What should we do or not do before flushing the toilet as a routine?

Not wash our hands and then flush. Flush then wash?!

@ZEPHYRA that is one good answer. Maybe there are more answers.

Don’t push too hard on the handle.

@talljasperman Not what should we do with the handle, but what should we do and or not do before we touch the handle.

I don’t really understand the question. You should wipe first? (If you’re a girl and if you went #2 of either gender)
If you’re in a drought area maybe you should subscribe to “If it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown, flush it down.”

@Judi I heard it being asked by one of the children doing homework, I think. I don’t think it is your first suggestion, but it could be your second one, I don’t know.

So, what is the answer?

Do the number 1 or the number 2 before. Wash after.

Don’t toss any of your favorite toys into the toilet bowl and flush…..both my sons must have been sleeping when I gave that piece of advice.

Don’t put paper napkins in the toilet. Also don’t pee on your fingers without wiping with tp.

What should we do? The only advice I have about flushing is do before your done if you think there is a chance the toilet might clog up.

Close the toilet’s lid before you flush. Have you ever seen a slo-mo film of a toilet flushing? It looks like fireworks, spraying freely on anything within several feet. The entire bathroom, including your clean towels and toothbrush, get covered with toilet water.

This isn’t an option for multi-stall, public bathroom with lid-less toilets. That really doesn’t matter, however, because you don’t store your toiletries and bath towels in the Camden Yards restroom. But, it’s what you should do at home.

How come I have never died, or even ended up hospitalized for all the dangers I’ve faced in this world from bathrooms and kitchens and fast food?

@Dutchess_III Because you’re a supreme being who rocks this world, Val!

Seriously, toilet-bowl water likely harms few people (same for doorknobs and other germy things). But, toilets can spread pathogens; if there’s an infectious disease in the water, or if someone has an auto-immune disorder (as I currently do), that’s an easy way to get sick.

@Love_my_doggie That is why those auto-flush toilets freak me out. Ugh.

@JLeslie Yes, isn’t it just lovely when those things auto-flush while one’s still sitting down? There’s nothing more pleasant than private parts sprayed with water from a public toilet. Ugh…

I would think the typical tank toilets in houses don’t spray up much?? Commercial buildings, and some older residential and hotel buildings have toilets systems that quite obviously seem to spray up.

@JLeslie Modern household toilets use very little water and, as you mention, likely don’t spray much. Older and commercial toilets, however, seem to have a party with every flush.

A couple of years ago, I replaced my 1941 toilet with something new and efficient. I don’t get the same drama with every flush, and it takes seconds, not minutes, for the tank to refill. But, I still close the lid every time. Doing so can’t cause any harm and might do some good.

I never close my toilet.

@JLeslie Regardless of your gender, you hereby win the Guy Award!

Why? Do most women close the toilet? My dad closes the toilet, and I’m always annoyed by it. I assume he figures if he is putting down the seat he might as well put everything down.

Love my magic potty. It opens and closes the lid for me.

HS @Judi You are retired AND have a magic potty! Life is good!

I hate it when people close the toilet lid in my house. Makes for a nasty surprise if one goes in the middle of the night.

@dappled_leaves A nastier surprise is when someone leaves everything up, not just the toilet lid, but the toilet seat. Have you ever fallen into a toilet bowl at 2:00 am, when you get up but are barely conscious?

@Love_my_doggie Have never fallen in, but have sat on the damn rim. Seriously, people – when you leave, leave the seat down and the lid up! It’s not rocket science.

I hate the auto-flush toilets too, scare the crap out of you , pun intended, when they go off randomly, not to mention the splatter factor. gah..pretty sad when people are too lazy to flush after themselves. lol

Wipe off the handle if any strangers have used the toilet and/or any other time. You don’t want their shit on your hands. Check the seat for surprises or just clean it. Make sure there’s TP before getting too involved thereon. If there’s kids in the house, make sure the door lock works. Flushing as a routine?? Flush before letting the dog drink. Wash your hands after the flush. And check/clean the doorknob and light switch before exiting.

Jesus @kritiper! It would be easier to call 911 instead!

Close the lid is one right answer, I just found out. Thank you all.

BTW, is it true that chances are the latest the toilets spray and the older ones don’t?

I thought they test products before rolling them out there.

@Dutchess_III It doesn’t have to kill you or get you hospitalized. Have you ever gotten sick enough to stay in bed for a day or 2? Do you always know the cause?

@Love_my_doggie Thank you for providing the answer. Would you post the link of the video?

@flo when I was a kid I got the flu a couple of times that put me to bed for a couple of days. I knew I had picked it up from my friend.
When I was 15 I was dating a guy who got sick while he was visiting. Mom drove him home, and told me to expect to get sick in just about 24 hours and it would last a day. I did, and it did, and I’ve not had a flu since.
When my kids were teens they went down, one, two, three, each one 24 hours apart with the flu. I didn’t get sick.

As an adult, no. Except when I got pneumonia and I almost died. But that had nothing to do with toilets, and everything to do with me smoking.

But you didn’t get pneumonia just after one day of smoking. Would you say for the longest time you told yourself that you will not get sick because you don’t smoke much, or that so and so smoked until they were 90 or older and they wee fine?

Your point, @flo?

@Dutchess_III Having poop all over me even in small amounts is not something I debate for only against.

What does that have to do with smoking?

@Dutchess_III To be against smoking, and having poop all over me even, if it doesn’t result in getting sick immediately.

I’ve never known anyone who gets poop all over themselves. Except babies.

Look, the comment about my smoking was in response to your question “Have you ever been sick and did you know where it came from?” My answer was, “Yes. A friend. A coworker, etc. had it before I got it.” And in the instance of the sickest I’ve ever been, that could be chalked up to smoking, not a toilet. It wasn’t meant to be an invitation to to initiate a discussion on the evils of smoking.

@Dutchess_III Have a nice day.

I will. We’re taking our RV on our first long haul tomorrow. Going to spend the weekend at Grand Lake, in Oklahoma. I shall find out how back seat driving in a bus differs from back seat driving in a regular car.

Okee dokee.

Yeah, that’s what we Kansas folks call Oklahoma. More like Okee Dopy, actually. ;)