Toilets are often overlooked. Yet, it is one of the most important parts of our house. We may not always think about it, and we often take it for granted. But we use it more than we can think of. Hence, it’s vital to know more about it, so we’ll know how we can maintain it better.

We sure are months away from World Toilet Day. But our loos are worth talking about no matter what day of the year it is too, as it’s more than just a place to urinate and defecate.

Apparently, there are far more reasons why we should care about our toilets more. If you’re curious why, here are some facts about toilets that might help you make your home cleaner, fresher, and more comfortable to live in.

It’s the Dirtiest Part of Home

If you think your house’s attic is dirty, you’re sadly mistaken. The toilet is one of the dirtiest parts of our home. Obviously, one of the reasons behind it is that it is the unluckiest place in our home that receives our body’s waste products. But it isn’t the only thing to blame – moisture too.

The moisture in our bathrooms serves as the best breeding ground for germs and other microorganisms, including streptococcus, E. coli, influenza, salmonella, and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to name a few. Thus, microbiologists name it as one of the dirtiest places in our home.

When these contaminants get a chance to enter our body, it could cause symptoms like stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea. Hence, you must clean it thoroughly at least once a week. Plus, you should also make sure to disinfect it every day since we use it several times a day.

There are More Things Dirtier than Toilet

True enough, the toilet is one of the dirtiest parts of a house. But it turns out, there are more things that harbor more bacteria and germs than our toilet.

We all know that a toilet is dirty because it’s where the human waste goes. Hence, we often clean and disinfect it, which makes it cleaner than numerous everyday items we touch, such as cellphones, keyboards, remote controls, wallets, money, and bags.

These everyday items aren’t always cleaned and disinfected much like our toilets. We overlook these items as we don’t often see dirt, grime, and other dirty stuff coming into contact with them. We don’t pee or poop in them. And we rarely spill drinks or food on them, right?

So, unless we don’t see visible stains or dirt on it, many of us don’t usually clean it. But if you were to take a look at these items under a microscope, there’s a higher chance that you can get to see millions of bacteria and germs on it compared to your toilet.

It Increases Home Value

Again, toilets aren’t only for defecating or urinating. Hence, we shouldn’t just maintain it for our health’s sake.

Apparently, it also contributes to a home’s value. Thus, if you were to browse Pinterest or visit riseadapt.co.uk, you’ll often see toilet and bathroom design inspirations. This is because many homeowners are now looking to improve their toilet and bathroom design as it can increase your home’s value by between four and five percent on average.

The best part of it is that you can increase your home’s value more, depending on your bathroom’s design, as well as how many bathrooms your home has. However, note that your location is also a contributing factor to your home’s value. So your home’s value might be greater or lesser than other homes in other regions.

It Impacts our Water Consumption

While several well-designed toilets can add more value to your home, they can also consume more water, which is a downside. The more toilets you have, the more water you’ll consume.

Additionally, your toilet’s age can play a role in your water usage too. The older your toilet is, the more water it consumes. On average, an older toilet uses as much as nine liters of water per flush alone. This doesn’t only cost you more money but it’s not good for the environment either.

Fortunately, there are now toilets that consume lesser amounts of water. So, if you haven’t replaced your toilet in years, it’s high time that you consider changing it to newer models. This way, you’re able to save more money too.

It Saves Lives

We often overlook the purpose of our toilets. Sure, it receives human wastes; then what? It turns out, it’s a life-saver too.

Toilets prevent human wastes from being mismanaged. Because of this, water contamination is prevented. Plus, the cleanliness of our environment is ensured. Without it, people would suffer from diseases, such as diarrhea and other deadly disease outbreaks caused by water contamination and a dirty environment.

It’s Not a Trash Bin

Most of us are guilty of using our toilets as trash bins. Why not, right? It’s where our urine and feces go, right? This is also where our used toilet tissues go. Thus, it’s easy for many of us to think that it’s okay to throw other trash in it too, such as oils, hair, and other personal and hygiene products.

You might not feel its effects on your toilet for now and you might wonder what could go wrong. But over time, what we throw in our toilets could cause them to clog. Unfortunately, it could even affect our septic tank too.

Solid items such as paper towels, cosmetic wipes, baby wipes, condoms, pads, and even dental floss could eventually clog your toilet. When this happens, you’re forced to use more water to flush it or you might need plumbing repairs, which isn’t budget and environmental-friendly. On the other hand, liquids such as cooking grease, oil, and bleach will affect your pipes. It could also react to other substances, which could then create toxic fumes. So to maintain your toilet, try not to use it as a trash bin and manage your wastes properly.

Our toilets are more than just the unlucky receivers of our body waste. They also impact the environment and our health. So it’s best to know more facts about it, so we know how we can properly maintain it.