Dear World
WARNING – THIS X-RATED BLOG MAY OFFEND
Is it time to get talking about our Toilet business?
WHY on earth would be interested in this subject?
WHY is Toilet Talk such a highly sensitive subject?
WHY are we always laughing about the Toilet Talk?
Who would really want to talk about this Toilet stuff?
What does Toilet Talk actually mean to us all?
What about –
Toilet behaviour
Toilet cleaning
Toilet etiquette
Toilet manners
Toilet respect
Toilet rules
WHY is it important to get Back to Basics with our pee and poo business?
WHY is it important to learn about the Responsibility factor when it comes to Toilet matters?
Are we ready to openly and honestly have a chat about this personal and private everyday thing?
Are we ready to go there and really get talking about the Toilet stuff that we seem to avoid unless it’s a joke?
Are we willing to be up front about all aspects of Toilet Talk, so we can perhaps learn something here?
What is the state of our lavatory today?
What do we hate about the Toilet Talk?
What do we avoid about our Toilet business?
What do we do or don’t do when it comes to pee time?
What are our habits when it comes to a number 2 – poo?
What is it about farting and the stinky smells that we pretend was not us, when we know it was?
What is it about certain foods we eat that make our belly gurgle and our poo stink?
What is it that makes us go for another spicy curry night when we don’t like the curry bottom sting the next day?
What is our body communicating when our wee wee is very dark in colour?
What can we learn about passing urine if we pay more attention to what we release?
What is happening to our physiology when we ignore the sign to go for a pee and then half a day has passed?
WHY do we rarely discuss urinating and defecating unless it is a joke?
WHY do so many of us avoid going for a pee when our body says ‘right now please’?
WHY do we feel such a sense of relief after passing water – aka pee?
WHY do we feel a lot lighter after a motion release of poo?
WHY does our poo stink so much almost all the time?
WHY do some people have the odd poo a week, not every day?
WHY do some people think we need 3 poos at least each day?
WHY do we have sticky poo that sits around the Toilet bowl?
WHY do we hate talking about poo stuff and if we do, we make light of it with jokes?
WHY do some people call it bathroom when we are actually using the Toilet?
WHY do we think it’s ok to treat our own Toilet different to a public Toilet?
WHY do we find ways to avoid using the Toilet when we are out and about?
WHY do some of us have anxiety because we need to know where the Toilet is when we are out?
WHY are we relying on incontinence pads and because we feel so bad we send someone to buy them for us?
WHY do some of us loathe drinking water as it makes us wee a lot?
WHY do most of us just hate using the public bathroom facilities?
WHY are there so many very smelly dirty Toilets in restaurants?
WHY do some hotels have stinky Toilets, which look like they just had a surface clean?
Next –
What about those portable Toilets at big events, where we drink too much and then spend ages in the queue?
What about the shopping malls where there are never enough Toilets and the sanitary bins are always full?
What about the diners where it’s fancy on the outside but the Toilet talks to us and tells us “it sure ain’t fancy in here”?
What about the roadside Toilets that we conveniently stop at because we didn’t bother to get toileted before we left for the journey?
What about the cheap accommodation which we regret booking because the Toilets are so manky, we ended up holding on to our poo business?
What about the swimming pools where we think we can get away with peeing in the pool?
Next –
How many of us rarely use the Toilet at work as it feels unclean and smelly?
How many of us never have a poo at work as we are just too private about this sort of stuff?
How many of us would rather hold on to our poo and pee at work as it’s too embarrassing for us to get on with it?
How many of us simply suck at this letting go business if we are honest?
How many of us only go to the Toilet in a rush and pay no attention to what is happening down there?
How many of us put very little value into this daily Toilet activity?
How many of us want the poo and pee to happen in a flash, so we can get out and forget about the whole thing?
How many of us are talking at the photocopy machines about catheter bags, as we don’t have to stop working and make a trip to the Toilet?
How many of us deliberately avoid drinking water as it makes us go for a pee more often?
How many of us have become masters at avoiding going for a pee and hours later realise we haven’t been yet?
How many of us feel a lot of pain because we just can’t be bothered to go to the loo on a regular basis?
How many of us are so busy caring for others that we pay zero attention to our basic needs, like going for pee when we need to?
How many of us find it funny talking about other people’s Toilet stuff but never put the spotlight on us?
How many of us laugh at those who use water to wash after poo time?
How many of us hate it when we see the skid marks in our pants because we were sloppy wiping our bum?
How many of us want to change our Toilet habits, which are not good to say the least?
How many of us know that our poo is telling us something about how we are choosing to live?
How many of us are so self conscious at the noises that come with a number 2 that we do our best not to blast out for all to hear?
How many of us start with shoving heaps of Toilet paper down the loo, hoping it takes away the sound of the plops we are about to make?
How many of us are laughing out loud because of all the things this blog is spelling out so far?
How many of us were never taught the basics of Toilet hygiene and good proper Toilet manners?
How many of us think it is not our responsibility to clean a Toilet after we use it?
