidewalk pay toilets had a bad outcome for my sister-in-law when visiting Rome. After a single use, the door locks shut, sprays of water on the inside clean everything up for the next customer. She didn't know about that function, darted into one as a person left so as to save the fee. The door locks, the cleaning cycle engages! She laughs about it now, back then, not so much!!

[@teddybear5788]

That line at 1:59 hit my heart. I did a four week internship earlier this year to help me decide whether I want to study architecture or not, and one of the first things I did was remodel the tiling of a public bathroom.

[@kennixox262]

Public toilets in the United States are barbaric with the nasty cubicles with little privacy. The gaps on the doors, the locks that give no indication to those outside if the toilet is occupied or not. The 18 inch gap at the bottom and other undignified issues. Being very pee shy, it makes using public toilets difficult.

[@pong9000]

That's the point, to make it uncomfortable. This discourages use, and so allows fewer toilets and reduced janitorial costs.

[@MaximTsyba]

​@@pong9000 Capitalism at it's best! I had no idea public toilets in US are that bad. But probably you could just find some cafe or restaurant and use their nice and private toilet?

[@pong9000]

@@MaximTsyba No free choice: small businesses will have a sign on the front door "Washrooms for customers only" and may keep them locked so you have to go up front and ask for the key - which is bolted to a filthy chunk of hockey stick to prevent theft. Makes you feel like an animal. This in British Columbia Canada BTW.

[@BradThePitts]

Why don't they sell "high tank" or "high flush" toilets anymore? It would seem with the flush water being high up, there is more water pressure and you can save water. 🤔

[@JoeMakaFloe]

I think we need an amount of water instead of a certain pressure since it needs to carry the stuffs away

[@ximono]

We have compact WCs here in Scandinavia that use much less water than American WCs, and they're very efficient. I don't know how they do it, but it's obviously not an issue.

[@cmbakerxx]

Having used a high tank toilet with a much larger capacity than current toilets I can say its not effective. That 1920's era toilet was the least effective one I have used. They do make low profile toilets with a pressurized tank to provide the water at your municipal water pressure. I'm not sure if they are more effective, but they are more expensive. 🤑

[@timmmahhhh]

Thank you for covering this subject. Thinking about history, I've always considered waste management through plumbing has allowed for great human advances. It was great to hear about ideas from buckmaster Fuller Corbu and others. The Japanese and particularly the Toto company seem to be the real innovators of toilets these days, from the well-known bidet seats to being the first ones to come up with a toilet that would work on only 1.6 gallons and meet the efficiency requirements introduced in the '90s. I will remember the shelves in the German toilets when I visited there in 1988, which I coin the scheißeshelf. However according to the Feli From Germany channel these are starting to go away.

[@Friek555]

Yes, thankfully you will only find the Scheißeshelf in very old homes nowadays!

[@g0d5m15t4k3]

Yay! Anorher Feli subscriber! Scheißshelf is heckin hilarious.

[@ximono]

If you're interested in shitty history, you should read Civilization and Sludge: Notes on the History of the Management of Human Excreta by Abby Rockefeller 👍

[@brandonkovnat2259]

I hope the next wave in architecture and design will be around the ease of cleaning. Toilets with the odd shape is very hard to clean.

[@gagamba9198]

You want east of cleaning? Tile the entire lavatory and install another drain in the room to deal with water on the floor. To clean, spray down the entire room using the detachable shower head. Note: helps to have dedicated rubber slippers for the lavatory that you put on when entering the room and remove when leaving. And the floor ought to be a few centimetres lower than the floor outside it to prevent water egress.

[@Valoric]

I want more ergonomic and functional designs. Such as being much closer to the ground or having a built in foot stool to promote effective elimination. Chair toilet design is criminally bad for bowl issues.

[@lzh4950]

Newer commercial buildings in my country usually have toilet bowls attached to the wall instead of the floor, which should make for easier cleaning

[@heatherduke7703]

Every time I have to clean around a faucet I curse, "I bet this was designed by a man!!" 😝

[@chrisnewman7281]

Remind me of a family friend that built a new house and a comment from a member of the family when they went there for a meal. Her impression was that place in the toilet next door to the lounge was not a good idea for the most obvious of reasons

[@bth120]

As a Canadian living in Indonesia, I can truly appreciate the flush toilet now. There's a lot of squat toilets here. And just like the narrator said... I will just hold it until I get home to use my flush toilet.

[@hopepray1669]

Squat toilets are the best especially if you using a public restroom . You don't have to put your butt where other people put theirs.

[@bth120]

@@hopepray1669 I don't disagree. But I'm 6'4" it's not very easy to use for me. And they are usually very dirty. But the concept is not horrible.

[@Kiev-en-3-jours]

Been living in Indonesia for 25 years. Squat toilets with water are an order of magnitude better than western toilets. Healthier, more hiegenic and a lot better for the environment.

