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withington
Joined: 11 May 2006
Location: Gyeongridan
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 Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 6:52 am Post subject: Still confused about toilet paper in bin practice |
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So we all know how in Korea people are expected to throw their used toilet paper in the bin instead of the toilet. I was in Chicago's Koreatown recently and a bathroom in the restaurant had the exact same sign, in Korean and English, same wording, same font, I saw so many times in Korea instructing people to throw their paper in the bin. We always assume this practice is the result of old or substandard piping in Korea, but we also know that something is not quite right with that belief because almost everything in Korea is new and many of us foreigners throw our paper in the toilet anyway and tragedy never occurs.
I am certain the piping even in old Chicago neighborhoods can handle the paper, so what's going on here? Is it some Fan Death-esque superstition?? I can't believe after living in Korea for many years I'm still wondering about this! |
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the ireland
Joined: 11 May 2008
Location: korea
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 7:03 am Post subject: |
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Always flush it.......it's a horrible thing to have to sit / stand next to in a bathroom!!
If they insist on not flushing it, how about digging some sort of hole in the floor for the toilet paper so that a button can be stepped on to open a lid and the toilet paper can be placed into it and there could be a removable bin inside so that it can be emptied.
This could help kill the smell of a bathroom on a hot summers day.
(obviously this would only apply to ground floors for obvious lack of space issues in on any floor futher up
A bin with an air tight seal would even suffice....but an open top bin, really?? is that the best they can do? |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 7:20 am Post subject: |
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| the ireland wrote: |
| Always flush it.......it's a horrible thing to have to sit / stand next to in a bathroom!! |
My buddy lived in an older building where this advice would have resulted in some seriously crappy overflow. |
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the ireland
Joined: 11 May 2008
Location: korea
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 7:24 am Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| the ireland wrote: |
| Always flush it.......it's a horrible thing to have to sit / stand next to in a bathroom!! |
My buddy lived in an older building where this advice would have resulted in some seriously crappy overflow. |
As long as I don't have to deal with it 
Oh and while we are on the subject, any chance of people not smoking in bathrooms either? |
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ChilgokBlackHole
Joined: 21 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 7:38 am Post subject: |
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| the ireland wrote: |
| Oh and while we are on the subject, any chance of people not smoking in bathrooms either? |
The country is not going to conform to fit your standards of hygiene and practice, sorry. |
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the ireland
Joined: 11 May 2008
Location: korea
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 7:52 am Post subject: |
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| ChilgokBlackHole wrote: |
| the ireland wrote: |
| Oh and while we are on the subject, any chance of people not smoking in bathrooms either? |
The country is not going to conform to fit your standards of hygiene and practice, sorry. |
it's etiquette too.
Give it a few years, they will introduce the smoking ban here. Sure people don't want to conform, but they will.
Most toilets don't allow smoking in them, it's the people breaking the rules that's the problem. |
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curiousaboutkorea
Joined: 21 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 8:24 am Post subject: |
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| the ireland wrote: |
| ChilgokBlackHole wrote: |
| the ireland wrote: |
| Oh and while we are on the subject, any chance of people not smoking in bathrooms either? |
The country is not going to conform to fit your standards of hygiene and practice, sorry. |
it's etiquette too.
Give it a few years, they will introduce the smoking ban here. Sure people don't want to conform, but they will.
Most toilets don't allow smoking in them, it's the people breaking the rules that's the problem. |
Yup, waited about 8 minutes for a toilet at COEX despite only 2 people in line in front of me. When in finally go into the stall, it stank of smoke. The stall walls/door was so high, smoke couldn't get out, so stupid me couldn't figure out what they were doing until I got in. |
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drydell
Joined: 01 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 8:46 am Post subject: |
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major annoyance in Korea..especially since its not based on anything logical..
a journalist interviewed the sewage people who said chucking toilet paper in the bin was not necessary any more..(on here somewhere - you look up the link )....
modern paper dissolves on contact with water - is it really gonna block the pipes more than your enormous dump?..no...arrgh!