How many of us think it is someone else’s job to clean the Toilet after we mess it up?
How many of us just wish that we had a maid to clean up our mess after every poo and pee?
How many of us never ever look back and make sure the Toilet, including the seat is clean after using it?
How many of us never respect the Toilet we are using or even give it any thought whatsoever?
How many of us have a habit of using heaps of Toilet paper when we know it is not needed?
How many of us see a blocked Toilet because others use too much Toilet roll and never bother to flush properly?
How many of us just don’t care when we use those wet wipes and can’t be bothered, so we flush them down the loo knowing it is not right?
How many of us tickle our hands under water after we have used the Toilet as a full hand wash takes too much time?
How many of us never bother to wash our hands or value this bit as important for hygiene reasons?
How many of us are paranoid about catching something from the Toilet?
How many of us never sit on a Toilet seat because we might get something?
How many of us are put off by the manky dirty Toilet brush displayed in public Toilets wherever we go?
How many of us judge people we visit who have dirty Toilet brushes?
How many of us notice some places don’t even have a Toilet brush?
How many of us have never ever picked up and used a Toilet brush?
How many of us have no clue what to do with a Toilet brush?
How many of us don’t actually know how to clean a Toilet?
How many of us have never had a bog standard real Toilet Talk?
How many of us wish there were good old fashion lessons in how to clean a Toilet?
How many of us did not know Simple Living Global have a Back to Basics handout called “Cleaning our Toilet”?
Next –
What is the real current state of our Toilet brush?
When was the last time we did an examination?
Have we ever bothered to take real care of it?
Do we clean the Toilet bowl every time after a poo?
Do we rinse the brush out so the poo is not in there?
Have we got this habit of replacing our Toilet brush rather than looking after it, so it just lasts longer?
Who on earth bothers to look around and do a Take 2 to check what mess we have left after our big release?
Next –
Here is our handout taken from the Simple Living Global Back to Basics Program.
Toilet Talk
We all need the toilet every day for our pee and poo business
We all have habits of what we do and don’t do in this department
Are we aware that we sometimes override the urge to go?
Do we find going to the toilet is a real bore or a chore?
Do we wish there was more time to do the toilet stuff?
How are we at home with our own toilet business?
How are we with sharing a toilet with others?
How are we when it comes to public toilets?
Is Toilet Talk something we avoid discussing with others?
Top Tips
NEVER EVER hold on – if you need to go, just GO
Never stop drinking water just to avoid going to the toilet often
Always make a point of going to the toilet before any journey
When visiting public places, check out where the toilets are
Going shopping, important to note where the toilets are located
Do not let anxiety or stress creep in just because you need to use the toilet more often than others
Be respectful of others using the toilet after you
Leave it in a clean condition and make that a habit
At home, in your hostel, or prison cell – keep the toilet super clean
NO EXCUSES
Toilet roll running low, take action and get the next one ready
Toilet roll finished – replace it, no matter how busy you are
Treat your toilet with the utmost respect and keep it that way
Be aware when using the toilet – in other words, pay attention
Lift up the seat gently and place up with your fingertips
Undo zip or fastening, then remove underwear gently
Be aware of your fingertips – this helps to stay present
Never go to the toilet in autopilot mode, even in the night
After you complete the business, flush and just take a pause
Pull up your pants and be aware of your body as you do this
Bring your body back into balance
Take a breath and then proceed to wash your hands
DO NOT leave the toilet until you are sure it is being left clean
Do a Take 2 and check the seat is clean and the toilet bowl too
If it needs a wipe or a toilet brush – simply take action, no delay
Use toilet cleaning products and always brush anti-clockwise
Replace your toilet brush if needed and then commit to keeping it super clean with a weekly hot wash
Go out of your way to focus on this simple task
If it is your own toilet, check if anything else needs cleaning –
Sink, door handle, floor, light switch
Note – if something does not feel right in the pee or poo department, get to the Doctor
Always get things checked out as you know your body more than anyone else does
ALWAYS honour that first feeling when you get the urge/sign from your body to go to the toilet
Your body will thank you and you will feel much better – FACT
This publication is ©Copyright and the Moral Rights of the Author, Bina Pattel and Simple Living Global are asserted. Other than for the purposes of and subject to the conditions prescribed under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 as amended, no part of this work may in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, microcopying, photocopying, recording or otherwise) be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted without prior written permission. Inquiries should be addressed to Simple Living Global – info@simplelivingglobal.com.
So here it is – the first ever up front, in your face Toilet Talk
What if there is more to learn about Toilet Talk?
What if there is a whole science about this subject?
What if Simple Living Global will one day talk more about the current dis-eases that we have created, which are linked to this topic?
Comments 24
Yes, World, it is time to let it all hang out!
There is so much that needs to be talked about.
Why are we so afraid to talk about things that are so basic in all our lives?
When we talk about these things, it is the start of dropping all the barriers and pictures we have about life.
The start of true Brotherhood.
We all miss this so much.
Excellent Excellent post – Simple Living Global.