[@Kiev-en-3-jours]

@@zevvxn There are reason for everything in this world. Everything. To start with, western toilets are NOT the standard. Where are they "the standard"? In your home? There are more non western toilets in the world than western toilet. But, sadly they are becoming the standard. And, like fast food, they are increasingly adopted for BAD reasons. Mostly cultural ones. So what matters to me are hygiene, health and environment friendliness. Squat toilet toilets wins by an order of magnitude there.

[@konstantinrebrov675]

We need to have Asian style toilets, the kind that you squat on, instead of sitting on. When you squat on the toilet instead of sitting on it, your gut becomes perfectly aligned for the elimination of waste. You don't need to push and strain. So you don't have constipation or hemorrhoids! If you have problems with elimination of waste, try a squatting toilet. You won't regret it.

[@dagwould]

Doesn't it frustrate when in the middle of a long comment, the video ends and goes to the next? You loose your entire comment. So here goes again: 1. toilet numbers: I once assessed the toilet capacity between sessions in a large conference facility. The M was undersized by a factor of about 5, based on an observed turn around per urinal af about 90 seconds, and hand wash of about 5 minutes, then queues for the hand drier. Most people just walked past it rather than wait. The F was undersized by a factor of 10! So there's a rethink needed here based on surveyed throughput times. Urinals: always need privacy/hygiene partitions between urinal stalls. No peeping and no splashing between! Disabled Person's Toilets: a client once had to race out of a meeting as his colostomy bag came unstuck from his belly. Content poured out into his trousers. He raced for the DPT with his gear bag. He had to change, toss out the soiled underwear, wash his shirt, hang up his outer clothes, put his bag somewhere. There was no shelving and only one coat hook. DPTs need ample shelving, other disabilities require equipment and appliances related to toileting. He had to use vast amounts of paper towels in the process. The shelving needs to be about 18 inches deep, shelves at both wheelchair and standing heights. The rooms need at least two coat hooks of ample size also at wheelchair and standing heights; probably more! There also needs to be a call bell for assistance (or to summon medical aid). 2. The math of groups. I liked the 'Brilliant' advert. I think that the math of 'graphs', topology and groups, needs to be at least introduced to architects. Also the math of crowd movement and sociology of communications is valuable. Part of the work of Space Syntax in predicting traffic movement has been based on this type of math. See spacesyntax.com/ .

[@Corsuwey]

I've lived in Japan for about 20 years. Just recently built a house... prior to that, I thought the numerous functions on a toilet were just silly gimmicks, even the heated seats. Anyway, things like the sphincter wash (おしり) is really useful. However, I do have a warning! Don't set the strength too high (強). Go for more low spray (低). Also, clinch your muscles in that area so you don't get an enema.

[@alexanderschonfeld5879]

Biggest problem with current toilets is that since around 1979 they switched from using about 5 gallons per flush to using only 1.6gpf. To accomplish that economy the throat got narrower and the likelihood of clogging increased greatly. I'd like to see a return of the 5gpf toilets even if it would mean using gray water rather than drinking quality water in them

[@WinstonSmithGPT]

Designers got to virtue signal while everyone else learned to flush twice.

[@MarcusBuer]

Instead of using high water consumption toilets, we should think of better solutions. I think a better solution would be a gravity toilet (like the ones used in RVs) but with a second stage where it uses water to push the waste down the pipes. This would keep the low consumption, decrease the likelihood of clogging, and would avoid fecal matter particles flying in the air when you flush.

[@unatrek2821]

​@@MarcusBuer... Water is cheap so flush away. $3/1000 gallons so hmmm 0.3 cents a gallon..... Farming is the big user of water our food takea million gallons per person to grow, so 1000 gallons flushing is trivial... Some things are fine as is, toilets, libraries, ignore the whiny nerds...

[@MarcusBuer]

​@@unatrek2821 I agree that water is cheap to flush and most of the water usage is from industrial sources. But if there is a chance of descreasing the water consumption while making toilets better, why not? The less you have to pay to use potable water to push poop down the pipers, the better.

[@unatrek2821]

@@MarcusBuer .. I maybe responded already... But seems unwise to annoy people with small green measures like saving penny of water with mandatory low flush toilets while farmers have no mandates and waste 90% or whatever, it's almost a strategy to get pro greens unelected. It's also corrupt, cause farmers have lobbyists they can have leaks galore but 300m people can't waste $10 of water??.... I would put a $5 tax on fuel and allow all else, going first for making old ladies not get the plastic bags they like is so dumb.. even now there is no tax even normal fuel taces on intl aviation fuel, in US domestic auction fuel is taxed at half the road fuels rate.... Oh well.... Sorry to be boring....

[@Benham_Design]

That bathroom that slowly closes itself, is an accident waiting to happen when you really gotta go😂.

