Most Italian public toilets don't have a toilet seat. This has to do with maintenance. Since public toilets are often less than spotless, people often climb with their shoes on top of them, not to sit on a potentially dirty seat.
Apparently, the toilet seats are there originally but, then, they break. The seats break because people stand on them. People stand on them because they are not kept clean enough to sit on.
Squat toilets are generally non-existent in Northern and Western Europe. France and Italy are an exception and have some squat toilets remaining in old buildings and public toilets because they used to be the norm there in the early 20th century.
It's for hygiene. Toilets can be much cleaner without seats. It adds: "Toilet seats are made of relatively soft and somewhat porous plastic or painted wood. That soft, porous surface provides plenty of opportunity for dirt and microorganisms to take hold, and it is nearly impossible to get it completely clean."
France, Portugal, Italy, Japan, Argentina, Venezuela, and Spain: Instead of toilet paper, people from these countries (most of them from Europe) usually have a bidet in their washrooms. A bidet like a toilet, but also includes a spout that streams water like a water fountain to rinse you clean.
Because despite Australians' newfound passion for TP, it's actually pretty gross when you think about it. Yes, we're all used to our Western method of post-bathroom cleansing, which involves large wads – folded or scrunched – of this increasingly rare commodity.
How do Italians wipe? A bidet is a small basin located near the toilet that you use to wash your private parts after using the toilet. So, instead of just wiping with toilet paper, you use soap and water to clean the area.
Some public toilets in Greece might not have a seat. This is usually because a plastic seat is more difficult to clean than the toilet bowl, so the owners choose to remove it. Or maybe it was broken, and was never replaced.
There are many ways to flush a toilet in Italy! You may find: 2 large buttons on top of the toilet or on the wall behind the toilet – the left button is for #2, the right button is for #1. A foot pedal on the floor next to the toilet.
Pat dry with toilet paper
One way to get dry after using a bidet is with toilet paper. Since you're already clean from your bidet, you won't need much toilet paper to do so–just enough to remove any excess water. Use a gentle pat-dry motion instead of a wipe to avoid any irritation. That's all there is to it.
If you are using the bidet properly, and if your bidet is of high quality, you should not have to use toilet paper to wipe yourself clean. A high-quality bidet will clean your backside more thoroughly than any amount of wiping. However, you may want to use a small amount of toilet paper to dry yourself.
The personal shower is an action that everyone does at least once a week, 42% every day, 93% at least 2 or 3 times. For Italians it is better to have two bathrooms with two showers rather than one with a bathtub.
Position yourself onto the bidet by either sitting on the rim or squatting over it. (Unlike toilets, freestanding bidets do not have a seat you sit on.) Depending on which area you need cleaned, select the setting or mode that will get the job done. To clean after urinating, select our feminine wash setting.
While today the bidet has somewhat fallen out of use in France, it has been adopted as fundamental part of life in Italy. In fact the bidet is now so ingrained into Italian culture that it's a legal obligation to put a bidet in every bathroom that is built on domestic or hotel property.
What is the main purpose of an Italian bidet? To clean yourself after going to the bathroom. In Italy, they're used in addition to, and not in place of, toilet paper.
The short answer is yes. Drinking water from the tap in Italy is considered safe. Tap water in the major cities and towns around Italy is safe for consumption, and there are thousands of old-style water fountains dotted around cities, like Rome, where you can fill up water bottles.
Don't flush toilet paper in Greece
There's a very simple explanation: Greek sewage pipes are approximately two inches (50mm) in diameter. American and British plumbing is twice as large (four inches/100mm). The Greek pipes just get clogged.
Can you flush toilet paper in Rome? Yes you can - there are European countries where this is still a no-go, but in Rome you can flush a small amount of toilet paper. Remember - never flush wet wipes!
Spain – is a bit of a mix. In most cities and beach resorts you can flush the paper. Although you might be asked specifically to use a bin, in which case, do. If you're out in the countryside and stuck in a refugio bury it or burn it.
For 61% of Italians, the shower is experienced as a moment of pleasure, a moment of relaxation to be enjoyed; while for 39% it is a fundamental moment for hygiene to which they dedicate only the necessary time. After a long day to relax, most Italians can't help but take a shower.
In Italy we tend to have a shower everyday and even more showers per day if it is particularly hot outside (especially during summer).
They make all the sense in the world - the bidet shooting a stream of water at our private bits to wash them after we relieve ourselves. But, like in the US and UK, bidets aren't commonly used here in Australia. We've never developed a culture of using them, instead opting for multi-ply toilet paper instead.
There are few reasons why most Australians do not use a bidet in their bathroom. The first reason is their geographic location. Australia does not get a lot of rainy days so water preservation is a must for everyone and so using a bidet could be seen as wasteful in times of drought.