Where else do we read such frank writing.
I have never ever heard anyone talk or write about the toilet in this way and yet we all use it, so why not?
I know that I would never have considered speaking with anyone about going to the toilet in this way before reading this post but it is like it has given me permission to be free and frank with my expression.
There are so many things on here I can relate to that either I know I do personally or I know that others do.
Also I love the clear supportive messages about going to the toilet and yes I have heard colleagues speaking before about catheters being the next step as work is so busy.
So interesting how we find a way to try and solve the problem rather than look at why we are so busy or how we can truly support ourselves to deal with the demand.
A great post that I will most definitely be sharing with others.
Oh my goodness me. I can’t quite believe this blog exists. It’s really does go where few (any?) dare to venture.
And yes, I was certainly laughing out loud at various points!
The questions alone have a huge impact.
How many of us consider the smell of our poo or it’s texture on any given day could offer us an opportunity to consider refining our food choices?
How many of us have a low or inconsistent bar on hand washing or toilet cleaning standards?
How many of us have actually ever been shown the gold standard in how to clean a toilet? (I have a feeling the author would be the ultimate teacher in this – is there a video tutorial to come?)
How many of us simply don’t prioritise this basic stuff?
Thank you for writing this blog. It has already got me thinking in much more detail about all things toilet related in my own life.
Thank you JS for your oh my goodness comment here.
This blog has set a new marker that it is high time we started talking about real life every day bog standard stuff (pun intended), like the toilet habits we have and what toilet respect and decency is really about.
How can we go around having double standards?
Making sure at home we do it properly but totally dismiss and ignore any public toilet we use.
It makes no sense to live like this and equally it makes no sense that kids are growing up and do not even know how to correctly clean their bum after a poo.
Simple Living Global are on the front foot when it comes to expressing everyday stuff to bring awareness to humanity. Nothing more and nothing less.
We are not short of content and neither are we short of publishing more of what this world needs.
There is so much more to express with the usual style of no holding back.
In response to your question – Yes we plan to do a video tutorial which is simple, about how to clean a toilet and as the author of this blog will carry out the demo – it will be gold standard for sure.
What if our world started to change their priorities and focussed on basic stuff like toilet matters?
We seem to dismiss and negate such an important part of our daily living when we choose not to value the toilet business.
More than one of the teachers at my kids’ school have shared how much time they have to spend in the early years managing toilet issues for the kids.
Kids who have been sent to school not able to go to the toilet by themselves.
Kids who aren’t wiping their bums and washing their hands.
And this is not just the young nursery kids they are talking about.
They say it is like the parents simply haven’t bothered to teach them – they have outsourced it to the school, apathetic of the impact it has on the teacher and the class, when the teachers have to spend their time in the bathroom instead of the classroom.
This is apparently shockingly common.
The other toilet phenomenon we have experienced, is sending our kids to school, fully trained and capable and diligent about toilet rituals, only to find that after some time, the standards drop. Bottoms stop being wiped at school.
Apparently, they are told to be quick when they use the loo. They rush. They start to drop the important details or copy their friends who e.g. don’t wash their hands.
This shows up clearly at home in dirty pants, 1 minute toilet visits and poor hand-washing care.
And so the training must begin again at home, to build the standard back up.
What is it about the school environment that feeds this phenomenon?
Why do the children have to or want to rush their toilet time at school?
Why are toilet standards easy for kids to drop?
Why do families have such different standards around toilet care that show up in our kids?
I remember sending my children to preschool and that it was all about potty training them, or the would not be able to go.
And sending them to preschool was important because it was all about affordable daycare, and allowing me to get back to work, and educating them.
Looking back I feel some shame in the decision. Were we really thinking about the well being of our child?
Were we pushing our children to get the toilet stuff right, so we could get them in school?
I understand that the mentality of the day was all about getting a good education and being successful, but where were our priorities?
Knowing how to care for ourselves is essential.
Thank you Simple Living Global for asking important questions about what our priorities are.
And maybe the state of our world is an indication of our choices?
And maybe our individual everyday choices can change the world?
It really does feel like going for a wee is a stop moment. The body’s chance to let go. It is great to reflect on that.
When we rush the experience or put it off for a long time (or for any time in fact), surely that is harming us in some way. I know I used to be proud of how ‘strong’ my bladder was and also how quick I could wee, but there was always a strain.
No more of that now – my body leads the way.
The ‘how to’ handout is absolutely phenomenal. The details really slow you down.
It’s like you realise how little care you have been bringing to the act of going to the toilet and how much more care you can bring – how you can treat it as super important.
Because it is. It really is.
This blog has raised the standard for me – and I considered the standard already to be high.
I now wash my hands with even more care than before.
If the toilet is anything but sparkling, I just can’t leave it.
How amazing is it that simply reading a blog can have that effect?
The blog didn’t tell me to do anything. It simply invited an inquiry. Offered an opportunity to refine. Presented something so basic as our toilet business as an utmost priority, as lived by the author.
It really does show how walking the walk can have a massive impact on others.
