# Urinals and Ice **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 3, 2003, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinals-and-ice/211124 "2003-11-03T08:07:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hydrocortisone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e19b73/32.png) [@Hydrocortisone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hydrocortisone)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinals-and-ice/211124/1 "2003-11-03T08:07:57Z")
Why do bars fill the urinals with ice? ---
**Author:** ![KP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a9adbd/32.png) [@KP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KP)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinals-and-ice/211124/2 "2003-11-03T08:14:24Z")
Most don’t - but ice is handy and available, so they wouldn’t have to buy urinal cakes to cut down on urinal odors Maybe they aren’t filling the urinal as much as dumping stale/waste ice or the waste drink bin into the urinal for convenient disposal. Any liquids would quickly drain away, and the ice would be rinsed clean in a few flushes. Dumping into a toilet can be ugly: ice floats. ---
**Author:** ![swansont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5fc32e/32.png) [@swansont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swansont)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinals-and-ice/211124/3 "2003-11-03T13:25:26Z")
This is pure speculation, but it may be that the cost of the ice is less than the cost of the water for many, many flushes. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinals-and-ice/211124/4 "2003-11-03T13:34:35Z")
They do this to clean out the ice in the ice machines from the night before. Urinals are handy, 1. every bar has them 2. they wont get in the way as they melt 3. a toilet wont flush good when it`s full of ice 4. They use the sinks early in the morning for food prep and cleaning. 5. some places just throw the ice out the back door. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinals-and-ice/211124/5 "2003-11-03T13:35:55Z")
There was a Straight Dope column on the subject, but a search didn’t find it. As I recall, there are many reasons: Keeps the smell down. Improves aim as men try to melt it. Convenient place to dump it. Provides continuous flush. Kills little bug eggs that could be in there. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinals-and-ice/211124/6 "2003-11-03T13:38:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by whuckfistle \* > \*\*4. They use the sinks early in the morning for food prep and cleaning. > \*\* I hope you’re not saying they’re preparing food in the bathroom sinks… ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinals-and-ice/211124/7 "2003-11-03T14:37:51Z")
I once asked a restroom attendant and he first said it was to keep your balls cool and upon further questioning he claimed it was to keep the smell down. My WAG, it also cuts down on the splash factor. ---
**Author:** ![aerodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@aerodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aerodave)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinals-and-ice/211124/8 "2003-11-03T14:49:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by swansont \* > \*\*This is pure speculation, but it may be that the cost of the ice is less than the cost of the water for many, many flushes. \*\* Since when do guys flush after using a urinal at a bar? ---
**Author:** ![hermann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b487fb/32.png) [@hermann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hermann)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinals-and-ice/211124/9 "2003-11-03T23:28:34Z")
Kitchens have sinks. Bathroom have lavatories. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinals-and-ice/211124/10 "2003-11-03T23:33:34Z")
Whenever I’ve head “lavatory,” it’s been used as a synonym for “bathroom,” rather than as a synonym for “sink.” ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinals-and-ice/211124/11 "2003-11-04T00:08:03Z")
I’ve only seen this on TV. Is this common at most places you guys frequent? Are my clubs just not classy enough? ---
**Author:** ![swansont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5fc32e/32.png) [@swansont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swansont)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinals-and-ice/211124/12 "2003-11-04T00:59:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by audilover \* > Since when do guys flush after using a urinal at a bar? Point well taken. But with ice you don’t have to, or put in an autoflush system. As was mentioned, ice would tend to keep the odor down. ---
**Author:** ![swansont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5fc32e/32.png) [@swansont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swansont)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinals-and-ice/211124/13 "2003-11-04T01:07:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Annie-Xmas \* > > Improves aim as men try to melt it. This reminds me of a story I read about some urinals in Europe having the design of a fly etched into the urinal. Men try to aim for it, and it’s located so as to minimize the splash. Aim your browser (and nothing else)[here](http://www.urinal.net/schiphol/) Someone apparently actually did a study and compared the “splash factor” and found it was lower with these urinals by 80%.