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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flushing toilet at night...

127 replies

coconuttella · 07/11/2017 06:18

There’s the saying: “if it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down”.

I was brought up to do this at night time if I needed the toilet, to minimise disturbance to other family members. I always wonder about the etiquette of this when staying with others.... not something I do much, but maybe once or twice a year. AIBU to think I shouldn’t flush the loo at 3am for a wee, or is this gross. I’ve tended to flush in these situations as hadn’t wanted to be seen as mucky, but is this unnecessary?

OP posts:
Doobigetta · 08/11/2017 05:22

Totally gross to find a toilet bowl full of someone else's piss, just flush it. Most people sleep through familiar sounds like flushing anyway. And as long as China are building a power station a day, I'll have a clean toilet, thanks.

DavidBowiesNumber1 · 08/11/2017 05:40

My husband usually comes to bed much later than me at night and will sometimes have a wee first.
If he flushes, it wakes me and pisses me off. If he doesn't flush, I have the pleasure of the whiff of urine first thing which pisses me off so the poor sod can't win!
Water is very expensive where we live so as I'm home alone all day, every day I don't flush if it's just a wee. After he leaves for work I put a bit of bleach down the loo and used toilet paper goes in the bin. If I have a shit then of course I flush.
I wee about 20 times through the day so this system of mine saves us loads of money on water and is more environmentally friendly (if we forget about the bit of bleach Grin).

berliozwooler · 08/11/2017 05:51

Sometimes I need to do a no 2 in the night - I'd definitely not be leaving that for someone else to discover.

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 08/11/2017 06:10

Crikey!

Flush the toilet people!

TheFuzz · 08/11/2017 14:40

Fit a quiet flush and refill inlet. Simple. Upstairs has the quiet refill, downstairs not.

Nothing worse than seeing someone's piss in the loo.

TheFuzz · 08/11/2017 14:43

PS Water costs about £2 to £3 per cubic meter (including sewage charge). That's per 1000 litres. So about 6p based on 20 litre flush at most.

mathanxiety · 08/11/2017 20:23

To answer the question about how a hostess would feel about finding her guest had not flushed during the night, I would personally find it really gross. I am always the first up and it would be me finding it.

mathanxiety · 08/11/2017 20:26

And I am not a hygiene obsessive. I just don't want the smell or the sight of someone else's stale pee greeting me in the morning. That is just too up close and personal with the other occupants of my home as far as I am concerned.

Sallystyle · 08/11/2017 20:29

I am far from hygiene obsessed but everyone must flush the chain after every wee. I don't want to smell stale pee in the morning. It stinks and looks gross.

The chain flushing doesn't wake anyone up and if it did they would just have to go back to sleep again. I would be very pissed off to wake up to a toilet with old pee in it.

EggysMom · 08/11/2017 20:32

At home, I'll flush before 2am (DH still up) but not flush after that (DH in bed) - I'm always first up in the morning, so it's my own pee that I'm greeted with.

I always flush, regardless of time, if I'm on my period. I cannot imagine how gross that would look to somebody else to find.

My parents are non-flushers; but then again, they never need to pee overnight as they stop drinking liquids at about 6pm so that they don't actually have to get up overnight. When staying with them, I always flush - I don't care if it disturbs them, I'd rather that than have them find my pee in the morning.

JacquesHammer · 08/11/2017 20:34

I don't flush during the day either for wees every time - appalling waste of water.

If I found someone else's wee in the loo in the morning? Well I'd flush and not give it a second thought rather than recoil in horror.

kaytee87 · 08/11/2017 20:34

Im amazed at the amount of people disgusted by a bit of wee.

We don’t flush at night for pee, we’re also adequately hydrated so our pee doesn’t stink and isn’t yellow Grin

I’d flush in someone else’s house though.

Mamabear4180 · 08/11/2017 20:36

I'd always flush at someone else's house. In mine I don't flush if it's just a wee between 7-10 ish in case it wakes my 2 babies but after that time they tend to be blotto so I flush just before I go to bed.

TheOctagonHouse · 08/11/2017 20:37

We have such low pressure our loos are linked to a pump. Flushing at night is loud and I try not to do it.

paxillin · 08/11/2017 20:41

I appreciate my guest flushing, regardless of the nature of the, erm, deposit.

MusicToMyEars800 · 08/11/2017 20:41

We don't flush at night here either, But if we ever have to stay elsewhere I just ask if they flush at night Grin

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 08/11/2017 20:44

I don't flush at night (and my wee doesn't smell) Those of.you who have stinky see need to look at your diet/hydration levels. 2 or 3 wees diluted in a toilet bowl of water really shouldn't smell.

Sallystyle · 08/11/2017 20:54

There is nothing wrong with my hydration or diet. Pee that has been left overnight does smell. Especially if it is towards the morning.

I probably have a strong sense of smell but pee that has been left for a while smells. Especially if you have a lot of people in your house peeing on top of pee.

I am the lest hygiene obsessive person ever. It's just one of those things that makes me gag and very little makes me gag.

paxillin · 08/11/2017 20:56

Yeuch and the host gets guest-piss splash back Shock!

Sallystyle · 08/11/2017 20:57

BTW our pee doesn't smell until it has been sitting at room temperature for hours.

sweetbitter · 08/11/2017 20:59

I always flush at mine in the night, and would want all guests to.

If staying with others I might not flush if I knew there were light sleepers especially kids close to toilet. But otherwise I definitely would.

I know my PIL think you should never flush in the night.

RoseDog · 08/11/2017 20:59

We all flush at night, I’ve trained the dc and if anyone hadn’t flushed, I flush before I wee, I cannot wee on anyone else’s wee, I just can’t!

Bambamber · 08/11/2017 20:59

I always flush over other people's houses, And if we have guests at mine I always flush. If someone didn't flush wee at mine I wouldn't bat an eyelid

Crabbitstick · 08/11/2017 21:00

Why are people so disgusted by pee? It's hardly horrid. It's a complete waste of water flushing for every pee.

zebedebe · 08/11/2017 21:07

I don’t flush during the night as we have an en suite and I don’t want to wake my baby, who sleeps in our room.

I would always flush at someone else’s house though.