# Courtesy Flush - Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 23, 2003, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courtesy-flush-why/170569 "2003-04-23T12:48:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courtesy-flush-why/170569/21 "2003-04-23T22:02:53Z")
Unless the intent is to not clog a toilet – and Og help you if you produce THAT much in a sitting! – I still don’t get it. Yes, it smells. Sometimes it smells BAD. But by the time you’d smell it and realize “Uh oh, maybe I’d better flush!” it’s probably too late to bother. Maybe I’m just remarkably non-squeamish about this? ---
**Author:** ![Ferris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ferris/32/11573_2.png) [@Ferris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferris)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courtesy-flush-why/170569/22 "2003-04-24T01:11:43Z")
I’m just waiting for the ‘Talk to me about sinus surgery’ thread to be replied to directly after this one, so making an ideal pair for the ‘sequential thread titles’ game… ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courtesy-flush-why/170569/23 "2003-04-24T01:25:19Z")
I swear by the burnt match method. It works. ---
**Author:** ![SpectBrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@SpectBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpectBrain)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courtesy-flush-why/170569/24 "2003-04-24T03:30:26Z")
I submit the following link for your consideration. In this matter, you can thank your lucky stars that you have the benefit of American toilet technology:D [http://www.spies.com/~scott/misc/toilet.htm](http://www.spies.com/~scott/misc/toilet.htm) ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courtesy-flush-why/170569/25 "2003-04-24T05:05:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fin\_man \* > \*\* > > 1. Ecological factor: Toilets use a certain amount of water to flush: whether it be pre-early 1980’s toilets that used 5-6 gallons per flush, the post-early 1980’s but pre-Energy Policy Act of 1992 toilets that used about 3.5 gallons, or the post-Energy Policy Act of 1992 toilets that use 1.6 gallons. Each extra flush is water and money wasted down the…um…drain. Think globally - act locally, right? > \*\* Yeah, but I never flush for mere number one, so I think I’m coming out ahead in the saving water game. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ratty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ccd318/32.png) [@ratty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratty)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courtesy-flush-why/170569/26 "2003-04-24T06:20:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\*And can someone really clog a bowl with their butt rope alone, sans buttwipe? Dude, that’s a serious paste factor. I usually don’t have to worry until after a generous amount of TP’s been added. \*\* Agreed. Who are these people? If you are crapping the same substantive mass as a large herbivore, you should seriously consider changing your diet. Never in my life have I clogged a toilet solely on the strength of my, uh…leavings. And I eat lots of fiber. If you actually weigh measurably less after pooping, something is wrong. Also, the courtesy flush is a huge waste of water. If you are in dire need of a mid-process flush due to the mass of your process, see above. If it’s because of the odor, well, that’s life. Some things smell bad. Poop is one of those things. Unfortunate, but unlikely to change anytime soon. ---
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courtesy-flush-why/170569/27 "2003-04-24T11:05:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ElwoodCuse \* > \*\*Yeah, but I never flush for mere number one, so I think I’m coming out ahead in the saving water game. 😃 \*\* This reminds me of the mantra at my Girl Scout Camp, re: our extremely delicate plumbing system and an apparently short water supply. **If it’s brown, flush it down; if it’s yellow, let it mellow.** I innocently assumed that all camps adhered to this thoughtful policy, so imagine my surprise when I mentioned it at work during a “youth camp” convo, and everyone in the room just about ruptured their abs. Seriously. Several people were speechless, gasping for air like beached whales. Does this ring a bell with anyone else, or did I go to a seriously weird Girl Scout Camp? ---
**Author:** ![Fin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@Fin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fin_man)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courtesy-flush-why/170569/28 "2003-04-24T11:15:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Audrey Levins \* > \*\*This reminds me of the mantra at my Girl Scout Camp, re: our extremely delicate plumbing system and an apparently short water supply. > > **If it’s brown, flush it down; if it’s yellow, let it mellow.** > > I innocently assumed that all camps adhered to this thoughtful policy, so imagine my surprise when I mentioned it at work during a “youth camp” convo, and everyone in the room just about ruptured their abs. Seriously. Several people were speechless, gasping for air like beached whales. > > Does this ring a bell with anyone else, or did I go to a seriously weird Girl Scout Camp? \*\* I didn’t go to Girl Scout Camp (oh, but if I did, my camping experiences would have been COMPLETELY different 🆒 ) but I have heard this expression before. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courtesy-flush-why/170569.md?page=1)