# Peeing and cleanliness **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 12, 2002, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758 "2002-03-12T02:24:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2002, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758/21 "2002-03-13T16:23:36Z")
I read once & I believe it too, that if you swim in a public pool & look at a light source, a street lamp is nice for this,& see rings around it thats from organic matter in zee pool affecting your eyes. Which is why I don’t swim in pools anymore. ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758/22 "2002-03-14T07:03:06Z")
Speaking of pools, one of my housemates is friends with a guy who works at a pool. Apparently they have names for the various types of pool patrons. The two names that he told me about were Brown Bombers and Jonny Jet-riders. These inspired them to come up with a good band name: “Jonny Jet-rider and the Brown Bombers”. ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758/23 "2002-03-14T10:13:13Z")
Peeing in the shower saves time AND water. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758/24 "2002-03-14T14:00:22Z")
AND it’s good for your feet! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![NutMagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@NutMagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutMagnet)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758/25 "2002-03-14T15:24:52Z")
A guy once told me that peeing on a wart is a good way to remove it. Never tried it, but he insisted it works. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758/26 "2002-03-14T18:24:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sjc \* > \*\*Hmmm, no one wants to come out and say how disgusting they think peeing in the shower was. I would have thought we might get a few outraged posts. I guess we dopers are all pretty open-minded (or apathetic). \*\* Well, let me be the first. Pissing in a shower used by other people is disgusting, rude, and inconsiderate. Christ, people, GROW UP. You aren’t a baby. It’s time to be a big kid and use the potty. I don’t really care if it;'s dangerous or not. It’s disgusting. As long as you don’t have any STDs, it isn’t dangerous to jerk off and smear your spunk all over the toilet seat, either. Would anyone have a problem with that? I bet you would. So don’t piss in the shower, you pigs. **grienspace:** That chlorine smell is the smell of chlorine, nothing else. Take it from someone who’s maintained a pool and handled chlorine; pool chlorine by itself smells REALLY strong. Opening a bucket full of chlorine pucks can just about knock you over. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2002, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758/27 "2002-03-14T22:05:03Z")
As for peeing on wounds… It’s recommended that you allow the stream to run for a moment first in order to flush out any bacteria that might be hanging around the ol’ urethra first–then douse the wound. So, now you know what to do if someone cuts themself shaving. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758/28 "2002-03-15T02:24:45Z")
When I was growing up the motto in our house at night when everyone was in bed: If it’s yellow, let it mellow, if it’s brown, flush it down. My wife insists on having blue toilet water. According to the package, released in every flush is bleach, anti-bacterial and anti-fungul agents. I would assume that would keep any nasties from growing in the yellow (green if you pee right after a flush) water from growing. I consider having to use porti-potties a whole lot nastier than peeing in someone elses yellow water. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758/29 "2002-03-15T02:36:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by racer72 \* > \*\*When I was growing up the motto in our house at night when everyone was in bed: If it’s yellow, let it mellow, if it’s brown, flush it down. \*\* My aunty has in her bathroom a rather twee hand-crafted pottery plaque to the same effect. ---
**Author:** ![ski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@ski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ski)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758/30 "2002-03-15T02:47:23Z")
If I ever have a house built, I want to install a urinal. Why not? - Does away with the seat up/seat down argument - Prevents any stray streams from getting all over - Hey! 2 can use the bathroom at once! Do they sell urinals for domestic use? ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758/31 "2002-03-15T02:52:45Z")
Put me on the side of the Shower-Peers. G.C. was right, it’s all pipes. Just be sure you’re facing the drain, not the back, or the curtains, and all will be mellow. 🙂 I mean, who’s to know? We use the Mellow/Yellow Down/Brown rule when we are having drought conditions, here in the Sonoran Desert, otherwise, we just flush by habit. Now that low use toilets are common, you’re not saving all that much water. My two cents, and hooray the board is back. Thanks, Mods, and all who made it possible. ---
**Author:** ![electrokungfu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e57/32.png) [@electrokungfu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/electrokungfu)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758/32 "2002-03-15T04:53:55Z")
If you have a lot of minor enemies like me you can pee in 2 liter soda bottles and put the urine to use against them. Saves water and is very satisfying when their car upholstery or windowsill stinks like hell. ---
