# So Why Don't They Make Teflon Coated Toilet Bowls? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 4, 2007, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771 "2007-12-04T12:48:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/21 "2007-12-04T19:50:54Z")
> [@](#): > > I don’t know what kind of cheap nonstick surfaces you folks are used to (and not all nonstick surfaces are Teflon brand). I’ve worked with blocks of pure polytetrafluoroethylene – that’s what Teflon is. It’s _soft_. There are other “nonstick” surfaces out there, and they’ve developed ones that are hardier, but pure unadulterated Teflon isn’t distinguished byy its strength. Even if you don’t scrape it off, you can very easily gouge it so that it will mechanically trap dirt. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/22 "2007-12-04T20:33:42Z")
[QUOTE=vetbridge] My toilet bowl is made of porcelain, and is very easy to clean. Is yours made of wood, or do you have some unusual dietary habits? 😉 [/QUOTE] Nah, just Irritable Bowel Syndrome. ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/23 "2007-12-04T20:34:08Z")
[QUOTE=Washoe] Is that for real? I remember reading a brief column in _Science_ about 20 years ago which said that Dupont was trying to develop a water-soluble Teflon that could be applied at room temperature, and that they were unable to do so despite years of trying. They were primarily interested in developing a graffiti—proof coating for walls. Then I read something just a few years ago that said they were still at it with no success. Did they finally crack that nut? [/QUOTE] It seems so, as they also make [normal liquid bowl cleaners](http://www.amazon.com/Clorox-Company-Toilet-Cleaner-COX41821/dp/B0006HU73M/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1196800241&sr=1-18) with it. I’ve seen them widely available for a couple of years now. _squints_ $58.00? That’s either a misprint or a ten pack. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/24 "2007-12-04T20:43:46Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise] If you’re pissing superheated urine… [/QUOTE] Wow, did that ever give me a flashback of campfires, a few engine blocks and Mr. Namunka’s BBQ Pit. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/25 "2007-12-04T20:45:06Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] Don’t you have to treat the surface you’re spraying it on somehow? Y’know, to avoid the inevitable “how do they get non-stick coating to stick to the toilet?” routines from amateur comedians. [/QUOTE] Possibly, depending on the surface, but my recollection is that most things were just cleaned well. The key point is that you don’t need to get Teflon to stick, just the liquid goop that turns into Teflon after it’s baked. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/26 "2007-12-04T20:45:16Z")
[QUOTE=Risha] _squints_ $58.00? That’s either a misprint or a ten pack. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Amazon] There are no customer reviews yet. [/QUOTE] hehe, and if it is really $58 a bottle, there likely will never be a review! ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/27 "2007-12-04T22:24:58Z")
[QUOTE=lalenin] A quick aside, Toto is a spanish word for girly parts, so as you can imagine I almost peed myself lauging when Toto brand toilets were installed in our middle school in Cuba. Good thing I was already in the bathroom. [/QUOTE] So, you think Dorothy was murmuring to her own vulva that they weren’t in Kansas anymore? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/28 "2007-12-04T22:29:34Z")
[QUOTE=danceswithcats] So, you think Dorothy was murmuring to her own vulva that they weren’t in Kansas anymore? [/QUOTE] Do you think L. Frank Baum is on Castro’s reading list? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/29 "2007-12-04T23:44:37Z")
I got a Kohler Cimarron toilet that I’m not happy with because the water level is lower than advertised. They said it was within tolerances and basically convinced me I didn’t want to repeat the installation with a new one. Some people complain that itt doesn’t rinse the bowl well enough when you flush, which is true but it hasn’t been a problem for me. Apparently if you call and complain about it, they suggest that you coat the bowl with car wax. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/30 "2007-12-05T01:45:16Z")
Some toilet cleaning products offer “extra protection that lasts” after you use them. Probably leave behind a film that does much the same thing – help things slide off instead of stick on. Haven’t tried one yet, so I can’t vouch. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/31 "2007-12-05T09:52:23Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] As **cornflakes** notes,. Teflon’s pretty soft. If you use a standard-issue Toilet Brush on it, it’d be hopelessly scored and peeling after one scrubbing. I suppose that you could put Teflon on and hope that the users will only use the required soft-scrub products and pads to clean it, but if they don’t, it ends up looking awful and actually retaining dirt, and there goes your several hundred dollar investment, literally down the drain. Glazed porcelain is pretty non-stick and a heckuva lot more scratch-resistant. [/QUOTE] Well, I was thinking of a unit with small, high pressure nozzles installed so that you _wouldn’t_ have to scrub it at all. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/32 "2007-12-05T14:42:30Z")
