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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:
Mumof41987 · 08/11/2017 22:29

That's just me dh and kids , if we had guests I'd make sure they flushed if they were not using en suites in their own rooms ( we have 2 communal bathrooms, 4 en suites )

BadLad · 08/11/2017 22:31

I always flush.

StrumpersPlunkett · 08/11/2017 22:40

So at home no flyshing overnight
But at other people's houses. ...
if I can I would use a downstairs loo and flush if I can't use downstairs I would put a large bath towel over the closed toilet to dampen the sound of the flush.

GlitterGlassEye · 08/11/2017 22:50

Flush! Ex dp would get up a few times during the night and not flush. The smell in the morning in our tiny bathroom was absolutely vile. I used to physically boke.

coconuttella · 08/11/2017 23:01

I’d flush in someone else’s house, but I’m always amazed at how squeamish so many people are!

OP posts:
Whatthefucknameisntalreadytake · 08/11/2017 23:10

The word flush is sounding really odd now I've read the whole thread.
Flush.

MrsPinkCock · 08/11/2017 23:12

I always flush.

DH doesn’t. It’s gross. I don’t want to see his stale piss when I wake up in the morning Envy (not envy)

RoseWhiteTips · 08/11/2017 23:13

People should flush the loo every time, for heaven’s sake. It is revolting not to. In fact, I fell nauseous just thinking about it.

RoseWhiteTips · 08/11/2017 23:14

...feel

Devonishome1 · 08/11/2017 23:14

I only flush at night if I’m on my period as no one wants to see that in the morning !

Xmasbaby11 · 08/11/2017 23:20

I always flush. I can't imagine it actually waking anyone up. But in our house the toilet is far from the bedrooms.

bigfatbumfreak · 08/11/2017 23:28

No night flushing here, unless poo.

littlechous · 08/11/2017 23:31

Flush! For fuck sake just flush!
Grin

DorisDangleberry · 08/11/2017 23:38

I live in the north of Norway and due to the rules about not flushing the toilet at night didn't flush it for six months. A new life form emerged, and I believe is now MP for Neasden

MarmiteAndPB · 08/11/2017 23:42

All these people not flushing, do you not use loo roll? I don't understand how you can just leave it there. Particularly if it's several times in the night - shortly it would pile up and the loo would block in the morning once you get round to flushing? I've never heard of this being a thing!

MarmiteAndPB · 08/11/2017 23:43

*surely not shortly!

Tabsicle · 08/11/2017 23:47

I would freak out at stale pee first thing in the morning. Flush for me! Always flush! I don't want to encounter other people's bodily fluids!

LineysRum · 08/11/2017 23:56

DorisDanglebury, and hotly tipped for new International Development Secretary and new year's honours, I've heard.

OtterInDisgrace · 09/11/2017 02:46

I’m quite concerned at all this grotesquely stinky wee some people are encountering. As someone else said upthread- it shouldn’t stink! Healthy piss is quite translucent and really doesn’t smell of much at all.

mathanxiety · 09/11/2017 07:05

I bet about 1% of pee is healthy.

It's not squeamishness, Coconutella. It's a desire not to have to encounter the sight or stink of other people's body fluids first thing in the morning.

I don't want to find that somebody hasn't rinsed out the sink after brushing their teeth either, and I don't want to find other people's discarded underwear strewn around my apartment, or used sanpro or Q-tips or tissues on the floor, or TP that has missed its mark. You don't have to wallow in evidence of other people's bodily functions. Most people prefer to keep their private functions and evidence thereof private. We have moved on from the days of chamber pots and emptying pee from upper windows out into the street and that is a Very Good Thing.

It's not squeamish on anyone's part, any more than expecting teens and adults to shut the bathroom door behind them when using the loo is squeamish. It comes down to a sense of propriety.

Flushing is what water is for. It is not being wasted.

MollyHuaCha · 09/11/2017 07:34

Please flush!

holdbackonthewine · 09/11/2017 18:54

It’s a very decisive issue! I’d always flush if staying with non family after wriggling around trying not to creep around and disturb them.

Staying with the family I ask before bed. As a family we leave wee at night. But 2 DDs have partners whose families flush whenever so with them I do.

One of those things which polarise the nation like whether to pee in the shower which caused a huge kerfuffle a few years ago on BBC Radio.

holdbackonthewine · 09/11/2017 18:55

Devisive! auto correct!

AllPizzasGreatAndSmall · 09/11/2017 23:20

Those of you that don't flush unless it's a poo - is the pooer allowed to flush before and after? I wouldn't want to do a poo and risk being splashed by other people's wee.

deepestdarkestperu · 09/11/2017 23:39

@OtterInDisgrace no, you’re right, fresh pee rarely smells, but when it’s been sat in a toilet overnight, of course it’s going to stink - it’s sitting, stagnant, probably in a warm house, for upto 12 hours (assuming little DC so no flushing once they’re in bed).

My dad doesn’t flush his wee and when I stay at my parents’ their bathroom absolutely reeks in the morning. It’s honestly vile.