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So, have you ever wondered how many people actually sit on those public toilets? Ever wondered if anyone besides you checks their email on their phone when "answering nature's call?" Wonder no more!
A new series of surveys from YouGov asks all the bathroom-related questions you may have wondered about, but would never dare ask. Putting the ICK factor aside, here's the results of their study...
- When out with a group of people and need to use the restroom, more than half (57%) let the group know they’re going to the bathroom, 28% say they’re just stepping away, but don’t say where, and 10% just get up and go without saying anything.
- We all know how filthy some public restrooms can be, still 63% of respondents say they just sit on the seat in a public toilet, but half of them line it with toilet paper first, 21% say they always squat over public toilets and 9% claim to never use them.
- Most people like to see the amenities in public bathrooms expanded, including 81% who support having baby-changing tables in both men’s and women’s bathrooms and 56% who want to see period products provided for free in public bathrooms.
- Most people dread having to poop in public, with 40% of women and 24% of men saying they feel very uncomfortable pooping in a public bathroom stall while others are in the bathroom.
- When there’s no public bathroom available, 44% say they’ve purchased something from a store or restaurant to get access to the bathroom.
- Besides having to use the bathroom, people go to public restrooms to wash their hands (59%), to check or touch up their appearance (44%), or even to use drugs (7%) or have sex (6%).
- Most people say they pee either four to six times a day (42%) or seven to nine times (22%). As for pooping, most go once a day (38%) or two to three times a day (22%), while 23% poop less than once a day and 4% go more than three times daily.
- When it comes to toilet paper, most Americans say they use five to eight squares (31%) or nine to 12 squares (21%) and more people fold it into squares before wiping (44%) than wadding it into a ball (22%).
- While 82% of respondents say they always wash their hands after pooping, only 70% say they always do after peeing, with more women than men doing so (80% to 60%).
- When using the toilet, 29% say they always or often look at their phone while going, 26% say they sometimes do, 20% do it rarely and 25% claim they never use their phone on the toilet.
- And for the all-important debate about how to hang the toilet paper, 57% prefer it with the next sheet coming over, while 14% like it to go under the roll and 24% say they have no preference.
Source: YouGov