[@Stache987]

Or a power outage, electrical malfunction.. imagine getting stuck in there with no phone.. living alone

[@Benham_Design]

@@Stache987 truth, but in this day and age, everyone catches up on their TicTok when they poop, so they'll have a phone. lol

[@Stache987]

@Brian Benham - Artist • Designer • Craftsman the first thing my phone salesperson said delete tictoc, it's garbage, and after looking at my phone at home, it was already a used model, but the cell company did sell it on promotion since I was a new customer and it was a year prior model.. I do play soduku on mine at 3 AM as one certain person checks timestamps and bitches.. my mother 👩

[@kaleotter]

That very first clip made me laugh so hard. "Why is he reaching in? WHY DOES HE LOOK SO CONCERNED? WHAT IS HAPPENING?"

[@kf8113]

Correction at 10:40 -- most compost toilets use *aerobic*, not anaerobic, composting. Anaerobic compost smells not much different from waste, but aerobic compost doesn't, it smells more like fresh soil.

[@iwantnod]

5:51 Wait, what? The dude who invented modern toilet was called Crapper?

[@ximono]

He didn't invent it though, just took the credit

[@lmlmd2714]

Yep.

[@mikelieberman6924]

I am in the Philippines where there are a variety of toilets, but all are lower to the floor as you sit on them, even the 'American Standard' offering in my master bathroom. Additionally while the Japanese definitely have the most tricked out bidets, hose mounted bidet sprayers, as well as units mounted under the toilet seat are ubiquitous where the more modest bucket and pail are no longer used, Even the way water flows into the toilet to evacuate the crap is different (and the bowls use far less standing water) here. The US toilets are not really seen anywhere else. I have traveled. In Europe you can find toilets with ledges allowing you to inspect your offerings before you flush. They also use less water in the bowl than do the US design.

[@pong9000]

Pre-bidet technology being the tabo.

[@InsideKarensHead]

problem with composting toilets is the passing of medications through the bowels. So much of those meds, vitamins, etc simply pass right through and then whatever we use that waste for (in a garden for example) would cause contamination of those items to then get into our food. I was a water and wastewater lab tech for many years and we only test to the billionth but these items get down to the trillionth.

[@JGnLAU8OAWF6]

Even with traditional toilets pharmaceuticals are problematic to deal with.

[@constantinosschinas4503]

04:30 Ancient Mycenae in Southern Greece, had sewer systems, around 3500-4000BC.

[@genebrenner855]

Europe's commercial toilets typically have a button to press for a flush. These are usually higher above the typical American toilet which is low and to the side. Also, Europe uses the vacuum assist for much reduced clogging. Last, most European toilets have a two button arrangement, one for urine that uses less water and the other with more water for solid waste. Built-in bidets are common, even in many commercial toilets. No matter where you go in the US or Europe, bathrooms are too dirty with too little cleaning, although Europe's are a bit cleaner. They are better maintained perhaps because they charge for their use.

[@PhantomFilmAustralia]

The US design of toilet uses far more water in the toilet bowl. Unlike the toilets in Europe and Australia, the American varieties are inefficient and are far more likely to clog up. They also overflow. It's also impossible for a child to drown in a non-American style toilet.

[@Ishidalover]

America needs a redesign on home bathrooms altogether! But how to do it without it looking pretentious..lmao Side note, this makes me think about bathtubs here in the states. Why do we accept tubs that are short and narrow? Why don't we have a soak tub that can go up to the neck or shoulders when we sit in it? Make Bathrooms Enjoyable Again!

[@DGTelevsionNetwork]

They're coming back, hell most hardware stores are starting to sell clawfoot designs again. Low profile tubs are a result of builder grade construction and the smaller and smaller workforce in trades and manual labor.

[@davenhla]

We did have those things, all you have to do is find a tub from about 50 years ago and you will notice it is 4 inches wider and at least 4 inches deeper, most likely closer to 8 inches deeper. Example: my avocado green kohler from 1974 is knee high when I stand next to it. Yes it is harder to get in, but I don't care. when I was a kid the iron tub in the farmhouse was high enough my Ma could sit on the edge comfortably while she gave my little brothers and sister a bath. You can blame water laws passed on the west coast that got pushed nationwide for this. Many things we used to just have are regulated into oblivion, or considered a "luxury" now that we should pay through the nose for.

[@Lurch685]

I’m 6’8”, I’ve never had a bathtub in which I can fit.

[@tulanzuya]

I hear that!! I'm always in awe when I see historical dramas where the "tub" is literally a small pool in the center of the room big enough to actually float in if you wanted to. What a joy that would be!

[@pong9000]

One reason deep tubs work in Japan is that traditional houses are built a few feet off the ground, and the tub is set down into the floor. As for water wastage. A Japanese family shares bathwater because they scrub and rinse first, outside the tub. Additionally Japanese washing machines feature a hose to suck the used (but fairy clean) bathwater. Or you can water the garden.

