World Toilet Day: Did you know these facts about toilets?
Today is ‘World Toilet Day’ – yes, this is a thing – a UN campaign to raise awareness of those people being left behind with poor sanitation and the social, economic and environmental consequences of such passivity. There are 4.2 billion people in the world living without safely managed sanitation services, 673 million of which still practise open defecation and 3 billion without basic handwashing facilities!
Globally, we are currently unable to reach the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 to ensure sanitation and water for all by 2030. The theme this year for World Toilet Day is “We must expand access to safe toilets and leave no one behind. Because whoever you are, wherever you are, sanitation is your human right.”
To raise awareness of World Toilet Day, Metro Rod West Yorkshire has put together some facts about toilets that will blow your mind:
- Do you spend more time on the toilet than exercising?
According to a poll by UKactive, the average British adult spends 3 hours and 9 minutes sitting on their toilet every week, yet they only spend 90 minutes exercising! Furthermore, men are more likely to spend more time on the toilet than women, according to another survey carried out by Bathstore.
- $150 fine if you fail to flush!
This country is renowned for its cleanliness, so much so, Singapore has even enforced a law whereby if you fail to flush the toilet after using it you can receive a $150 fine. Don’t be alarmed if you see police officers patrolling public toilets when you visit Singapore as this is completely normal, just make sure you flush!
- Do you wash your hands?
Scientists from the London School of Hygiene have found that only 62 percent of women wash their hands after using the toilet. Do you think that’s bad? Well, only 32 percent of men wash their hands after using the toilet! Remember to rub your hands together vigorously for at least 20 seconds with soap and rinse your hands well.
- Do you visit frequently?
According to the World Toilet Organization (WTO), the average person uses a toilet 2,500 times year, or up to eight times daily.
- Closing the toilet seat vs. flushing whilst sitting.
Is it just laziness or do you think it’s more practical to flush the toilet whilst sitting on it because apparently this is a thing? According to a recent survey 1/3 of us do this, causing double the number of bacteria to spread! You really should get up, close the lid, then flush.
Don’t leave the lid up as this allows bacteria to explode into the air, settling on nearby surfaces, including towels, flannels and toothbrushes ew!!
This year’s World Toilet Day campaign, they aim to encourage a range of actions, including:
- Learning about the issues by reading stories and this factsheet.
- Sharing the issues by using World Toilet Day social media assets to generate debate.
- Taking action by attending or holding an event and using World Toilet Day resources to make change happen.
Metro Rod West Yorkshire and the clearance of blocked toilets
Foreign objects are often flushed down toilets! Our engineers are constantly clearing blocked toilets and drains that are blocked due to wet wipes, cotton buds, sanitary items etc. In fact, one time, our engineers were called to a blocked toilet to find a whole toilet brush via a CCTV Survey, blocking the pipes! We offer specialist cleaning services using the latest tools and technologies, enabling our engineers to tackle blocked toilets and drains in the best way possible.
If you’d like more information on blocked toiles, and you’re in the West Yorkshire area, visit the Metro Rod West Yorkshire page to get in touch.
Talk to your local Metro Rod specialist
We are always happy to arrange a free site assessment and no obligation quotations for any work you might need. Alternatively, you can call our emergency hotline number on 0800 66 88 00
Get in touch Drainage Services
