Unlike in developed countries, most public toilets in China do not provide toilet paper onsite and users must bring their toilet paper. Moreover, an open waste bin is placed in each user's cubicle to collect used toilet paper and tissues.
The people of this culture use water to clean themselves when necessary. China, Singapore, Thailand, Korea, and Taiwan: In most Asian countries, it is very difficult to find toilet paper, even in stores.
The plumbing is not made for paper.
In many Asian countries, water management systems are not as good as in the West. Because of the sanitary problems it may cause, flushing toilet paper is not recommended. That's why people there usually use water bowls, bidets, or bidet showers instead of paper.
But there is another way to butt out of the toilet paper frenzy— by following ancient Islamic and Hindu customs. Millions of Muslims and Hindus around the world were bowled over by this need to buy toilet paper since they typically wash their backsides with water.
Toilet paper is used in Japan, even by those who own toilets with bidets and washlet functions (see below). In Japan, toilet paper is thrown directly into the toilet after use. However, please be sure to put just the toilet paper provided in the toilet.
Because despite Australians' newfound passion for TP, it's actually pretty gross when you think about it. Yes, we're all used to our Western method of post-bathroom cleansing, which involves large wads – folded or scrunched – of this increasingly rare commodity.
"Sandpaper"-like toilet paper is still in use in some toilets in Russia and Eastern Europe. Yes, the soft stuff is available for general purchase. The gray-to-brownish Soviet-issue toilet paper is as bad as the stereotype - to varying degrees.
Muslim societies
This nozzle is called taharet musluğu and it is controlled by a small tap placed within hand's reach near the toilet. It is used to wash the anus after wiping and drying with toilet paper.
They make all the sense in the world - the bidet shooting a stream of water at our private bits to wash them after we relieve ourselves. But, like in the US and UK, bidets aren't commonly used here in Australia. We've never developed a culture of using them, instead opting for multi-ply toilet paper instead.
Wiping buttocks by hand
In the Republic of Sudan, a Muslim country in eastern Africa 10,000 kilometers away from Japan, it is common to wash hands before 5 daily prayers, after a meal and during excretion. During excretion, the left hand is used to wipe the buttocks.
Chinese toilets are normally squat style, which admittedly take some getting used to. However, comfort yourself in the knowledge that using a squat toilet means you don't touch anything and you don't have to cover the toilet seat with paper before you can sit down.
Most Italian public toilets don't have a toilet seat.
This has to do with maintenance. Since public toilets are often less than spotless, people often climb with their shoes on top of them, not to sit on a potentially dirty seat.
So, why can't you flush toilet paper in Greece? Well, the country's plumbing system is not designed to handle large amounts of paper. The plumbing pipes are narrow, and paper or other waste materials would clog most Greek toilets, including those at rooms, hotels and restaurants.
Thai people don't use toilet tissue in the same way others might. Instead, they use water to wash themselves to get clean. Look for a bum gun (toilet hose) or a water bucket. If you are using tissue, do not throw toilet paper in the toilet!
In the majority of Asian countries, the water management process is not as nice as compared to the West. Due to the sanitary issues it may cause, flushing toilet paper should be avoided. This is the result of why people there commonly use water bowls, bidets, or bidet showers in place of paper.
When the Chinese began integrating toilets into their homes, northerners usually opted for the squat variety. North China suffers from frequent water shortages, so squat toilets were useful for storing night soil, which would then be used to fertilize crops.
There's no space or additional plumbing setup for bidet fixtures. But the biggest reason it hasn't caught on comes down to habit. Most Americans grew up using toilet paper. And many might not even know there's an alternative way to stay clean.
There are few reasons why most Australians do not use a bidet in their bathroom. The first reason is their geographic location. Australia does not get a lot of rainy days so water preservation is a must for everyone and so using a bidet could be seen as wasteful in times of drought.
While Americans in particular are used to flushing their used toilet paper down the pipe, they must break that habit if they are traveling to Turkey, Greece, Beijing, Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Bulgaria, Egypt and the Ukraine in particular. Restrooms will have special waste bins to place used toilet paper.
It must be done in a secluded area, away from the eyes of others to protect his aurah. Must be done carefully to avoid any splashes of urine on one's clothing.
The fundamental problem is that the area used for releasing urine and faeces is compressed between thighs and buttocks, so we are more likely than other animals to foul ourselves. We also differ from other animals in our response to our waste, which we tend to regard with disgust.
Not much is known about how cavemen wiped their butts. But it stands to reason early humans used whatever was on hand. Leaves, sticks, moss, sand and water were common choices, depending on early humans' environment. Once we developed agriculture, we had options like hay and corn husks.
There's no trash can inside a public bathroom for hygiene reasons. You have to flush toilet paper. It's water-soluble so there's no need to worry about clogging.
In most places using the toilet is free, but toilet paper can be purchased from the lady at the front desk and when you pay you don't get very much of it.
Many toilet stalls may be furnished with toilet paper, but it's traditionally used not to wipe but to dry your bottom and your hand after the splashing.