# Peeing in the sink...yes its a real question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 22, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918 "2005-09-22T17:45:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/1 "2005-09-22T17:45:04Z")
ok normally I would just think this is gross and not bother with the thought again but somone convinced me its really not a bad idea, heres why… if you pee in the sink then wash your hands you are saving a ton of water over flushing and getting it all down the drain with the water from the hand washing… tell me there is something this guy is overlooking cause I cant think of a single argument beyond the “Eww” factor. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/2 "2005-09-22T17:46:05Z")
Splashback. When you piss in an empty sink, there’s nothing to stop little drops from flying everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/3 "2005-09-22T17:52:47Z")
Doesn’t that depend on the height from which the urine falls before hitting the sink? I admit, I’ve done it under unusual circumstances, and the world didn’t come crashing down around me, so I think it can be given a pass. But I wouldn’t unbolt my toilet and chuck it out. (Besides, you can’t crap in a sink & wash it down without a lot of …oh, nevermind.) ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/4 "2005-09-22T18:05:24Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Splashback. When you piss in an empty sink, there’s nothing to stop little drops from flying everywhere. But on the other hand, [no toilet plume](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990416.html) ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/5 "2005-09-22T18:15:29Z")
Buy a 3’ section of 2" wide hose, and you are set. Insert dude into hose, other side of hose into drain. Um, make sure that the entire length of the hose is pointing downward. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/6 "2005-09-22T18:18:29Z")
Look under the sink and you’ll usually see a pipe with a dramatic U-bend in it. You pee in sink, you rinse with a bit of water, you end up with some diluted pisswater sitting in the trap. Fermenting. (Pee is generally sterile but its considered a tasty growth medium by bacterial connoisseurs everywhere, and sinks are not sterile. So it’s gonna ferment. And smell.) You pee in a toilet, you flush, a gallon of water escorts the pee out of the bowl and into blackwater pipes that don’t trap their contents in such a way that the smell’s gonna come back up to haunt you. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/7 "2005-09-22T18:29:53Z")
> [@Yeticus Rex](#): > > Buy a 3’ section of 2" wide hose, and you are set. Insert dude into hose, other side of hose into drain. > > Um, make sure that the entire length of the hose is pointing downward. … toward the drain. Back in my nightclubbin’ days, there were times when the boys room would get a big line at about 1:00 AM, when everyine’s good and sloshed. Sometimes, sinks would double as urinals in that case. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/8 "2005-09-22T18:38:41Z")
I drink a vodka drink I drink a whiskey drink and when I have to pee I use the kitchen sink ---
**Author:** ![Teter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@Teter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teter)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/9 "2005-09-22T18:57:16Z")
Forget plumbing, traps and splashback. Just get one of [these](http://www.bumperdumper.com/bumper2.htm) ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/10 "2005-09-22T19:00:48Z")
Just go in the shower. 😉 ---
**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:** [September 22, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/11 "2005-09-22T19:05:12Z")
Over time, wouldn’t urine stain 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:** [September 22, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/12 "2005-09-22T19:19:30Z")
> [@](#): > > Buy a 3’ section of 2" wide hose, and you are set. Insert dude into hose That’s all? Dude, I’m sorry for ya. (ducking and running) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/13 "2005-09-22T19:21:08Z")
Would it really be possible to flush all the urine out of the trap in less then 1.6 gallons (amount of water used in a low flow toilet)? Would the savings be worth it? Can’t save more then a few dollars a year if any. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/14 "2005-09-22T19:29:04Z")
If a house has three or more males in it, and saving water is that critical, why not install a urinal? ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/15 "2005-09-22T19:34:00Z")
ELAINE: Why couldn’t you just wait? GEORGE: I was there! I saw a drain! ELAINE: Since when is a drain a toilet?! GEORGE: It’s all pipes! What’s the difference?! ELAINE: Different pipes go to different places! You’re gonna mix 'em up! GEORGE: I’ll call a plumber right now! JERRY: Alright, can we just drop all the pee-pipe stuff here? ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/16 "2005-09-22T20:22:10Z")
I have found that the average turd takes forever to go down the drain. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/17 "2005-09-22T20:25:09Z")
> [@vetbridge](#): > > I have found that the average turd takes forever to go down the drain. > 😉 Use the side with the disposal unit, that helps. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/18 "2005-09-22T21:22:37Z")
> [@Critical1](#): > > if you pee in the sink then wash your hands you are saving a ton of water over flushing and getting it all down the drain with the water from the hand washing… All of which calls to mind the fellow who complained that his wife was such a nasty housekeeper that the sinck was alway full of dirty dishes and he had to go to the toilet to pee! ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/19 "2005-09-23T01:16:37Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Over time, wouldn’t urine stain the sink? Myune doesn’t, but I can’t speak for urine. ---
**Author:** ![Jeffro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jeffro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeffro)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918/20 "2005-09-23T01:22:34Z")
Talkin bout my U U U urination 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peeing-in-the-sink-yes-its-a-real-question/322918.md?page=2)