Types of toilets
Squat toilet as seen in some parts of France, Italy, India, Turkey, Japan, China and Iran.
The
flush toilet was originally invented in the
Indus Valley Civilization.[
citation needed] The modern flush toilet was developed by Sir
John Harington, but due to slurs published by himself and being ridiculed in England for his invention, his toilet was never mass-produced.[
citation needed]
Then,
Alexander Cummings, a watch-maker, patented his design for a flush toilet, which was the basis for the modern sitting toilet that a large part of the human population uses today. [
citation needed]
There are also many different ways to clean oneself after using the toilet. A lot depends on national
mores and local resources. The most common choice in the
Western world is
toilet paper, sometimes used in conjunction with the
bidet. (See
Toilet paper and
Anal cleansing for a discussion of the many alternatives used through history and in different cultures.) In the
Middle East and some countries in
Asia, and
South Asian countries such as
India and
Pakistan, the custom is to use
water, either with or without toilet paper.[
citation needed] Traditionally, the left hand is used for this, for which reason that hand is considered impolite or polluted in many eastern countries.[
citation needed]
Some toilet areas (otherwise known as "stalls"), are specially adapted for people with
disabilities. These are wide enough to allow the entry by a person in a
wheelchair, and often feature hand-holds bolted to the wall, enabling the person to maneuver onto the toilet, if necessary.
The most common type of toilet in modern cities is the
flush toilet, in which water takes away the waste through
sewers to a
waste treatment plant. In rural areas where sewers are not practical,
septic tanks may be installed instead.
The most common design in first-world countries is the or sitting toilet. Many other countries use the
squat toilet, especially in public restrooms, finding it both cheaper to install and more hygenic to maintain.
Main designs
Specialty designs
Flush toiletSquat toiletUrinalWall-hung urinal
Floor-length urinal
Gutter type urinal
Female urinalToilet with built-in
bidetChemical toiletDry toilet (i.e. no water used for flushing)
Pit toilet: very common in
camping grounds in the United States. Also known as an
outhouse in the U.S.
Composting toilet: Very commonly found in
camping grounds in Europe, and large climbing
parks. Also found in some modern ecologically designed buildings.
Urine-diverting & dry composting: a source-separation toilet that keeps urine and feces separate and simplifies the composting process. Can also be called an
eco-san (from
ecological sanitation) toilet, and is a viable alternative to flush sanitation in urban areas
[1].
Incinerating toiletTree bog, a system for converting human faeces to
biomassHead: a toilet on a boat, which has a
pump to bring cleaning seawater in and pump waste overboard or into a holding tank।
A flush toilet or poop-chute is a
toilet that disposes of the waste matter by using water to flush it through a drainpipe to another location. Modern toilets incorporate an 'S' bend; this 'trap' creates a
water seal which remains filled with water between flushing, thus providing a hygienic barrier by preventing
sewer gases from passing up the drainpipe. During flushing the 'S' bend also provides
siphon action which helps accelerate the flushing process. However, since this type of toilet does not generally handle waste on site, separate
waste treatment systems must be built.