And it brings a new dimension to the concept of responsibility – that we don’t need to make it about boring and burdens. What matters is taking care of the details of how we live and the rest flows from there.
Yes!
Much needed – a bog standard (pun intended) conversation about toilets and so much more.
In the last few years I have spoken with around 4,000 staff who work in the NHS about self-care – and the first thing we discuss is going to the toilet – or should I say the fact that many staff do not go to the toilet when they need to, or, don’t hydrate so that they don’t need to go to the toilet so often… During all of those conversations around 10 people only (out of 4,000) said they actually go to the toilet when they need. What does that say about our willingness to take super care of ourselves?
I also ask taxi drivers, and others I meet during my day about their toileting – as it is one of the most fundamental self-care aspects that so many of us ignore – at our peril. Many people I speak to in life don’t drink so they don’t need to pee, or hold onto going to pee sometimes for hours.
A urologist at a self-care presentation said that their work would be far far less if we got on with going to the toilet when we need to. As they (urologists) literally ‘pick up the slack’ (pun also intended) – and have to repair the aftermath of many decades of holding onto pee as the muscles etc gradually deteriorate with less elasticity.
A final Pee note is – having observed whole teams and hospital wards have a ‘pee on time’ focus whereby they make having a pee a priority, they not only begin to hydrate more, it also improves their working relationships (as a. they are not so grumpy, and b. they have something self caring to talk about together), and, it has an impact on the quality of their work too.
Toilet talk (and action) is so underrated – yet it is absolutely foundational to self-care, and to supporting our physical body.
This comment would also be appropriate for the blog on this website titled LOST THE PLOT
https://simplelivingglobal.com/have-we-lost-the-plot/
I was reading in a supermarket newspaper this week about cashmere toilet rolls and sales have gone sky high before Christmas.
With a quick research this is not new stuff but its been around since 2010.
The reason it remains on our shelves today is because of the demand.
Suppliers would have no need to make it if we as customers did not want it.
Yes real cashmere inside our toilet rolls known as luxury.
So is bum wiping asking for luxury only at Christmas or is it just to impress those who visit our homes at this time of year?
Have we lost the plot when it comes to our toilet business or do we demand this type of stuff because we can?
How does this type of product evolve us as a race of beings?
Quartz – 28 January 2019
https://qz.com/1534975/the-next-big-innovation-in-aging-japan-flushable-adult-diapers/
Japan’s aging economy has the next new innovation – flushable adult diapers.
If the plan goes ahead, those working in nursing care facilities will have their workload reduced.
Japan is the world’s most aged country and products catering to old people are huge business.
According to Bloomberg, the biggest producer of diapers said its adults diapers had surpassed those for babies in 2011.
The size of the “adult incontinence” market in Japan in 2016 was $1.8 billion, which is around 20% of the global adult diaper market.
An employee in the elderly care industry said that 20 elderly residents typically produce around three 90-liter (24 gallons) garbage bags full of odorous diapers everyday.
So what we have here is telling us that those living longer are now needing more care and we have a solution but will this be the answer?
Taking into account the infrastructure of this country and the environmental impact of flushing particles that will not decompose is telling us SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT.
Some companies have stepped up the government’s call for flushable diapers and are developing a diaper-crushing machine which could be operational in 2 years.
Hello
If 20 aged residents require three 24 gallon garbage bags a day – can we do the basic maths here and say the whole elderly population is producing heaps in one day and what is that in a month or a year and where is it all ending up for now, while we wait for the innovative machines that could separate out the crushed excrement?
Our world is so called smart as it is always looking for solutions and now it’s about toilet talk.
Most of us hate this dirty daily business that just happens to be a natural thing we all need to get on with and not squirm or make a fuss about.
Do we need to ask how it gets to the point where we need to end up wearing adult diapers to survive and how must this feel if this continues for years and years?
Is there anything we could do to get on the “front foot” so to speak, as the younger generations who have not got there yet?
Could the way we are choosing to live and the lifestyle choices we make play a part in our toilet care and hygiene when we get older?
Are we all going to end up wearing adult diapers and knowing it is a multi billion dollar industry already, are we going to see this continue to rise because of how we are living?
Is there another way or do we demand solutions and expect the suppliers to provide but never question why on earth have we got such a high demand for adult diapers in the modern 21st century?
Could we learn anything from the elders who lived back in the olden days, where none of this was on the radar?
Are our elderly checking out and that means their minds are not connected to their body and the result is pee and poo in the pants and someone taking care of all of that stuff?
Are we not engaging with the elderly before they go down the road of ill health, when we could possibly have done something to keep them connected and alive instead of merely existing in a body that is doing nothing but functioning?
Have we become a world that has excelled in how to function the body we have been given and negated everything else that our whole human being is and offers us?
Are these the questions we need to now consider before things reach epidemic levels in the elderly toilet talk department?
I was raised in a culture where cleaning the toilet is a woman’s job.
So as a girl I learned from a very young age to clean the toilet and I made it my business to do this.