> [@](#): > > Teflon is not that benign in the environment. It is currently detectable in most water supplies, and in your bloodstream. Overheating teflon by frying things on High (there’s even a warning on new pans that everyone ignores) creates poison gas that can kill parakeets and canaries. According to [DuPont](http://www.teflon.com/Teflon/teflonissafe/keyquestions.html#q4) overheating just about anything will produce gas that kills birds. I will be interested in the effects of teflon in the bloodstream. I’m not terribly concerned about it since the body has no real way to process carbon fluorine bonds. On the other hand, fluorine is a very common constituent in newer drugs, so it can interact. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/33 "2007-12-05T14:49:29Z")
[QUOTE=Christopher] According to [DuPont](http://www.teflon.com/Teflon/teflonissafe/keyquestions.html#q4) overheating just about anything will produce gas that kills birds. [/QUOTE] I call Bullshit. Dupont, come on man! I’ve seen a number of birds that have been killed due to fumes created from overheating polytetraflouroethylene. I’ve never seen a dead bird from burning dinner in cookware without Teflon. Last winter I saw five birds that died when the owner plugged in a space heater. Turns out the heating elements were coated with PTFE to keep stuff from sticking to them prior to sale. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/34 "2007-12-05T21:12:02Z")
[QUOTE=Christopher] According to [DuPont](http://www.teflon.com/Teflon/teflonissafe/keyquestions.html#q4) overheating just about anything will produce gas that kills birds. I will be interested in the effects of teflon in the bloodstream. I’m not terribly concerned about it since the body has no real way to process carbon fluorine bonds. On the other hand, fluorine is a very common constituent in newer drugs, so it can interact. [/QUOTE] Dihydrogen monoxide can kill birds in its gaseous state, and that’s a compound found in every kitchen. 🙂 (Obligatory dihydrogen monoxide post) ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/35 "2007-12-05T22:42:10Z")
I have a Teflon™ coated nick-tie. I’m not sure whether this actually adds anything to the thread apart from stating that it’s possible to Teflon™ cout fabrics. It’s got an official tag to prove the Teflon™ boast. The good thing is, I’ve never had to put that tie in the laundry. Then again, I’ve never had to do that with any other tie either. ---
**Author:** ![Herbys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/977dab/32.png) [@Herbys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Herbys)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/36 "2011-05-03T08:20:05Z")
Instead of makign a non-stick bowl, you could have an automated cleaning system. I have a BioBidet toilet seat that includes a water nozzle to act as a bidet (never understood why Americans haven’t discovered the bidet) and it is very practical and comfortable. It has a heated seat, soft close lid, air drier and all kinds of “niceties”. But the design could be easily improved to include a self cleaning system for the toilet bowl! The BioBidet has a self retracting “arm” in the middle that has three fixed water nozzles on top. They could add one rotating/oscilating nozzle pointing down that would aim a narrow high-pressure water stream to the toilet bowl, rotating and oscilating to cover the whole seat. Given the current systems design it wold be trivial to do and even adding a cleaning agent receptacle and a scheduler, so the toilet woudl clean itself after each use or at a certain hour every night. I’m sure it is the next “big thing”, in toilets at least. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/37 "2011-05-03T10:25:22Z")
I wonder how well a diamond film would work? It’s supposed to be slippery, and presumably wouldn’t scratch easily like teflon. > [@Revtim](#): > > Probably expense. > > I recall in some SF novel, perhaps “The Mote In God’s Eye”, aliens provided a toilet for human visitors that had a frictionless or near frictionless bowl so no water was needed. That would be cool. On the odd chance you check back in the 2 year zombie thread, it was in Niven’s _A World Out of Time_. So you got the author right. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/38 "2011-05-03T11:09:51Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > You could try cooking spray before you do you business. Come on who’s going to shoot cooking spray up their ass before they go to the toilet? Oh, wait you mean something else, not spray coated turds. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/39 "2011-05-03T13:36:54Z")
I’m pretty sure I could produce gas that will kill birds at room temperature. Have some of that, Teflon. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771/40 "2011-05-03T13:45:46Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Come on who’s going to shoot cooking spray up their ass before they go to the toilet? Isn’t that why they have the little straw on WD-40? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771.md?page=3)