[@davenhla]

I won't bash innovation. however, i will argue that people need to consider local needs when they think about this. Not some global standardized "you can only have this" bologna. I live in the US. The west coast has driven water policy for our entire country for a long time now. I don;t live there. I understand they have water issues. They should indeed work on ways to conserve or otherwise improve those issues. I live somewhere that if we ran out of water, the world is probably over or something. Conserving water is a joke here. Protecting it from contamination is in the forefront. People talk about how new designs don;t work, we should reinvent the wheel, all this stuff. My 1974 baby blue kohler has never plugged on me once in 22 years of living in my current home. I replaced the float valve with a solid brass unit ten years ago. It works perfect. Sit height is about 3 inches higher then new ones. The bowl is bigger, probably bigger then the "elongated" new ones. AGAIN, there is no concern about water where I live. Why exactly should I worry about a new design, especially when so many new designs are terrible? I am always blown away with how our new technology and designs are supposed to be so innovative, and that we have progressed so far scientifically and yet we can't design things that work, can;t be logical about implementation, regulate away good ideas for greed reasons, and so on and so forth. "We need to be more green!" Repair ALWAYS has a smaller footprint then replace when it comes to machines, but we have become a throw away society and use increasingly smaller "conservation" gains as justification to throw away items that would just be starting to be broken in a few decades ago.

[@be5952]

Re: *video style:* *SO much better! No more **_'talking head'_* like in your other videos. No matter how handsome you are, Mr. Hicks, watching someone narrate their video just doesn't make sense. Much better to constantly show what you're talking about, like in this one. Good job!

[@garbo8962]

We got our bathroom remodeled about 15 years ago. Great guy from the plumbing supply house sold us a toilet that was maybe a few inches higher off the ground and told us that we would appreciate it when we are older Both of us have arthritis and other things and seldom use the lower toilet in the powder room. Wish that I would have installed a receptacle between this toilet & vanity to supply power for one of the fancy Japanese things.

[@retroryan838]

What toilet brand do you have now and do you remember how your old bathroom looked?

[@kristinccha]

Yes when we designed our house we did the same

[@kenoakes2524]

I was a sanitary caster for 2 different companies,twyfords,and trent bathrooms,both of them made toilets that were a few inches taller than standard,these were what we called disabled toilets,thats what you probably have..

[@arthurbrumagem3844]

After my hip surgeries I had higher profile toilets put in, great choice

[@JasonNickel]

I need to add that German toilets rarely have shelves anymore.

[@timmmahhhh]

I've seen that mentioned on the Feli From Germany channel too. But that was one of my biggest puzzlements when visiting Germany in 1988, observing der toilet scheißeshelf.

[@JasonNickel]

@@timmmahhhh Those were dark times.

[@moosefactory133]

I know it's a bit juvenile on my part but I did get a small chuckle from the name "Thomas Crapper."

[@kevinhornbuckle]

Wall mounted toilets have many advantages. A major advantage is that it is easy to mop the floor under them. Another is that you can have a wet head, meaning the space in front of the toilet is the shower.

[@saarangsahasrabudhe8634]

I'm a plumbing & fire fighting engineer. I currently design plumbing systems for small scale projects in the US. I still do not comprehend why you guys DON'T provide a jet handspray adjacent to the water closet to clean your butt hole, instead of toilet paper. Like, you easily have the resources to do that, but you choose to use toilet paper instead? 🤦‍♂🤦‍♀🤦

[@vaiyaktikasolarbeam1906]

umm bidet?

[@saarangsahasrabudhe8634]

@@vaiyaktikasolarbeam1906 They don't provide those everywhere now, do they? Also, isn't that just overkill? Not everyone can afford the additional space and extra porcelain pot. Even the more reasonable toilet seat bidet aren't standard in office/public toilet settings.

[@vaiyaktikasolarbeam1906]

@@saarangsahasrabudhe8634 well then i guess youre right a small jet handspray would help,🤔 no effect fom toilet paper panic buying too. as long there is enough space then yeah people should start install it

[@ohsweetmystery]

Yuck. 🤮 I would prefer not to have shite-infused water splashing around. Keeping the surrounding area sanitary is more important than your arsehole. Shite should be as contained as possible. Also, if you need water to clean yourself, see a doctor, your stool is unhealthy.

[@marktaro]

I'm a drafstman in the US who lived in Japan for some time. Early in my career when I thought construction and design was about improving quality of life and creating great living spaces, I often, though always unsuccessfully, pushed for Japanese style dedicated toilet closets and shower rooms, zero visibility public restroom stalls with a knee wall behind the toilet to place your belongings, and spec'ed out for japanese toilet and washlet seats when it made sense. It really pains me to have to design uncomfortable bathrooms for private and public spaces just for convention's sake

[@jamese9283]

You barely told us why, "toilets need to change." Clickbait title, really a history video.

[@sanjuansteve]

I'd suggest to move the tank to be wall mounted, perhaps even built into the wall. The added height gives more force to the water so less water can be used. I'd also wall mount the toilets for ease of cleaning.