I know of people where the children have their own bathroom and the cleaner comes once a week.
I also know of a couple raising young children where the mother is doing her best to teach the children the importance and value of checking the toilet after each and every use and taking action so it is clean.
She mentioned it is not easy if other adults are not role models because the consistency is simply not there for the kids to take this on board.
If we are used to cleaners doing it for us – would our kids grow up just assuming and thinking its not their job?
Is this a convenient way to avoid personal responsibility for something so basic?
Do we then end up with new generations of adults who actually would never even think to check a public toilet or anywhere they go after use, as it’s just not on their radar?
What if we had a faux pas following a dodgy curry night or just had bowel movements that did not make it straight into the water bowl?
What happens then – do we just leave it or is there a Responsibility?
If we are not going to consider this basic responsibility, what chance have we got to take greater responsibility when it comes to other life choices.
Imagine lessons from kindergarten and nurseries to master the art of cleaning a toilet and let’s bring in toilet brushes to practice and learn so kids see it as normal – no big deal.
Our future education needs to include the Back to Basics stuff, so we have them growing up with Responsibility at the core of their choices.
The Guardian – 1 March 2019
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/01/canada-boreal-forest-toilet-paper-us-climate-change-impact-report
A new report states that America’s love of luxury toilet paper is destroying Canadian forests.
Major brands are refusing to use sustainable materials and this is having a devastating impact on forests and climate.
28 million acres of Canadian boreal forest have been cut down since 1996 – an area the size of Pennsylvania. Virgin pulp which is the key ingredient in toilet paper accounted for 23% of Canada’s forest product exports.
Americans account for 20% of global tissue consumption.
The average 4 person household in the US uses over 100lb of toilet paper a year.
Americans tend to be more concerned than the rest of the world about ideal toilet paper texture and desire for super soft multi-ply toilet tissue in their homes, largely due to decades of marketing around toilet paper softness.
Think about it, if you are used to the ultra super soft stuff for your private parts then chances are you are not going to change to the harsher toilet paper, even if it says it’s better for our environment.
Most of us have this thing where we want the best softest toilet paper.
In my local supermarket there are ones that have so called shea butter and other moisturisers and I have even seen dark coloured toilet paper to match the décor we have in our bathrooms.
What next we might say?
Let us all be clear – we demand and the suppliers supply to that demand.
If we want change then we have to make that change.
How are we as individuals going to react if we get told one day the forests are exhausted, no more luxury toilet paper and so get used to recycled stuff which has a crusty dry hard feel to it?
It is one thing to want luxury in our homes and the other thing to consider now is the waste aspect.
How waste-full are we with our luxury products at home that are used everyday which we take for granted as an endless supply, until the end of time as we know it?
I just realised how I used to behave during my shopping addiction days.
I had high levels of anxiety at the very thought of going to use a public toilet while I was out. This of course made it worse and my focus was always about where the next toilet was going to be.
Any smell and dirty-ness used to put me off and I would hold on and cause my body even more distress.
Going to the toilet was so important that I would plan the day around where I was going to use a toilet. Department stores that are posh in the city have toilets where you pay and I would get on a bus, go off track, just to use their toilet facilities.
I did note when I visit the US they have shopping malls and the big department stores have fancy ‘bathrooms’ as they call it, with comfy lounge chairs and loads of space. That was up my alley but these days I am not that fussed because I no longer have the tension, stress and anxiety about where I need to go for my next pee.
In fact, my body seems to know ahead of my head what the plan of the day is and so many times I have clocked that I may use the toilet at home and then never need to find anywhere whilst travelling.
Our body is amazing and can become our best friend by communicating to us if we are ready to listen to it.
But we have to develop a deep connection with it and not override with our constant thoughts that seem to bombard us most of the time.
It works as I am living proof and I know others who have the same experience.
Whilst we may be the minority for now, I am certain that in the future all this will become our natural way of living but for now it seems polar opposite to how the masses choose to operate.
Imagine if we taught every single child from day dot to make going to the toilet a priority and never to be negated. Then in that lesson we ADD the importance and value of taking a moment and not rushing or seeing it as something insignificant.
As a world, we have some real education that is needed and this website is a great start.
Fantastic blog Simple Living Global and yes, there were some laugh-out-loud moments.
This is a very important topic as it is one of the few things that every human has to do and every human has their own unique way of completing this process.
That said, the points you make in regards to hygiene, cleanliness and going when we need to go are super relevant to all of us, all of the time.
Our bodies are very intelligent in that they will show us what is wrong, so although we like to make fun of our toilet business, any pain or inconvenience in letting go of our waste is a sign that something is not right.
For most of my life I have worked for companies where there are several hundred staff employed and the toilets very often become a zone for irresponsibility, which makes the area hazardous.
Then there is the cleanliness side to it!!
Is it possible that, if it is not our home toilet we choose to not treat it with the same respect, because we know that someone else is going to clean the mess up?
This is about Toilet Talk
In the UK there are public toilets that are locked.
Once upon a time ALL the public toilets were not locked.
