# Is it more environmentally friendly to pee in the sink? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 10, 2019, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591 "2019-10-10T14:03:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/41 "2019-10-11T15:31:49Z")
I’ve been cleaning things most of my life. I’m kinda anal about it. I know, I know. Life’s too short to sit around organizing junk drawers and straightening out closets and pantries. It’s my hobby. I know it’s sad. Don’t cry for me, coz dusting makes me happy. So bathroom cleanliness speaks right to my heart. Not to mention my germ issues. I love, love trying new bathroom cleaning substances. I fall back on bleach, though. My go to. I buy bleach every week. Drives people insane. But, dang it, my bathrooms are so clean you can eat you dinner in there. You won’t be smellin’ pee in my toilets not as long as I’m able to get to 'em. Ain’t no yellow gonna mellow. That’s why that little handle is there, use it! ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/42 "2019-10-11T16:00:54Z")
We have flushless urinals in our office. They have to be cleaned at least a few times a day, which I suspect negates much of the water savings. They do tend to get clogged up. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/43 "2019-10-11T16:39:56Z")
If you consider “environmentally friendly” to include all forces external to you (including your spouse), I’d say, “No.” ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/44 "2019-10-12T05:34:28Z")
> [@XT](#): > > We have those at many of our buildings in the state. They have signs over them saying 40,000 gallons of fresh water saved a year, and it’s easy to believe that they save quite a bit. Not sure why, especially here in the south west, everyone doesn’t go to these things. There must be a reason, but I’m not seeing it. It saves water AND must save money too, so why not adopt them or put them in when the old ones go bad? I had to clean drains from urinals with water flowing through them. The salt builds up can close off a 1 1/2" drain. It is real nasty to try and clean them out (hate urinals). I would hate t work in a building that waterless urinals had been added. I bet they are not cleaning out the drain lines but having to replace them. I may be wrong but I can only imanage. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/45 "2019-10-12T08:29:18Z")
What about normal urinals? Don’t they use a lot less water, and thus still save water vs. a toilet? I’ve actually only seen those waterless urinals (which were also at or below the the floor) in older, dingier places. I assumed they were an old practice not used anymore. Then again, I live in an area that always has plenty of water available. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/46 "2019-10-12T09:33:05Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > Keep in mind that if you pee in the sink, urine mist will be deposited all around the sink area. It’s one thing to discuss this from a theoretical standpoint, but in practice it would end up with urine in lots of places that people typically wouldn’t want it. Probably not. But your sink drain isnt designed for urine. The ones on a waterless urinal are. Better to urinate in the toilet and not flush. Or in your backyard, keep the mtn lions out, so they say. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/47 "2019-10-12T09:36:34Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Men’s rooms tend to be messier, but women’s restrooms are filthier. > > As someone that has held jobs in the past that included cleaning public restrooms, I can say that this is absolutely true. Women’s rooms were always what I dreaded to clean. Picking up paper towels on the floor is easy. But the women’s room was what had me fighting my gag reflex on a regular basis… Yes, and you have hover-ers and those that MUST flush their napkins/tampons, which causes a _nasty_ plug. Women are better in their own bathroom , but in a public restroom, the womans is always nastier. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/48 "2019-10-12T09:40:21Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Fresh urine doesn’t have much smell. And in a typical household, you’re probably going to have an “if it’s brown” before too long, so letting the yellow mellow won’t be too much of a problem. But as urine ages, it does indeed start to stink, and even if you don’t have need to flush solid waste, you’ll still want to flush a toilet full of urine eventually. Yes. it certainly cant stand overnite or anything. So, when you defecate of course you will flush, and maybe flush urine once in a while. But that still saves several flushes a day. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/49 "2019-10-12T09:43:05Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > In the Northeast US, water is abundant, if not overabundant. The real shortage is often sewer capacity. Pumping water and cleaning it does use energy, so even if lots of water, there is a cost. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/50 "2019-10-12T12:10:02Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Or in your backyard, keep the mtn lions out, so they say. 😛 Yeah, living in the country, if I’m outside doing something I _never_ go inside to pee. Never seen a lion, mountain or otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/51 "2019-10-12T13:50:59Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Probably not. > > But your sink drain isnt designed for urine. The ones on a waterless urinal are. What makes you say that urine mist won’t be all around the sink? I suppose if you can make the stream go exactly into the sink drain it’s okay. But with most bathroom sinks having a drain stopper, that wouldn’t be possible. If the stream is hitting the sink, then urine will be splashing all around the inside of the sink and mist will be landing outside the sink. If anyone really wants to check, pee in the sink and use a blacklight to see if any urine is left behind. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/52 "2019-10-12T14:06:01Z")
