This week we’ve cobbled together 15 eye opening facts about the humblest of bathroom appliances, with a bare minimum of toilet humour (we promise).

JPG offer toilet repair services

  1. Over the course of 200 years, toilets and sanitation have added an average of 20 years to the human lifespan.
  2. In a public toilet, the first toilet cubicle in the row is always the cleanest as it is the least used.
  3. Mobile phones tend to have 18 times more bacteria than the flushing mechanism on a toilet. The average kitchen chopping board contains 200% more faecal bacteria than a toilet seat.
  4. The oldest functioning toilet in the world is in Knossos, Greece and was built 4,000 years ago.
  5. A toilet flushing (paper) was first depicted on film in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 classic Psycho and was considered highly indecent by the audience.
  6. In ancient Israel, the toilet was known as the ‘house of honour’, whilst in ancient Egypt it was called the ‘house of morning’
  7. More people own mobile phones than toilets and a lack of sanitation kills around 1.8 million people a year, often disproportionately affecting children.
  8. In 1992 a survey found that British toilets were voted the worst in the world followed by Thailand, Greece and France. In 2012 however, the World Toilet Organisation ranked China’s public toilets as the worst. Following this, Beijing introduced a new rule that there could be no more than two flies permitted in a public toilet at any time.
  9. The EU released a 59-page research report on the proposed criteria for toilet flushing in 2013.
  10. Germs and bacteria from a flushing toilet can be lifted to six feet in the air. Because of this, toothbrushes stored within six feet of a toilet tend to test positive for faecal bacteria.
  11. Failing to flush a toilet can result in a $150 fine in Singapore (and yes, police have been known to check)
  12. The toilet roll was invented in 1890, the vacant/engaged sign was invented in 1883, and the coin operated lock for public toilets was invented in 1892.
  13. Originally, toilet brushes were manufactured with the same machinery used to manufacture fake Christmas trees.
  14. A 2008 study found that men spend an average of 1.45 hours on the toilet each week and women spend an average of 85 minutes.
  15. Over the course of his lifetime, a man will use the equivalent of 384 trees worth of toilet paper.

 

JPG Plumbing offer fast and professional toilet repair services throughout Melbourne’s south eastern suburbs. We offer 24/7 emergency services so if you’re in trouble give us a call now on 0400 978 442.