There are universal keys that grant access to more than 9,000 locked public toilets.
This of course would help and support those with inflammatory bowel conditions which necessitate frequent visits to the toilet.
The charity Crohn’s and Colitis UK give these keys out and of course other eligible conditions would qualify for this universal lavatory key.
There are many now who have become reluctant to leave their home simply because they dread the thought of public toilets when they have a medical condition.
There are others who become socially isolated as a result of their urinary and bowel issues.
Do we need more public toilets that are open, as not everyone understands why they are locked in the first place and would not even know that a quick google would get them a universal key.
Are we going to need more public toilets as there is a rise in medical conditions that affect our toilet business?
AND Finally – do these locked toilets across the country get cleaned and if so – how often and is it up to standard?
Sky News – 18th March 2020
Water Firms Issue Blockage Warning as People Use Toilet Paper Alternatives
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-water-firms-issue-blockage-warning-as-people-use-toilet-paper-alternatives-11959659
Drains and sewers are in danger of becoming blocked as people use wet wipes, paper towels and even newspaper because they can’t find loo roll at the supermarket.
Water firms say kitchen roll, wet wipes and newspapers can cause “major blockages” for homes and businesses.
They say that if there is no other option, wipes and kitchen roll should be disposed of in the bin.
One water company said that while wipes and kitchen roll may seem “harmless” they “don’t break down as toilet paper does. That can cause flooding in roads, homes and businesses.”
A water company in Australia said a blockage in the system, caused by wet wipes and paper towels, spilled into a creek. The company said around 20,000 litres of wastewater spilled into the creek, leading to an “extensive clean up and cost”.
The customer operations manager said “We know they all look flushable, but the reality is, not all paper is created equally. Most of these products are designed to absorb water, not break down. They block the system and cost customers and the company money.”
Of course, this is happening because of our irresponsibility with stockpiling toilet rolls which sees many others go without, but taking away our carelessness for this behaviour, it is a well-known fact that we should not be putting anything other than the appropriate toilet roll down the toilet.
It cannot be anything other than laziness and a lack of true responsibility for not disposing of anything that is not toilet roll, in the correct manner.
It goes without saying that we should all take responsibility for our toilet business but, because of our current situation, is it possible that we should be taking our responsibility levels even higher?
The sewers can only become blocked if we don’t follow the guidelines.
So, if we suddenly find our homes or businesses engulfed in sewage and wastewater, is it possible we only have ourselves to blame?
Dear World
Today is WORLD TOILET DAY – 19 November 2020
https://www.un.org/en/observances/toilet-day
So let’s have a toilet talk as this is the day to bring awareness to humanity about the toilet.
Did we all know that we currently have in our world a population of approximately 7.8 billion?
Are we aware that 4.2 billion people living today actually have no access to a proper real toilet?
That is huge and worth a stop moment.
The numbers speak volumes – we have got over half of our world living without a toilet, something we take as a basic living essential. Imagine not having a toilet – how much more basic do we need to go to really get this?
We cannot even learn to flush the right stuff down the toilet and we hear of our sewers being blocked and lots of other toilet stories whilst the other half of this world we inhabit have no toilet to speak of. Quite disgusting some might say and others may ignore this fact as it’s easier to just accept it and hope it gets sorted, dealt with or goes away from our awareness.
We may fit into the category of ‘their loss, next life maybe’ – in other words, they got the short straw and so they have no toilet whilst we got the icing on the cake, so to speak and ended up with more than one toilet in our tiny home we call a house.
Whatever our mindset is, or our opinions, beliefs and views – let us put them to one side and go back again and again to the above numbers. We need to get honest and real about what is in our face and under our watch. That means in our so-called modern 21st century living where we demand more than one toilet as we need one for the guests. We have the celebrities showing off on social media about their ‘his n hers’ toilets next to each other and so we ought to wake up and clock that something is not right when such a basic amenity is not equal for ALL that reside on this planet.
This is not about campaigning or making noise to get things done but to respond with a question.
WHY do 4.2 billion people living in our world today not have access to safely managed sanitation?
We call ourselves intelligent but if our world was a business ( a blog well worth reading on this website) we would have shut down and lost our investors a long time ago. https://simplelivingglobal.com/our-world-as-a-business/
Who on earth would invest in a business with not only astronomical rises in illness and disease but where basic toilet sanitation is not available to more than half the population? There are certainly no dividends coming to any shareholders of this business called our world.
Some of us may one day agree that we are in a mess and our model of human life has miserably failed us. Let us look no further as this simple statistic tells us so.
There is no success story as we sit on our toilet scrolling social media or reading a magazine or whatever it is that we do when the other half of this world have nothing when it comes to a basic toilet.
Let’s start dinner table conversations about this and ask HOW and WHY we have got to this statistic on our watch, when we have many who have such incredible wealth that we are seeing more billionaires and organisations that are making trillions in profits.
SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT and saying nothing and ignoring this will ensure no change for our fellow brothers.
The Guardian – 30 January 2021
This news story is about toilet talk but relating to dogs.