[@captainkeyboard1007]

Thank you for the history about an important fixture in the bathroom or restroom we take for granted.

[@afrosamurai1539]

my favorite type of toilet is the urine diverting dry toilet. it's such an elegantly simple solution.

[@shinybaldy]

Kind of weird that we talk about the amazing work of plumbers then don't actually defer to plumbers or building HVAC/system design on their subject matter expertise.

[@EricHunt]

The flyby Duchamp reference completely made this video.

[@DaveTexas]

One of my goals in life is to be able to afford one of the high-end Japanese Toto toilets. After using them when in Japan, there’s just nothing better. Stupid medical treatments and recent cancer diagnosis keep eating up all my money, though, so I doubt a new toilet will be possible anytime soon.

[@sinisterisrandom8537]

Wouldn't mind seeing us start doing the Japanese toilets but at a more simpler state so it isn't overly complex. But also have ones like the Japanese toilets as well.

[@mikedrop4421]

I will forever call it a "Crapper" in honor of the inventor. Obviously for no other reason. Edit: wait a famous German plumber was named Loos? Is that where "going to the loo" comes from?

[@sarahwatts7152]

I'm commenting in case someone knows the answer. I'd also like to know!

[@Thim22Z7]

Jetzt geht Loos uh 😂

[@Nynke_K]

No, loo is just short for lavatory I'm afraid :)

[@ryanpitasky487]

both "crap" and "loo" have different etymologies than the inventors' names

[@stevenlitvintchouk3131]

No. Both of those are just a strange coincidence.

[@Odin029]

People talk about communal toilets like they only existed in ancient days. When I was in high school, not all that long ago, we played an away football game and the toilets for the away team were literally 20 feet from the lockers. No stalls, no dividers, no curtains, just toilets in a line sitting next to each other with the urinals behind them, so the toilets weren't even against the wall. Did some of us on the team use the toilets while the rest of the team were lounging around waiting for the game... the answer is yes. It was an interesting experience.

[@arthurbrumagem3844]

The old military barracks were all built with open toilet areas. Passing TP to the guy next to you was pretty common

[@ninjanerdstudent6937]

As long as the toilet seat sprays water and the seat is slightly higher up than average, I am happy.

[@George-qr1mf]

This is such an excellent video!! Really well done! I'm only two thirds in and need to go, but I'll definitely watch the rest later!

[@peetabrown5813]

In Australia our toilets are still wash down, have a low water level, don’t seem to clog as much as USA ones, I never heard of an Aussie toliet overflowing, don’t have a shelf like you showed for the Germany ones. We never went away from wash down to syphon toilets and they seem to work better and use less water that the modern USA toilet

[@LeoMkII]

In my country you can encounter both types. Wash down with the tank high on the wall are way more reliable imo and cheaper too usually, as toilet and tank are two separated units you can cheap out on the tank haha

[@peetabrown5813]

@@LeoMkII ours are still wash down, although the tank was removed from the wall and the cistern placed behind and toilet - looking the same as the USA ones. They still work as washdown only (no syphon) the washdown just needs the height difference between the cistern and bowl. Although some very old toilets especially public ones still have the cistern tank high up on the wall with the chain.

[@richardsparks9904]

The diameter of the passages out of the bowl are much larger in Australia, UK, and other countries. Fewer clogs

[@peetabrown5813]

@@richardsparks9904 yes, I thought so.. I think I saw a demo where they flushed an orange in an Aussie styled one to shock the Americans. On American tv they also show a toilet plunger to be an essential item, but no in Australia. Do you think the USA toilets need the pipe to be narrow to make the syphon work? I really don’t know why they stay with their less functional design (IMO)

[@1974UTuber]

Thomas Crapper (September 1836 to 27 January 1910) was an English plumber and businessman. He founded Thomas Crapper & Co in London, a plumbing equipment company. His notability with regard to toilets has often been overstated, mostly due to the publication in 1969 of a fictional biography by New Zealand satirist Wallace Reyburn. Still a funny name for a plumber though.

[@caroline_sunshine]

The idea of going to use a bathroom that has been heated to 98.6° is deeply unpleasant to me

[@jeanettewest]

I HATE the low flush toilets in my home, so I took tin snips to the plastic inserts designed to keep too much water from flowing in and cut the down about four inches. Now I have real flush toilets.

[@retroryan838]

What do low flush toilets look like?

[@jeanettewest]

@@retroryan838 Look right in front of the tank, just behind the seat, on the flat part of the toilet, you should see something to indicate it is a 1.6 gallon flush toilets. This law was pushed in about 1993. So yup, the gub'mint is now regulating bowel movements. Look into the tank to see if yours has the plastic restrictor that only allows for a certain volume to the flush. I've removed all from mine. My commodes are serious flushers now.

