If you have been to both sides of the world you probably know what an Eastern toilet and a Western toilet look like. If not, I shall shed some light and some tips on how to use an Eastern toilet, aka the squat toilet.
I’m pretty sure you know what the Western toilet looks like so I’ll skip to the chase and tell you about the Eastern toilet; it’s basically a hole on the floor.
I have used these toilets in India a million times but I have yet to use them in other countries where they apparently have them too like Japan, Romania and China.
The toilet above was actually our toilet for 3 whole months! I don’t think I ever got completely used to it.
How To Use An Eastern Toilet
(Instructions helpful for women, and men who need to go #2.)
If you are ever traveling to this side of the world, a few tips might be very helpful to you, especially as a newbie:
1. BYOTP (Bring Your Own Toilet Paper). Most squat toilets don’t have toilet paper available. Make sure you carry some or some tissues with you in case you need to use the toilet in these countries. Have it ready before you squat down.
p.s. You might find Western toilets as an option, but don’t count on it.
2. Pull your pants all the way down to your ankles. You don’t want to be peeing or pooping on your pants. Try to keep them from touching the floor if possible by holding them with your hands, those floors are usually not the most hygienic.
If it gets too complicated just let them touch until you master this kind of toilet. You might be using one hand to hold your toilet paper.
3. Squat all the way down. It’s harder if you try to keep a 90 degree angle when you squat, just bend your knees and move your butt all the way down and relax.
4. Don’t lose your balance and fall. (See the last image in the diagram below)
5. After wiping, throw your paper on the trash can if there is one. Most of the time, the toilets might not be built to take paper.
6. Use the little bucket and faucet provided to “flush” by pouring water down the toilet. My mom will demonstrate this:
6. Wash your hands thoroughly! You might not find soap sometimes, it’s smart to also carry hand sanitizer.
Is the squat toilet better? Western VS Eastern
Apparently we Westerners got it wrong and the squat toilet is a million times healthier for the body because of our anatomy.
“Is the Western toilet in part responsible for problems like hemorrhoids, constipation, IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease), appendicitis, and even heart attacks?
“If you examine the data, there is a great deal of evidence this is true. The modern toilet has required us to change the position we use to evacuate our bowels, which changes the anatomy of… well, a poop, to put it bluntly.
“Infants instinctively squat to defecate, as does the majority of the world’s population. But somehow the West was convinced that sitting is more civilized.” source
You can read more about the scientific data and if you decide that squatting is better, here is a simple way to do that with a Western toilet… just use a foot stool like the squatty potty
Have you ever used an Eastern toilet? Do you have a preference?
A New Life Wandering 
I have heard of these types of toilets. I’ll keep to the western ones. 😀
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I will too! Whenever possible.
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Falling into the toilet… now I’m remembering that movie Trainspotting…
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Haha , intense movie.
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Most of the time the eastern toilet all the way… at least you know it works and it flushes.
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I grew up in a country full of these and they just gave me grief. I could never get used to them ?
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That’s interesting that you grew up with them and you still disliked them.
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We lived in a flat that didn’t have it. But everywhere else in town had them. They are the more hygenic option I suppose. I have actually encountered people (elderly) that have no idea how to use the modern toilet and were genuinely baffled by it.
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I don’t know about more hygenic but supposedly healthier for the body. I wonder how it would be for people to encounter the western version for the first time if they’re used to the other one.
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Oh my, thanks for explaining….I was in Moscow once, near the Kremlin, and directed into a room with the ‘Eastern’…a urinal I said…I held it until back to the westernized hotel. No thank you! 🙂
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Haha, well now you know for next time if you can’t hold it 😉
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I love the graphic, including the bad English. “Bowel” for “bowl,” lol, both words relevant but with different meanings. 🙂
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Haha I didn’t catch that at first!
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I have tried both and I definitely prefer the Western. I had big trouble trying to balance, keep pants from touching the floor, not peeing on my own leg with the Eastern style:) I guess it is all about what you are used to because I have been to Western toilets that had footprints from shoes on the toilet ring so someone was definitely not comfortable with the Western toilet style in that case.
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omg! that’s funny that you saw the footprints.
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Awesome advise!!!!! Love it….we have these in Italy too!
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Oh! I didn’t know 🙂
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Which one is more common there?
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