We all know only the three P’s should go down the toilet – pee, poo and paper (toilet paper), but where does vomit go?
This question was asked to me by Janet from Front Page Web Writing, as it was a question contemplated during a family discussion. Hopefully it wasn’t around the dinner table! I thought I’d share my answer with you.
While it may seem like common sense, if you’re ever pondered why we do some of the things we do, there are reasons for it.
Vomiting in the toilet may seem disgusting due to what the toilet flushes away and having one’s face in close proximity to the bowl.
So why would one ‘kneel at the porcelain altar’ instead of throwing up in a bath or basin? And is it ok if you vomit in the shower or at the kitchen sink?
You can vomit down fixtures attached to your sewer.
These fixtures are the shower, bath, basin and sink.
But you need to make sure they are well cleaned afterwards. Also a fair amount of water and disinfectant will need to be flushed down the waste to ensure the vomit doesn’t sit in the s trap.
The smell of vomit will permeate the air if it sits in the trap.
Reasons why the toilet is the best fixture for vomiting in
- The toilet bowl is easier to clean once the vomit is flushed away.
- Often the reflex action of vomiting causes the body to bend over making the toilet better positioned to catch your sick, so to speak.
- You can minimize air born particles by flushing the waste away with the lid down – this is important when dealing with gastro.
- Solid body waste can travel easier through a 100mm pipe opening which connects a toilet, than a bath or basin drain which is 40mm in diameter.
- The sink, basin, shower and bath are used for washing up or cleaning. Even though the waste water will end up in the sewer, anything that has bacteria to cause illness is best disposed of in a fixture that doesn’t come into contact with the hands and face.
- You want to avoid vomit sitting in your floor waste in the bathroom as the shower, bath and basin will connect to this. If not enough water flushes the vomit away, it can sit in the floor waste trap making your bathroom smell and allowing other family members to breathe it in.
Tips for managing sick kids
Often it’s not easy to get kids to the toilet when they are sick. Or if you’re pregnant, a projectile vomit can happen unexpectedly due to morning sickness. The nearest fixture would be better to be sick in than on the carpet, bed or sofa.
If you do get vomit on the carpet, bed or sofa, mop it up as best you can with paper towel and then sprinkle with bi carb soda. Organise a professional clean once everyone is better.
I always keep old ice cream containers for the kids when they’re sick and they are always disposed of after their bout of sickness. The contents is always poured down the toilet and flushed away with the toilet seat lid down.
Ideally, being sick in the toilet requires less cleaning and contact between family members.
So there is the answer to the question and some reasons on why the toilet is the best fixture to vomit in.