[@gregblair5139]

I expect to sit down on a toilet that looks and feels more or less like the one I'm using now. If the internals are different, I'm OK with that as long as it doesn't affect what I have to do. The one exception I would make is something I learned from travel to Italy. That is washing (in a bidet), rather than wiping. In Italy, the bidet is a separate fixture, but I'm find with it being combined in the same fixture as the toilet, especially given that it would need to be installed in existing spaces. It actually uses less water than toilet paper, as manufacturing paper is a very water-intensive process. Coaxing Americans off of toilet paper would be a gradual process, but it can be done. Also, for quite some time, Americans will want to use paper after using the bidet, not fully trusting the new method.

[@1SnuffySmith]

I wouldn't want to give up the paper; my bathrooms have both. The bidet (toilet seat model, not the standalone) for the heavy lifting and paper to dry off afterwards. Great combo. For anyone interested, the seat bidets can be bought at Home Depot or Amazon.

[@milkflys]

how would you dry off without any toilet paper?

[@Myria83]

@@milkflys You wash with running water and intimate (delicate) soap, then you use a dedicated towel (each person uses a different one), exactly like you do when you wash your hands. Same when you wash your feet (Italian bidets can be used for that too). Easy peasy...

[@BS-vx8dg]

1:43 "Alternatives that are coming down the pipe." 😏 1:51 "tend to be the butt of jokes" Okay, I can see I'm not going to be able to keep up; I'm already beginning to feel a bit flush.

[@TheHarimir]

tip from an elektrican: place your fuse box close to your houses toilet(s) but not in anny wall witch comprises them. the complications betwen your elektrican and plummer is not worth the hazle at all. also NEVER bring a cord extention of anny kind to use in a bathroom. they are often seperatly insulated from the rest of the house and thus dangerus if a fault ocurs outside the bathroom. there is no sutch ting as a water-safe elektrical device water will and do condensate into EVERYTHING. just 1/10th of a degree tempature difrence and suficent time there will come water

[@femboyorganist]

How couldn't i click on a video with this title

[@adamguymon7096]

One: STOP Using the Word Differently Abled! I am DISABLED and my Disabilities are Part of my life! Two: Not everyone can squat over a toilet especially if they are DISABLED and so they need to have access to something that will give them the ability to use the restroom safely. Three: The minim standards the ADA sets for restrooms are way too small for many wheelchairs and for example I have a tray that I have on my chair that I use and when I go into a restroom in public I have nowhere to put my tray so I can safely transfer to the toilet. I have to look for a single-use restroom with the toilet and sink that is designed for only one person not all of the stalls lined up. Most of those have a place like a shelf where I can place my tray so I can go over and transfer to the toilet and use the restroom then I can transfer to my chair. After that, I can go directly to the sink where I can gain Access to the sink where I can reach it and wash my hands. After this, I can dry my and then place my tray on my chair and I am clean, When I have to use a restroom that has a line of stalls I have to put my tray back on my chair with dirty hands then I can't access the sink to wash my hands. Many different people with DISABILITIES have many different Access Issues and Needs and what most people think is good Access is not very good for many. There are many changes that need to be made and they needed to be made YESTERDAY!

[@Jumpyfoot]

For what it's worth, I'm a quadriplegic and I'm okay with differently abled but to each their own.

[@shanjida8353]

@@Jumpyfoot differently abled sound kind of patronising.

[@larspolydeus3867]

I know some people who have disabilities prefer to be called differently abled or don't mind the term 🤷‍♂️. He probably used the term because someone told him that that term was more inclusive or that they preferred to be called differently abled, just as you're telling him that you prefer to be called disabled. There is no correct term. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's a bad term or incorrect imo, but I can see why some people might not like it. Not everyone is going to cater to your preferred terminology.

[@Jumpyfoot]

@@larspolydeus3867 In my experience, the best thing to do is just to ask someone about their preference. But that is difficult when you are making videos for a mass audience, to be sure!

[@xandercruz900]

@@Jumpyfoot I just say handicapped. Simple quick, and not relying on the other person being overly-sensitive.

[@godblesstrolls]

"It's not just a toilet. A Ferguson. The king of bowls." - Al Bundy

[@nassaniel]

Stewart, I am now completely enamored with Buckminster Fuller and am wondering what resources you turned to for your information on his thought, the Dymaxion bathroom, his ideas surrounding sane/sanitary, etc. Could you please point me in a direction? I appreciate you!

[@fouroakfarm]

Correction at 10:37, compost toilets typically utilize aerobic decomposition

[@untitled6391]

Chad Ancient India: invents toilet and indoor plumbing Modern impoverished India: this railway track will do

[@vaiyaktikasolarbeam1906]

Ouch hurts

[@anitathakur9340]

Very steriotypical , average reddit user

[@anitathakur9340]

Tell me raciest,do you want this steriotype to be attached to rest of eternity to a country you have never visited

[@vaiyaktikasolarbeam1906]

@@anitathakur9340 calm down, we have to wait, but im sure the steoreotype will gone

[@liuwang2201]

Why is the bow shape like a trumpet amplifying the smallest of farts into a earth shattering roar that can be heard up and down the streets scaring small children and waking up old men

[@kimberlypatton205]

I couldn’t help but let out a snicker when you said”loads”…lol!

