How do you flush (public restroom)?

[MidgeHadley]

This is me totally! well, except for the foot flushing thing.

I am sorry, I just keep getting this mental picture of all these women in the stalls with their feet in the air, balancing on one foot, trying to flush

I guess if it is easier for you it makes sense though.

Yeah, at this point in my life I have no problem balancing on one foot for half a second to flush the toilet. When I'm older it may become a problem but right now it's quite easy.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Foot in public restrooms. I don't want to touch a handle that everyone else has touched with THEIR foot.

I washed all my baby things before using them. That was before I saw the rerun of House last night where babies were dying and getting deathly ill and no one knew it was from the old lady delivering Teddy Bears to the new infants, but sneezing into her hand, then picking up the Teddy Bears before snuggling it into the newborns face-transferring all her nasty germs to the new babies...If I had seen that years ago, my kids would be living in a bubble!

 

[luvsJack]

Yeah, at this point in my life I have no problem balancing on one foot for half a second to flush the toilet. When I'm older it may become a problem but right now it's quite easy.

I would assume its easier because that's just the way you have always done it? Someone said their Mom taught them to flush that way.

Its just interesting to me that so many people can do some mundane thing so many different ways and each is totally normal to them.

If I had seen someone doing this, I would have just assumed they had a phobia about germs and now I know that this isn't the case at all.

 

[luvmy3]

Never underestimate the power of one's balance when flushing or the strength of their thigh muscles when hovering while they have to use a public restroom

 

[delilah]

I am so glad that I don't invite any of you to my home who would use your foot to flush my toilet. I normally wash my hands after I flush the toilet, which is a very effective way to reduce pathogens on your hands. I, personally, would not appreciate having to clean dirty shoe prints off my wall or bathroom fixtures.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

I use my foot/knee depending on the logistics of the flushing mechanism

 

[daisax]

I am so glad that I don't invite any of you to my home who would use your foot to flush my toilet. I normally wash my hands after I flush the toilet, which is a very effective way to reduce pathogens on your hands. I, personally, would not appreciate having to clean dirty shoe prints off my wall or bathroom fixtures.

Do you honestly think we who use our feet to press a steel lever in a bathroom used by thousands of perfect strangers would use feet to flush a toilet in somebody's private home?

For what it's worth -- I think public toilets tend to be cleaner than the bottoms of most women's handbags, which regularly get placed on tables and counters where food is prepared and served. Apparently handbags are among the filthiest things out there.

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

I'm not getting a good visual of this......I don't see how standing and hovering would allow people to get pee all over the toilet seat.

What I really don't understand is how people leave a mess in/on/and around the toilet? Don't you look?? How do you know everything looks the way it's supposed to look? We have automatic flushers at work and you wouldn't beleive the number of times there is still stuff in the toilet. Seriously. Push the button!

 

[DizBelle]

I use a jedi mind trick.

These aren't the droids you're looking for.... FLUSH!!!

 

[MidgeHadley]

I would assume its easier because that's just the way you have always done it? Someone said their Mom taught them to flush that way.

Its just interesting to me that so many people can do some mundane thing so many different ways and each is totally normal to them.

If I had seen someone doing this, I would have just assumed they had a phobia about germs and now I know that this isn't the case at all.

Yeah, it's the way I've done it for as long as I can remember.

I am so glad that I don't invite any of you to my home who would use your foot to flush my toilet. I normally wash my hands after I flush the toilet, which is a very effective way to reduce pathogens on your hands. I, personally, would not appreciate having to clean dirty shoe prints off my wall or bathroom fixtures.

The poll clearly states "public restroom" not bathrooms in people's houses.

Do you honestly think we who use our feet to press a steel lever in a bathroom used by thousands of perfect strangers would use feet to flush a toilet in somebody's private home?

For what it's worth -- I think public toilets tend to be cleaner than the bottoms of most women's handbags, which regularly get placed on tables and counters where food is prepared and served. Apparently handbags are among the filthiest things out there.

If there isn't a hook in a stall for my purse, I just keep it on me the whole time.

 

[dbriggsq]

I'm one of those 'sad' people who don't think flushing with the bottom of a shoe is a very considerate thing to do - for these reasons.

I wouldn't want to put the bottom of my shoe which has just been in contact with the floor of a toilet , presumably wet (and before that in contact with possibly all sorts of contaminants and bacteria) on a suface which I know another person will then touch with their hand. I've never tried it but I would imagine it would be difficult to do without some sort of scrapeing of the flusher involved which would leave even more of a residue.

I'm not a microbiologist but I'm willing to bet that a culture of the toilet floor would produce far more germs/bacteria/parasites than one of my hand just after I'd used the toilet.

If I touch the flusher just after someone has used their shoe then all that contamination gets transferred to the door latch, the door, the sink, the taps etc. So by flushing with your shoe you are transferring many more contaminants all over the restroom.

Yes I wash my hands but if I'd just rubbed my hands over the toilet floor just by the toilet (which is the equivalent of touching the flusher just after someone has had their shoe on it) I would probaby give them an extra special scrub - wouldn't you - and be very careful not to touch anything on the way to the sink.

 

[MushyMushy]

I am so glad that I don't invite any of you to my home who would use your foot to flush my toilet. I normally wash my hands after I flush the toilet, which is a very effective way to reduce pathogens on your hands. I, personally, would not appreciate having to clean dirty shoe prints off my wall or bathroom fixtures.

Do you have a public restroom in your house?

 

[jimmalru80]

Sometimes hand, sometimes foot.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

These aren't the droids you're looking for.... FLUSH!!!

 

[laurie31]

If the toilet (in the public restroom) has a handle like the ones in homes, then I use my hand. If it has a "bar" thing that is at "hand height", I use my hand for that too.

The only time I use my foot, is when the "bar" is at the level of the seat. If I bent over and used my hand to flush THAT, the contents of the bowl would be aerosolized into my face. Ummm...ew.

Even if the thoughts of that didn't gross me out, I think it would be really difficult physically to reach that thing with my hand. I thought it was meant to be flushed with a foot.

Lots of public toilets are auto flush now, though, making it a moot point

I just have to say...wow, 8 PAGES on this topic??!! ROTFL!!

 

[Rora]

Foot, for sure!

 

[daisax]

If there isn't a hook in a stall for my purse, I just keep it on me the whole time.

Me too. But have you ever set it on the floor in a restaurant? Beside you on a chair at the doctor's office? On the counter at the grocery store as you look for your ATM card?

Since we don't launder pocketbooks we don't realize just how filthy they are!

 

[mom of 3G's]

I'm not a microbiologist but I'm willing to bet that a culture of the toilet floor would produce far more germs/bacteria/parasites than one of my hand just after I'd used the toilet.

ITA!

I realize the hand flushers are not going to change the foot flushers and vice versa, but I know I am going to change. I'm going to change from singing Yankee Doodle once while washing my hands to singing it twice after flushing in a public bathroom to make sure I get all the bacteria growing in feces and urine off my hands from touching a toilet handle that was potentially touched by a shoe.

 

[buffettgirl]

considering that the foot flushers are ahead 67% to 24% I think the hand flushers just need to get used to the fact that the majority of people have always foot flushed and will continue to foot flush. The easy way to avoid touching the handle that we've footed on is to simply do the same ..

..welcome to the cult of foot flush.

 

[sunlver]

I do normally use just my hand, I mean I always wash them when leaving a stall,so what difference would it make. You touch all types of "cooties" in a public bathroom
Sometimes If I am just grossed out by the whole situation I will use a piece of toliet paper to flush and quickly toss it in the toliet.