People have been buying puppies in lockdown, leading to a growing problem of faeces in open spaces.
9 million dogs producing around 340g of waste a day.
3,000 tonnes of excrement produced by dogs in the UK everyday.
Environmental health experts across the country are warning of a dog mess emergency and that new puppy owners are shirking their responsibilities to clean up after. They attribute the problem to a lockdown boom in dog ownership, a large number walking their dogs rather than letting them go in the garden and overstretched councils forced to ration dog waste collection to maintaine even more fundamental services.
Matters have gone out of control and there is anecdotal evidence of an escalating issue since the pandemic began. Reports of pock-marked pavements, overflowing bins and a surfeit of poo bags suspended from branches, have appeared across the countryside.
Take note that dog poo is ‘full of viruses and bacteria’.
If it ends up in landfill, these bags do not degrade and we do not have any obvious solutions for now and with no end to the crisis in sight, some are being forced to extreme measures. That means individuals taking on the task and discussing at council meetings but yet to come up with answers.
So now what?
The good thing is having this news article means it is being offered to the public awareness so we do know what is going on incase we are walking around with our eyes shut. Dog poo is everywhere on our streets and in our towns and cities and it’s because the masses jumped on the bandwagon to have a creature that moves, looks cute but comes with a dose of responsibility and most of us may not have factored that in when we reacted to lockdown restrictions and got that picture perfect pet that is now eating lots and pooing all the time and we are done with the clearing up. Of course some of us are responsible and would never be a part of this irresponsibility, but nevertheless we’ve got a big poo problem with no solution.
On that note – visit our Solutions blog on this website and it presents loud and clear why solutions never work because it is like a band aid and until we get to the root of the issue, we are not ever going to resolve the problem once and for all. https://simplelivingglobal.com/solutions-solutions/
Back to dog poo.
What if the demand came from us the public, call it the masses to want a puppy whilst bored at home with not much to do except watch movies, bake and eat? Or we needed it to entertain the kids but the poo business was not something we wanted to take any responsibility for.
So now we’ve got the cute thing that is eating and growing fast and with that comes bigger poo and even more to clear up into the bag. Or are we the ones who wing it and just think we own the land and never clean up our dog mess?
What if having a dog was not really the right thing to do, because we live in a high rise flat or we just don’t have the time of day to walk it but we do as we don’t want dog poo in our home? What if we have the attitude that out there is ok to mess but not our back garden as that belongs to us and we like to think there is no excrement on our patch?
What if dog breeders (in particular the dodgy ones) have made big bucks from our demand because from nowhere on our radar, we suddenly want a baby dog as they are all over social media and everyone we know has one already? In others words, we got the dog from FOMO.
For any reader that wants to know more about fear of missing out – go to our FOMO blog on this website and get the download – the full whammy.
https://simplelivingglobal.com/f-o-m-o-fear-of-missing-out/
The reason our councils cannot come up with any answers is because there are no obvious solutions. We have created this mess that we are currently in and so surely we have the answers or are we just looking at it from one perspective? Is there another way?
Our officials, those in authority and those that lay down the law and make the rules ought to be reminded that allowing any member of the public to own a dog and then mis-use public places is to be addressed and right now with other so-called priorities, dog poo is probably at the bottom of their list if at all.
Where will this go now and what other side effects of lockdown can we expect in the coming months and years?
As this is about Toilet Talk, this is worth a mention.
Today is Video Games Day in the United States of America.
https://nationaltoday.com/national-video-games-day/
Well do we all know that according to this top market research, we have 34% playing video games on their mobile phone, when they are on the toilet?
Most of us would think nothing of it as others read, do social media or whatever else they can on their small screen.
What if there was a purpose to going to the toilet and it does not have to be ignored as modern day distractions are available?
Going for a pee, passing urine is like we stop and take a pause moment. What if things may just change if we allowed ourselves that moment where there is a bit of space to really do absolutely nothing, as the body naturally releases what is held in the bladder?
What if our number 2, the poo business happens quite quickly so sitting around is not needed? What if playing video games makes us forget how long we are actually on the toilet or what passed through us?
Are we interested enough to even connect to what just happened or is it that bodily function we never talk about until something is seriously wrong or we experience pain?
We are using our mobile phones in a setting where hygiene supposedly is key? In our current days of paranoia around clean hands because we might catch or pass on something, how does that fare if we are video gaming and not paying any attention to where we are and where our hands have been or are going?
The point of this comment is some of us may be addicted to video gaming and this is WHY we take it to the toilet? Of course it may not be the case, but the statistic tells us this is going on in our world.
BBC News – 14 September 2021
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-58529069
This news story is a different type of toilet talk than what this blog is about. Nevertheless, it is about a toilet that we can talk about.
An 18 carat gold toilet is still missing after it was stolen 2 years ago from Blenheim Palace, the birthplace and home of Sir Winston Churchill. It is the only non-royal abode to hold the title of Palace.
Note – the toilet was owned by a private individual and was part of an art exhibition that the palace was hosting.
