# How do I tactfully tell guests not to poop in my toilet? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 23, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527 "2010-03-23T20:50:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/41 "2010-03-24T04:40:21Z")
> [@mudkicker](#): > > You don’t! > > Most people ime won’t sit and have a huge dump in someone else’s house, they’ll wait til they get home. But how can you say or imply that someone can’t poop in your toilet?? I have IBS and if I really had to go not being able to would cause me a lot of pain and discomfort. You can’t tell people they can’t poop if they have to! If the toilet is ‘delicate’ make sure there’s a plunger in full view just in case. Sorry but I’m shaking my head a bit over this. I’ve had guests block my toilet, stink out the bathroom etc, but part of being a host is dealing with that tactfully and not making the person feel uncomfortable. You’ll just have to do a few checks throughou the party to make sure everything is OK - is that so hard? > > (Friends of course are different - a mate of ours shared a very spicy taco chip with us the other night over a few beers, and was told in no uncertain terms the next morning that as he was going home anyway he could keep his arse shut until then. Of course if he’d actually been in pain or discomfort we would have told him to go ahead - and then slagged him mercilessly afterwards…) Read the OP more carefully – she said she simply would prefer they didn’t use THAT PARTICULAR BATHROOM, since it clogs easily. There are two other bathrooms where people can shit to their heart’s content. That’s all. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/42 "2010-03-24T06:17:23Z")
Trust me, your guests do not want to be responsible for a clogged, shit-filled toilet any more than you want to clean one. You would be doing a service to warn them. And to provide plunger, air freshener, Clorox wipes–of course toilet paper–in case they forget. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/43 "2010-03-24T07:18:22Z")
Check the maximum fill level in your tank. One of ours was constantly getting stopped up, and it turned out that the tank was only filling about two thirds of the way. They’re often set up that way as a water saving measure, but hey, a toilet needs to work right. You can adjust the fill level by changing the level of the float; hopefully you have the older kind on which this is really easy to do. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/44 "2010-03-24T08:06:02Z")
It’s possible the wax plug is bad or poorly fitting. I have a toilet that likes to clog at random whether I drop mini-dookies in there or do the full cluster-bombing runs. My house inspector said that the wax plug is old and misaligned and needs to be replaced, yours could as well. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/45 "2010-03-24T10:22:50Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Read the OP more carefully – she said she simply would prefer they didn’t use THAT PARTICULAR BATHROOM, since it clogs easily. There are two other bathrooms where people can shit to their heart’s content. That’s all. She mentioned in post #13 that one of the toilets is through her parents’ bedroom and they don’t wish for guests to enter it. That leaves two available for guests, and it’s one of those two that she doesn’t want people using for solid waste. The third one will be off limits for all purposes, no matter what. That still leaves one open though, for anyone who absolutely needs to poop. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/46 "2010-03-24T12:21:02Z")
Leave a floater there as a warning. They’ll try to flush it down, see that it fails, and move on. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/47 "2010-03-24T12:31:18Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > In practical terms, your best option would be to have a plumber snake your toilet pipe before the party. Just consider it part of your party planning. Agree ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/48 "2010-03-24T12:31:32Z")
Lock the door of the defective bathroom; don’t force people to make a quick sprint to the preferred toilet. You mention that some of the guests will be old; don’t make things difficult for them. Post clear directions to the one that is fully functional & that your “guests” will be allowed to use. Alternative: Have the defective toilet fixed before the party. ---
**Author:** ![Jules\_Andre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jules_andre/32/9334_2.png) [@Jules\_Andre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jules_Andre)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/49 "2010-03-24T19:05:51Z")
I would suggest being open with people. People are generally understanding. When the guests arrive, smile, shake their hand, and tell them directly, “Don’t you shit in my toilet. It’s nice to see you again.” Or a sign that says “If it doesn’t flush down, you’re taking it home with you.” ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/50 "2010-03-24T19:34:34Z")
You could stretch some saran wrap across the top of the bowl. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/51 "2010-03-24T19:51:10Z")
Can I be a party pooper? Or do you not want any dopers crashing your soiree? ---
**Author:** ![Mooch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooch)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/52 "2010-03-24T19:55:55Z")
Perhaps it’s best not to mention anything. If bathroom #2 is “occupado” then your pooping guest might just leave you a “top shelf” in bathroom #1 to hide it and save face. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/53 "2010-03-24T20:05:36Z")
Just leave a pair of turdclippers in one of the bathroom drawers. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/54 "2010-03-24T20:08:46Z")
OP, [please listen to this song.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7RhtWecNZo) ---
**Author:** ![melodyharmonius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melodyharmonius/32/21310_2.png) [@melodyharmonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melodyharmonius)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/55 "2010-03-24T20:17:02Z")
i might also suggest a nice box of RID. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/56 "2010-03-24T20:35:16Z")
If it’s yellow let it mellow If it’s brown use other bathroom ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/57 "2010-03-24T21:28:53Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Just leave a pair of turdclippers in one of the bathroom drawers. What the hell is wrong with you? Get a hand blender.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/58 "2010-03-24T21:46:48Z")
Great thread. I think I would recommend a sign or locking the door. Shitters are, after all, for shitting. People tend to shit at parties 'cos they need to, not because it’s cool and trendy. Now regarding the funk, there is only one way to deal with this: matches. Lysol and Febreze only mask it and actually make it worse (gag)! ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/59 "2010-03-24T23:11:37Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > not because it’s cool and trendy. Been to SoHo lately? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527/60 "2010-03-25T00:56:24Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > The one in the master bedroom will be closed off, since my folks don’t want random people trolling thru their bedroom. My mom insists that we have the guest bathroom open and my bathroom open. Well, I don’t want to give her any trouble since, well, it’s her birthday party. Why wouldn’t you discuss this concern with your parents? Surely they’re aware of the blockage problem? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-tactfully-tell-guests-not-to-poop-in-my-toilet/533527.md?page=4)