[@truejacksonveep]

Did you just achieve a world record for toilet puns in a video? I am dead.

[@g0d5m15t4k3]

This^

[@Stache987]

My gripe about s - toilets with limited water is you have to flush multiple times and plunge frequently, that piece of art the previous user left, greets you, smells, and visually hit you in the face when raising the lid, mainly they don't hold the lever till it gurgle. Thomas Crapper was a salesman who put his name on someone else's device. If you were of a middle eastern religion, you had to face a certain way, as well as enter the bathroom facing a certain way, also you didn't use TP, you used sticks, to fling off Klingons.. its why they wear heavy cologne.. now there is a ass deodorant (Lume) geez, just after a poo spray came out 10 years ago.

[@hailexiao2770]

If a low flow toilet fails to flush adequately, that's just a shitty (heh) design, not a problem inherent to low flow toilets. I've crapped in toilets that used as little as 0.8 gallons per flush, and the ones that use less water aren't any less effective. If anything they were better at the job, probably because the manufacturer actually had to hire good engineers to make good designs instead of half-assing it and calling it a day. > If you were of a middle eastern religion No, they don't use sticks (that was a Greek/Roman thing). They use water, or sand/dirt if water is in very short supply.

[@Stache987]

@Haile Xiao I did a little looking at Muslim bathroom habits about 5 years ago.. the story I read says they don't use paper, bur sticks.. Yes, I agree about poor design the landlord shops at a home center big box store that covers a dozen or more states, Menard's is known, for private/odd label exclusive products that usually are junk.. lately my deposits end up getting stuck sideways.. And it never fails, I wake up in the middle of the night to take a seat and... besides catching up on the phone, and on our only toilet, and 5 minutes later the roommate is standing there expecting to use it.. so it's piss in the shower time (we have a handheld shower to spray)

[@pianoplayeh]

I got into an argument with my wife about flushing-she thinks you just have to push the handle and let go-I said no you have to hold it down other use it won’t always flush completely! Especially on certain toilets because each one is a little different and you never know.

[@Stache987]

@@pianoplayeh well my roommate seems to not have tried, the paper is laying perfectly flat atop the delivery

[@dijosto]

@cope dipper 1963 bruh what?? Muslims use water, and we wear perfume because its sunnah of the prohet Muhammad. Cleanliness is a very important aspect of Islam.

[@MurcuryEntertainment]

"The toilet is generally the only part of the building that makes direct contact with your bare ass cheeks, and that's pretty profound" -Architects

[@jkmorbo]

I should have Fortuna painted in my washroom to protect me from evil as I poop. Evil spirits: "I ain't going in there."

[@itsfonk]

Until every toilet is adequately elongated and height adjustable (and includes a proper fitting lid for sealed flushing,) we will never know peace. Just kidding, but it kinda made me pause a moment in wonder. Then hit me near the end how one might consider things like Twitter as the public toilet equivalent for mankind online. The consumption of alll the internet is processed and purged into it. A necessary fixture, once it’s true function is realized.

[@mrmaniac3]

The method of ventilation is also very important. A fan in the ceiling says "you will be served with your own shit expressly delivered to your nose". We need a fan that fixes behind the toilet, pulling all the exhaust out behind you before it has a chance of smelling, with a duct that either goes directly outside against that wall, or rises up to the roof like a chimney.

[@JGnLAU8OAWF6]

@@mrmaniac3 there are toilets that can extract air from the bowl

[@piraterubberduck6056]

You recently looked at the Nakagin Capsule Tower. The toilets in there remind me of the Dymaxian toilet. It is interesting to see how these archtectural greats worked together to make even greater things. Colaborative work leads to the best results.

[@charliewalton3942]

Slavoj Zizek's 'hermeneutics of toilets' is a paticulalrly interesting take on toilets.

[@KennTollens]

I wish I had an industrial public style toilet at home instead of those small one that make you feel like you are sitting on a 5 gallon bucket.

[@Zahrul3]

The toilet in the kitchen is a common thing in poor peoples' homes and in slums.

[@stephenspackman5573]

… and then we're suddenly discussing algebra. That was just weird.

[@donsland1610]

When visiting America I am always amazed at the inefficiency of their toilets. Compared with, for instance the UK, they use vast amounts of water.

[@pcno2832]

Composting toilets sound like a good idea, in theory. But who wants to go outside just to use one, or to have a giant box of decaying, eh, waste, in, or directly attached to, one's house, no matter how good its positive ventilation system is. What we need are vacuum toilets, which would be integrated into a system that could also provide central vacuum ports for cleaning, and would direct all the waste into an outside or underground composting box. It would still seem a little "weird" to most home buyers, but a lot less weird than the sit-on-a-box composting toilets environmentalists have been pushing since the 1960s.

