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Living overseas

Muslim toilet etiquette

117 replies

LoopyLoopsOlympicHoops · 08/08/2012 15:53

Please explain to me a few things. With the water hose thing, how do people dry themselves? There is rarely any paper.

My landlord (lady actually I presume) left, amongst other things, disposable knickers in the bathroom. Is this common or quirky?

The squatting on the toilet seat thing. Footprints. Why?

Sorry, I sound so intolerant today - don't mean to be, just flummoxed. :)

OP posts:
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RichManPoorManBeggarmanThief · 10/08/2012 07:09

You don't really need to dry your bum as much as you'd think. The muslim showers, or "bum guns" as they are known by expats in the UAE, squirt out a single jet of water, and the idea is to adjust the pressure so you basically jet wash your butt. Assuming your aim is good, minimal drying is required- the water doesn't really get on your butt cheeks or anything.

The other great thing about them is that if you turn the pressure right up, you can use them to clean the whole bathroom- just spray Mr Muscle liberally, wait 5 mins and pressure hose it off (bathrooms in the Middle East have floor drains).

Caution: In the middle east in summer, test the temperature before applying bum gun to butt- there have been incidences of scorching when the bum gun is getting fed from a metal water tank sat on the top of the building in 50 degree heat.

The squatting on the seat of a western style toilet is annoying- is also not uncommon in HK to come into the office bathroom to find footprints on the loo seat. I am impressed by their balance though.

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HildaHotPants · 10/08/2012 16:07

One more slight query, is the squirting done when in the seated position? Or do you have to hover up a bit.

I'm not ever likely to use one again (poor people now) as exotic holidays are not something I will be able to do, but just interested

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LoopyLoopsOlympicHoops · 11/08/2012 01:07

I have another question too. If you use someone's bathroom and there are more than one towel, how do you know which is safe to use for your hands?

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HildaHotPants · 11/08/2012 09:11

To be honest, I never used towels when out, that's what shorts are for!

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lulalullabye · 11/08/2012 22:52

Wouldn't it be nice to live in a world where people could discuss anything, even slightly religious topics openly without it becoming a bun fight!

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lottiegarbanzo · 11/08/2012 23:24

The bum towel! Thus this thread solves a mystery (from a 'what's the oddest thing that's happened to you when visiting someone else's house' thread a few months ago). Visitor moving to dry hands on 'hand towel', told 'no! That's the bum towel', mystified.

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dtangmo · 22/08/2012 18:47

Hi all,

The reality is that learning to use the bum gun or even a bucket will set you free. Here is a really useful non-denominational tutorial on how to use a squat toilet.

thailandclimbing.com/climbing-adventures/adventurer-s-guide-to-chiang-mai/how-to-use-a-squat-toilet

Good luck out there.

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panderscool · 06/08/2015 17:58

wow why always make it bloody religious, thats why we are at war so often. the simple question is like a was wondering in Malaysia recently, most toilets had a sit down toilet but a hose and no toilet paper, what do the locals do, BYO arse towel or toilet paper, or walk around with wet arse and underwear? Simple question no religion involved. and the poster that keeps trying to put a muslim islam is tread on it please dont reply

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MyFriendsCallMeOh · 06/08/2015 18:52

Read the thread before you ask a question that's already been answered...

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yearofthegoat · 08/08/2015 19:29

Can I derail to ask about Japanese toilets? I was too much of a coward to try out the array of different buttons on the side of our toilet in Tokyo, but it looked like you could be washed, buffed and blown dry. Has anyone tried them?

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Laptopwieldingharpy · 09/08/2015 12:14

#yearofthegoat# absolutely. They are far more intimidating.
They should draw a target so you know where to sit exactly. You never know where its going to flow!

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NoArmaniNoPunani · 09/08/2015 12:17

Why do people keep reviving zombie threads from 2012? This is the fourth one I've seen this weekend.

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TheHoneyBadger · 09/08/2015 12:54

maybe because they are a topic that keeps coming up? would you rather they started a new thread every time?

i live in egypt, a predominantly muslim country, and have wondered the same about drying before to the extent of asking a (now ex) boyfriend. but actually it wasn't that relevant to him as it would only apply when having a bowel movement which isn't as freqent and to be honest your bum doesn't hold onto water in quite the same way as a woman gets wet after every single wee from washing.

i have resorted on occasion and suspect others do to washing with the water (we have the back of the loo squirter at home but most public loos have the hose) and then using your dry left hand to dry off somewhat and then washing your hands.

i like the water wash but, like most locals who can afford loo paper, prefer a good dry off with paper after. here bins are provided beside the toilet everywhere as there is tourism and the back of most toilet doors have a sign saying 'please do not put any paper etc down the toilet but use the bin provided'. sadly they don't put that in arabic and nowadays the only back up flooding problems we have are during muslim holiday periods where people flood in from the city and are not aware you can't flush paper down the loo here without eventually causing raw sewage to flood up from the drains in the street - nice.

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NoArmaniNoPunani · 09/08/2015 13:26

would you rather they started a new thread every time?

Yes I would. Who are you even answering? The OP stopped being interested in replies 3 years ago.

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TheHoneyBadger · 09/08/2015 13:50

the person who recently posted.

sorry you are upset by people not doing what you'd rather them do.

it's blumming horrific not being god eh? Wink

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NoArmaniNoPunani · 09/08/2015 14:56

I'm not upset, it's MNHQ who put the zombie thread warning on old posts not me. I just thought it was a bit odd that so many posts from one specific year have been revived this weekend.

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bidetsprayerman4 · 10/02/2016 05:07

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