Why is it so important not to flush the toilet after every trip to the toilet?

Think about it this way: every time you push that handle, somewhere between 3 and 9 liters of clean water goes down the drain. This is water that has been treated and is safe for us to drink. Using this much clean water just to get rid of a little bit of urine is like using something very valuable for a very small job.

This might not seem like a big deal each time, but it adds up quickly. If a family uses the toilet about ten times a day, they could be wasting as much as 100 liters of water every day. Over a whole year, this can be more than 36,000 liters of water! In some parts of the world, people don’t even have access to clean drinking water every day, so wasting it like this is something to consider.

There’s a simple rule that some people who want to save water follow: “If it’s yellow, we wait; if it’s brown, we make it go away.” This means they only flush the toilet when they have a bowel movement. Urine itself is naturally quite clean and doesn’t usually cause immediate health problems, as long as the toilet is cleaned regularly.

Choosing not to flush every time you urinate doesn’t mean you have to live with a dirty toilet. Good hygiene is still important. You just need to make sure you clean the toilet bowl regularly and flush it every couple of days, or maybe even once a day if it’s used very often.

Here’s a little tip to help with any smells: you can put a few drops of nice-smelling essential oils, like lemon, eucalyptus, or lavender, into a diffuser or a small open container near the toilet. These can help to keep the air fresh naturally.

Saving water this way is something everyone can do. You don’t need to buy anything expensive or do any complicated work. It’s just about changing a small habit. Instead of automatically flushing after you pee, think about whether it’s really necessary. Save the flush for when you have solid waste or if there are strong smells.

In the future, if you’re getting a new toilet, you might consider one with a dual flush. These toilets have two buttons or handles, one for a smaller flush for liquid waste and one for a larger flush for solid waste, which can save water. There are also very water-efficient toilets that use less than 3 liters per flush.

It’s also important to be considerate of others. “Be mindful of your hosts’ habits,” as not everyone might be used to this idea, especially if you’re living with friends or using a public restroom.

So, to sum it up, thinking about not flushing after every trip to urinate is important because:

• Each flush = 3 to 9 liters of drinking water used unnecessarily.
• Urine is unpolluted, so there is no immediate risk if the toilet is clean.
• It’s an easy way to save water without spending any money or effort.
• There are alternatives like dual-flush toilets and essential oils to help with odors.