**Author:** ![NutMagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@NutMagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutMagnet)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2002, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758/33 "2002-03-15T14:43:18Z")
> [@](#): > > If I ever have a house built, I want to install a urinal. Why not? > > - Does away with the seat up/seat down argument > - Prevents any stray streams from getting all over > - Hey! 2 can use the bathroom at once! > > Do they sell urinals for domestic use? Yes they do. Try [http://shop.toohome.com/html/products/product\_7995.asp](http://shop.toohome.com/html/products/product_7995.asp) or [http://steamsaun.com/bidetsandlowflowtoilets.html](http://steamsaun.com/bidetsandlowflowtoilets.html) or [http://www.totousa.com/toto/productpage.asp?PID=271](http://www.totousa.com/toto/productpage.asp?PID=271) I wanted to install one in a bathroom near the pool. I thought it would be much more convenient for the little nippers. Lost the space to a clothes dryer tho’. I had found a link to one which goes to the floor, like the ones in grade school (good for all heights), but I can’t find it now. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758/34 "2002-03-16T06:37:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickJay \* > **grienspace:** That chlorine smell is the smell of chlorine, nothing else. Take it from someone who’s maintained a pool and handled chlorine; pool chlorine by itself smells REALLY strong. Opening a bucket full of chlorine pucks can just about knock you over. I’m sure those pucks are really strong **Rickjay** , but your assertion denying the significance of chloramine was at odds with what I’ve come across before, so I investigated several sites like > [@](#): > > - [http://www.poolcenter.com/chlor.htm](http://www.poolcenter.com/chlor.htm) \* > > When free chlorine molecules encounter and destroy a nitrogen or ammonia containing compound, they combine with them to create a combined chlorine compound, or a chloramine. The chloramine is no longer available to sanitize anything, and it floats around in the water, blocking the path of those do-gooder free chlorine molecules,\*\* and stinkin’ the place up!\*\* If you smell a strong aroma of chlorine in and around a pool, chances are it has high combined chlorine levels. Bolding is mine. This was also confirmed at several other sites. ---
**Author:** ![tadc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f07891/32.png) [@tadc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tadc)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758/35 "2002-03-16T18:49:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickJay \* > \*\* > Well, let me be the first. Pissing in a shower used by other people is disgusting, rude, and inconsiderate. Christ, people, GROW UP. You aren’t a baby. It’s time to be a big kid and use the potty. \*\* Why, when there’s no reason to? When I get up in the morning and turn on the shower, I always simultaneously have to pee. If I piss in the toilet, either A) I flush and screw up my subsequent showering experience (from the toilet refilling) or B) let it sit and stink up the bathroom. Option C, letting the piss flow harmlessly down the drain while I shower is solves the dillema of A vs B, thereby being the best option. Besides, even if we were sharing a shower… you’d NEVER KNOW THE DIFFERENCE… MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cargogal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@Cargogal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cargogal)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758/36 "2002-03-16T20:04:19Z")
Logically, I can understand that peeing in the shower is no big deal. From a gut-feeling standpoint, it disgusts me. It’s like using cutlery. No big reason to not eat everything with your hands… but it would make me happy if my housemates wouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Jeremy\_s\_Evil\_Twin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Jeremy\_s\_Evil\_Twin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeremy_s_Evil_Twin)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758/37 "2002-03-16T22:42:28Z")
The only bad thing about peeing in the shower is the danger of getting soap up your urethra. Man, that _BURNS!!!_ ---
**Author:** ![heptapod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@heptapod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heptapod)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2002, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758/38 "2002-03-16T22:58:28Z")
Are you drinking your own urine? Are you splashing it all over your face and rubbing it in your hair? If not, you might as well be flushing it down the toilet. It’s liquid sunshine, people! Fill those oversize pickle jars in your basement and glug it down proper. Load up the ice trays in your workplace freezer. You owe it to your kids, your spouse and most certainly to yourself. Ancient Chinese secret! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-and-cleanliness/97758.md?page=1)