The Bathroom

Different Names for the Bathroom:
Egyptians --- House of Honor
Romans --- Necessarium
Tudors --- Privy / House of Privacy
French --- La Chambre Sent / (the smelly room)
Israelis --- House of Honor

What Did People Use Before Toilet Paper?

A mussel shell, called a scraper! The Romans used a stick with a sponge on one end hence the phrase "the wrong end of the stick." In the south, corncobs were sometimes used!

85% of Americans who lost something down the drain or toilet decided to retrieve the item themselves, their methods include:

  • Reaching in with their hand
  • Using a makeshift device
  • Taking apart the drain
  • Using a toilet brush
  • Calling a service company

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans sing in the shower

Twice as many people ages 18 - 24 sing in the shower compared to their older counterparts.

1 in 4 Americans with children escape to the bathroom to unwind. Most Americans are solo during bathroom use, however...

Twice as many Americans with children say there is likely to be someone in the bathroom with them vs. Americans without children.

Overall, Americans leave the toilet seat down:

  • 70% of men leave the seat down
  • 89% of women leave the seat down

Men vs. Women

Men are more likely to recall private occurrences in the bathroom:

  • Nearly twice as many men, 32% recalled making love in the bathroom when compared to their female counterparts
  • Nearly twice as many men admitted clogging a toilet while visiting someone's home, when compared to their female counterparts.

Women are more likely to loose something down the drain or toilet:

  • Women most often loose jewelry or accessories
  • Men most often loose wallets, money or identification

Men are more likely to retrieve the item on their own:

  • Most men retrieved the item by reaching in with their hand.
  • Most women contacted a service person to retract the lost item.

Who Invented the Toilet?

Thomas Crapper

The debate over who Thomas Crapper was or even if he existed at all continues today. Below are some facts flushed out by Dr. Andy Gibbons, historian of the international Thomas Crapper society and Ken Grabowski, an author and researcher who is writing a book on Crapper's life.

MYTH: Thomas Crapper, as a person, never existed

FACT: Though his exact birthdate is not known, we do know a man named Thomas Crapper was probably born in September of 1836, since he was baptized the 28th of that month. He died January 27th, 1910.

MYTH: Thomas Crapper invented the toilet.

FACT: Although Thomas Crapper did have a successful career in plumbing from 1861 to 1904 and did hold several patents on plumbing related products, he did not invent the toilet. Albert Giblin holds the 1819 British patent for the "silent valve less water waste preventer", a system that allowed a toilet to flush effectively. Giblin worked for Crapper as an employee and the most likely scenario is that Crapper bought the patent rights from Giblin and marketed the device himself.

MYTH: The word crap is derived from Thomas Crappers name.

FACT: World War I doughboys passing through England saw the words T. Crapper Chelsea printed on the water tanks and coined the slang "crapper" meaning toilet.

Survey information conducted and provided by Roto-Rooter.