Koreans are soooooo worried about hygiene in so many ways..but don't seem to give a damn about this one ...MAKES ME MAAAAD!!!.....(venting)....ok that's better......calm now..  |
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cmster
Joined: 03 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 9:26 am Post subject: Re: Still confused about toilet paper in bin practice |
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| withington wrote: |
So we all know how in Korea people are expected to throw their used toilet paper in the bin instead of the toilet. I was in Chicago's Koreatown recently and a bathroom in the restaurant had the exact same sign, in Korean and English, same wording, same font, I saw so many times in Korea instructing people to throw their paper in the bin. We always assume this practice is the result of old or substandard piping in Korea, but we also know that something is not quite right with that belief because almost everything in Korea is new and many of us foreigners throw our paper in the toilet anyway and tragedy never occurs.
I am certain the piping even in old Chicago neighborhoods can handle the paper, so what's going on here? Is it some Fan Death-esque superstition?? I can't believe after living in Korea for many years I'm still wondering about this! |
It's possible that they're using toilets that use less water to flush (saves water) and don't think they can handle the amounts of paper (and other things + paper) some people put in. |
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crossmr
Joined: 22 Nov 2008
Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 3:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| modern paper dissolves on contact with water - is it really gonna block the pipes more than your enormous dump?..no...arrgh! |
That's not entirely true if you put a big wad in.
It can still clog. The problem wasn't the paper it was the pipe size. Apparently older buildings had smaller pipes. |
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eIn07912
Joined: 06 Dec 2008
Location: seoul
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 3:22 pm Post subject: |
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| Especially when you've read about it. Feces particles "float." They hang in the air and settle on anything nearby. You ever see that Mythbusters episode where they leave their toothbrushes in a jar on the bathroom sink (like 95% of people do?) After one day, they tested the brushes and found feces particles. After a week, there were so many on there it would be considered hazardous to use them. That's why I rinse my thoroughly under scalding hot water, then immediately put it in a sealed case, and then put it behind a few bottles inside my medicine cabinet. Maybe that's taking it too far, but seriously, do you want to risk it? It makes me gag to think for years I was brushing my teeth with particles of poop. |
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jrwhite82
Joined: 22 May 2010
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah I love the argument: don't flush the paper down because it is some how better for hygiene to throw it in a bin.
Tell that to the guy who cleans the bin.
Also, if they are so concerned about hygiene, why do so many bathrooms lack soap and/or hot water? UGH! |
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shostahoosier
Joined: 14 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 4:34 pm Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| the ireland wrote: |
| Always flush it.......it's a horrible thing to have to sit / stand next to in a bathroom!! |
My buddy lived in an older building where this advice would have resulted in some seriously crappy overflow. |
It would have to be a pretty old building.
According the article that was referenced somewhere else in this thread, buildings built since 1960 are definiteliy ok to flush in...but some built before then arent a major risk either. I guess it has less to do with the pipes and more to do with the size of the septic tank.
My first apartment here was built in 2005 and I always flushed the toilet paper. When I had to move to a new apartment (it was built in the late 80s), I flushed for the first month and then was told by the landlord that I should use a bin...of course this was after she shut off my toilet without me knowing because they were redoing the plumbing. When I told my co-worker about this she was surprised that I hadnt been using the waste basket at the old (but built in 2005) apartment, saying it would surely flood. 
Anyway, I tried my landlord's way for about 2 weeks and just couldnt do stomach it so now I use a dangerously small amount of tp and flush it (I'm trying to avoid TMI here). There havent been any flooding or plumbing problems...EVER.
I really think this is just from habit.
Personally I have no problems with using the bidets or hoses that are popular in other Asian countries. At least you've cleaned off before using the TP. But the practice here is really unsanitary. |
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climber159
Joined: 02 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 4:45 pm Post subject: |
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| jrwhite82 wrote: |
Tell that to the guy who cleans the bin. |
I only ever saw adjummas cleaning the restrooms. |
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orosee
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Location: Hannam-dong, Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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It is possible that today a part of the system has gone missing.
From another country in Asia I have learned the following practice: After business is done, water is used to clean yourself, either coming from a spray (attached to its own faucet), a bucket nearby (using your own hand, which should be the left one), or one of those advanced RoboToilets.
Toilet tissue is only used to dry off the wet parts after the cleaning is done, so that you don't have to run around with a soaked pants bottom. Hence dropping the paper into a basket is a much less disgusting affair.
In Korea I have not found the spray nor the bucket, which means the system is broken if it was ever intended to work that way. |
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