“Although it was dawn, I was still unable to see my hand in front of my face, the urine mist was that dense.” ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/53 "2019-10-12T14:09:54Z")
Consumer Reports recommends that households with men instill a regular, flush urinal if there’s room in the bathroom, because it saves water. Other than the space it takes, I see no downside to that. > [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > Am I really the first person to challenge this assumption? Does the phrase “let the yellow mellow” mean nothing to you all (with great respect)? > > At this point, I must disclose some… not embarrassing, but relevant medical information. My sense of smell is basically nonexistent. It’s a terrible, debilitating condition (;)), and as a consequence I honestly don’t know if urine in the bowl leaves a lingering odor that will fill the room. Has anyone ever experimented with that, preferably in a controlled study? Even if the answer is that yes in fact it does stink up the room, is that still a better choice than putting one’s… “fireman” on the counter to piss into a sink? > > Subjectively, I’d say no to the last question, but then, well, nose-blind, so… 😕 > [@Chronos](#): > > Fresh urine doesn’t have much smell. And in a typical household, you’re probably going to have an “if it’s brown” before too long, so letting the yellow mellow won’t be too much of a problem. But as urine ages, it does indeed start to stink, and even if you don’t have need to flush solid waste, you’ll still want to flush a toilet full of urine eventually. Yes, it smells. My husband doesn’t always flush if he only peed. I agree that if it’s fresh, it’s not too bad. In the morning, when we often use the toilet right after each other, I don’t mind if he hasn’t flushed. But if he goes at night, and I use the toilet in the morning, I find it unpleasant. We live in the damp northeast, so I don’t try very hard to save water, unless it’s been a dry summer. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/54 "2019-10-12T18:40:44Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > … > > We live in the damp northeast, so I don’t try very hard to save water, unless it’s been a dry summer. Again, it is not just saving water, it saves electricity and other resources. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/55 "2019-10-12T18:43:05Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > What makes you say that urine mist won’t be all around the sink? I suppose if you can make the stream go exactly into the sink drain it’s okay. But with most bathroom sinks having a drain stopper, that wouldn’t be possible. If the stream is hitting the sink, then urine will be splashing all around the inside of the sink and mist will be landing outside the sink. > > If anyone really wants to check, pee in the sink and use a blacklight to see if any urine is left behind. It’s the distance. When you urinate in the sink, there is a very short distance. > **[Physicists probe urination 'splashback' problem](https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-24820279)** > > Scientists have studied the fluid dynamics of urine "splashback", with hygiene implications for men and women. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/56 "2019-10-12T18:49:40Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > It’s the distance. When you urinate in the sink, there is a very short distance. I actually put the end of Mr Happy right into the drain, so distance = 0. /stealthbrag ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2019, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/57 "2019-10-12T19:07:34Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Again, it is not just saving water, it saves electricity and other resources. Sure, although I suspect the cost of treating the sewage is greater than the cost of shipping the water to me. At least, they charge a lot more for that. But if you accept that the resource cost of stuff is at least loosely related to the dollar cost of the stuff, water is really cheap. Our water is local, by the way. Some comes from wells and some from an aquaduct that flows downhill from a short drive away. And since most of the cost is electricity and such, I don’t think that’s being weirdly subsidized. And the water itself is a renewable resource: every day the sun sucks it up from the oceans and drops it back down into the aquifer. I’d probably save more energy by shopping less often (fewer trips) than by not flushing pee down the toilet. And leaving the pee to ripen is gross. Water is pretty low on my “resources I try not to waste” list. I’d treat it differently if i lived in CA or some other desert. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_Peebles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Jim\_Peebles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_Peebles)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/58 "2019-10-16T20:04:03Z")
# Holy Moly! I did a little calculation: 330 million Americans times 0.5 male times 0.5 receptive to environmental concerns times 4 pees a day times 1.5 gallons per flush times 365 days a year 181 BILLION gallons of water saved per year. We can’t afford NOT to pee in the sink! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/59 "2019-10-16T21:08:19Z")
OK, 181 billion gallons of water. What makes you say that that’s a large amount? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591/60 "2019-10-16T21:11:15Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > OK, 181 billion gallons of water. What makes you say that that’s a large amount? It’s more than fits in my bath tub. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-more-environmentally-friendly-to-pee-in-the-sink/841591.md?page=4)