The toilet was valued at £4.8 million ($6 million) and a reward of £100,000 was offered by insurers.
The toilet was plumbed into the building of this 18th century stately home and was fully functioning. There was “significant damage and flooding caused” when it was stolen.
Previously, the gold toilet was displayed at a museum in New York.
An Art detective told the BBC that the toilet would have been cut up, melted down and the gold sold off.
Most of us would probably agree that a block of solid gold worth so much has got distributed and we are not likely to ever see it appear somewhere in the world in its original state – a toilet.
Question: WHY are we surprised when something of such great value is taken or disappears?
It is interesting that so much monetary value was placed on an everyday ‘thing’ we call a toilet that most of us pay little attention or regard to.
How many of us truly value and take deep care of our toilet? –
check out the toilet bowl inside, then the rim and all the detail on the outside and be honest.
This bog standard (pun intended) blog whilst it is funny, spells it out for us and brings back the importance of the toilet and what we do when we visit it and close that door. It also gives a very simple and basic guide to toilet cleaning.
Imagine if we all treated our toilet like it was solid gold.
What changes and adjustments would we make and how would we relate to it?
Science Magazine – 5 July 2023
https://scienmag.com/thousands-suffer-from-tabooed-disease-new-method-makes-it-easier-to-identify-the-right-treatment/
60,000 – 100,000 Danish people suffer from a form of chronic diarrhoea called bile acid malabsorption or bile acid diarrhoea.
This is a chronic condition characterised by frequent and sudden diarrhoea more than 10 times a day.
Even though the disease is not life threatening, it can seriously affect everyday life and be extremely disabling.
“Keeping a job or maintaining social relationships can be difficult and a lot of people isolate themselves. The disease controls their life” says Professor Jesper Boje Andersen from the Biotech Research & Innovation Centre.
“A lot of people with chronic diarrhoea do not realise that they suffer from bile acid diarrhoea and what has caused it. This is a result of lack of knowledge among healthcare workers and the relatively complex and expensive process of diagnosing the disease” says Professor and Consultant Doctor Filip Krag Knop.
The researchers have developed a new method based on a simple blood sample. However, the process is unpleasant and arduous and not all countries in the world support the method and that includes the United States.
The majority of cases of bile acid diarrhoea are diagnosed at a very late stage or never diagnosed at all.
40% of patients suffer from this condition for up to 5 years before it is diagnosed.
Knop says “It could be because chronic diarrhoea is a tabooed disease”.
About Bile Acid Diarrhoea
When we eat high fat food, the gallbladder releases bile acid.
Bile acid helps the body absorb fat and fat-soluble vitamins from the food.
98% of the bile acid is absorbed by the small intestine and returned via the blood to the liver.
If the body either produces and/or releases excessive amounts of bile acid or if the bile acid is not reabsorbed by the blood, a large amount will end up in the large intestine. It is here that it will result in irritated mucosa, lack of fluid in the intestines and increased intestinal movements, all of which create symptoms of bile acid diarrhoea.
Water utility companies are now sending out a leaflet to those that receive twice a year paper bills.
I read the leaflet and this is what is being said –
‘We clear around 75,000 blockages from our sewers each year.
Many of these are caused by wet wipes, sanitary items and cotton pads that cannot break down.
When they are flushed down the loo, they ball up with cooking fats and oils, blocking pipes. This can then force raw sewage back up drains, plugholes and toilets – right into your home.
Bin all wet wipes, sanitary towels, tampons and kitchen roll.
Only flush pee, poo and paper – never nappies.
Collect fats and oils in jars before binning them’.
Dear World
We all use a toilet every single day and it seems that our common sense is simply not there.
How do we educate the masses and is it possible that some of this comes down to the lack of responsibility in the way we are choosing to live daily life?
Most of us would be up in arms if our toilet blocked up but we forget we are the creators of our own mess, yet we don’t seem to be able to join the dots.
Our infrastructure is not designed to take on anything other than what a toilet was made for – the pee, poo and toilet paper. On that note, using heaps of it never guarantees a clean wipe and then adding those toilet wipes into the system is causing our blockages. Add to that zero education or understanding that not even a tiny tampon is to go down the toilet and most young girls and women would not want to hear or know that.
The stupid thing is we end up paying for it because those 75,000 blockages require resources and yet we could avoid this if we started taking more Responsibility for everything in life and not just what we flush down the toilet because its convenient.
Monash University – 19 August 2024
https://www.monash.edu/science/news-events/news/current/new-study-finds-constipation-is-a-significant-risk-factor-for-major-cardiac-events
An International study led by Monash University has found constipation is a SIGNIFICANT risk factor for major adverse cardiac events (MACE), including heart attacks, strokes and heart failure.
The study was published in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology.
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/ajpheart.00519.2024
34% INCREASED risk of subsequent cardiac events in Hypertensive people who suffered from constipation.
“Our research suggests that constipation may exacerbate the cardiovascular risks associated with High Blood Pressure, further increasing the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes.”