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Toilet (room)

language culture Maturity 11-13 Next article →

A toilet room is a small and private space.

Australian Toilet
Australian Toilet

It is used for urination and defecation. These rooms are very important for personal hygiene. Most rooms include a sink or basin with soap. This allows people to wash their hands easily. Many homes also have a mirror above the sink. You can use it to check your appearance. In big houses, a small room for guests might exist. North Americans call these powder rooms or half-baths. In Britain, people often call them cloakrooms.

The main item in the room is the toilet fixture. Some models are flush toilets that use water. These connect to a tank called a cistern. A part called a ballcock helps the tank work. Other models are dry and do not need water.

Australian Toilet
Australian Toilet

Some rooms have a plunger to clear drains. A plunger is a tool with a rubber top. If people use paper, they have a roll holder. Some cultures use water to clean themselves instead. They might use a bidet or a bidet shower. In Japan, Washlets provide an automatic washing function.

Humans have used different ways to manage waste for a long time. The Indus Valley civilization had very advanced sanitation. They even used private flush toilets. Ancient Greeks and Romans used public toilets. Some had indoor plumbing and sewer systems. In medieval times, monks used latrines called reredorters. These were sometimes connected to water systems.

Australian Toilet
Australian Toilet

In the early modern period, waste from outhouses was used. It provided nitrates to help make gunpowder. Later, the 19th century saw new types of outhouses. These included the pail closet and the privy midden.

Indoor toilets were once a luxury for the rich. They slowly became common for everyone else. In London during the 1890s, many homes lacked indoor toilets. By the early 20th century, things began to change. After World War I, new London homes had them.

Australian Toilet
Australian Toilet

In the past, some homes had two different toilets. The owners used an upstairs toilet. The servants used an outhouse outside. Sometimes, a toilet was built inside but only reached from outside. Today, most people have them inside their main bathrooms.

Different parts of the world use many names for this room. In American English, most people say "bathroom." In the United Kingdom, people say "loo" or "WC." WC stands for water closet. In Canada, it is often called a "washroom."

Benguet---Baguio---Lualhati---Wright Park Clean Comfort Room
Benguet---Baguio---Lualhati---Wright Park Clean Comfort Room

In the Philippines, people say "comfort room" or "CR." Special places have their own names too. On ships, the toilet is called the "head." On airplanes, it is called a "lavatory." These names help people find what they need quickly.

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File:Australian Toilet.JPG
Australian Toilet.JPG
File:Benguet---Baguio---Lualhati---Wright Park Clean Comfort Room.jpg
Benguet---Baguio---Lualhati---Wright Park...
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