[@The_Smith]

Great video Stewart, will be interesting to see what the future is.

[@aes53]

You do an excellent job of exploring the unexpected. I remember traveling in Cambodia and in the public restroom seeing a sign with a red bar across is admonishing people not to was their hands in the urinal.

[@sicko_the_ew]

The gut is said to work better, squatting (and I can anecdotally verify that for me at least, this seems to be the case). So probably the first improvement we need to our toilets is to at least make it possible to choose to squat, not sit. This is how an original "wild human" would've done things, so it makes sense that this is what we're optimised for. And then there's the rather obvious fact (when you just think about it) that washing is cleaner than wiping. At least making that possible would let people find out for themselves. The above two requirements could probably be achieved by the design of a new kind of "lid"? - One that facilitates what is for many people an awkward posture, just because we're couch-adapted, now. It might need support rails, and "shallow squat support" for those not yet ready to do a full squat. A combined benefit of squatting and washing, both, is that the spot that needs to be cleaned when you're down in a spot is quite small. The adjacent skin surfaces don't get soiled. Most times the cleaning can be achieved with a very small quantity of water. (I used to wonder how people managed washing like this in a desert, and it's simply a matter of the amount of water needed being less than you'd need to make a cup of tea, often.) I only use toilet paper these days when I have to, and don't feel very clean when finished. I suppose this is just a kind of excess of fastidiousness in this one aspect of hygiene, but still, once you've gotten used to washing, you don't generally want to go back to paper smearing. A high tech version of it all might have a light, a camera to check for perfect task completion, and maybe some nice smelling oils or something to finish off with. And for those having the most difficulty with squatting (at least temporarily - as it would be, with practice) maybe we need a kind of hoist that provides assistance for all levels of difficulty. Climb into your harness, let it guide you into the right conformation, and prevent strains, too, and then let yourself down yourself, until you need a bit of help; and then go down a bit further, assisted, without overdoing it. If lots of people tried this, I think there would be quite a lot of people who could benefit from such a hoist, but maybe not enough who were willing to accept this.

[@tulanzuya]

An issue with the squatting theory is that most of us don't squat very often in a day as our ancestors did. It's also much harder to squat as you age. It's also strange, though, that even if we all are generally aware that squatting is better, they seem to be designing toilets to be taller. As a 5-foot-tall person I much prefer the 1950s-style and size of toilet that didn't require you to feel like you are sitting on the edge of a cliff with your legs swinging while you do the necessary.

[@sicko_the_ew]

@@tulanzuya True. Any "squatting infrastructure" (until I can find a better way of saying that) would have to have some kind of "half-squat-mode" - with the option of changing how much support there is till maybe a year later a full squat becomes possible with a bit of help. I have a "low table" (that makes it sound fancier than it is) that I like to put my feet on, in front of the toilet, which gives me a "more squatted" posture (knees up a bit), and I'm sure the operation runs more smoothly when I do this. Maybe you need to devise yourself some kind of ... ?footrest? (sorry, I'm having multiple vocabulary failures today). Just something to put your feet on. It might help. Then put an old encyclopedia on top of it when that gets too easy, and so on. (I've done things like pull a flower pot closer, and put my feet up on that, to improve comfort, so to speak, and it felt like it helped.)

[@tulanzuya]

@@sicko_the_ew Yes I believe there are actually stools of some sort (no pun intended) that are designed to put your feet up on while on the toilet, one is called a Squatty Potty, lol - unfortunately I share a house with other renters and it's not my privilege to modify the rather small bathroom space to my personal liking. I do have a friend though who uses one in the bathroom in her house and she loves it. Plumbing fixtures in general have been trending over the last 20 years or so to accommodate much larger people (shower heads going way higher on the wall is another one) and I suppose that's just a sign of the times as the general population gets taller and broader.

[@dhey007]

…and then there’s arthritis. One squat like that could be the last thing you do. You’ll get there eventually…

[@sicko_the_ew]

@@dhey007 Fair enough. But maybe the world needs assistive devices to help arthritis sufferers make at least a partial squat (or whatever posture change that helps the bowels, given the limitations the disease puts on one.) (From what I've seen of the devices my older relatives use for various problems, it looks very much to me like designers of these things look for the first solution they can find, and then stop there.) I would think there are conditions that make even a sit-down toilet hard to sit on? Sometimes life just gets really hard, whatever you do, hey? And in a better world seekers after solutions to these problems would give up on finding them less easily.

[@ron.v]

As I've gotten older, I found my knees don't work as well. A grab bar is a must. When we bought this home, we replaced the toilets. Fortunately, my daughter got one for me that's high enough for adults and can flush almost anything. I've since bought a bidet seat for it. Why aren't such conveniences common? We shouldn't have to seek them out.