How to Use a Squaty Potty
Posted in Historical Adventures and tagged with Toilets, Travel, Turkey on November 18, 2009I suppose you want to hear more about Turkey, don’t you? I haven’t been meaning to drag my feet, but it’s hard to know what I should say. As I alluded to yesterday, I’ve been highly emotional lately (partly trip related, partly personal, partly interpersonal), which sends me into a contemplative melancholy mood. Nothing wrong with that, it just doesn’t lend itself to retellings of grand adventures.
Please let me know if there are specific things you want to hear about. I won’t be going through the trip day by day, but rather thematically. I hope to do a post on the food, a post on Ephesus (maybe), a post of a very Turkish situation we found ourselves in, and a post on an emotional afternoon (what I was referring to yesterday…didn’t want to do two emotional posts back-to-back). And of course, I’ll be posting about the toilets, which is today’s topic.
I got a kick out of all the comments you guys left about the squaty potties. I did visit the toilet at that place again, but they’ve remodeled (I don’t know if I should call replacing a outhouse with a 4-toilet structure “remodeling”) so my first squatty potty is no longer in existence.
So, for you squaty potty virgins out there, this is what they look like (I have no idea why the cover is falling off the TP…many won’t even have TP though):
Is that intimidating? I got to walk 3 of my teammates through their first experience when we were out shopping. There was only one stall so I felt bad because a Turkish lady came up who clearly really had to go. There was also anther lady waiting in line who really wanted to talk to us as she kept saying, “Turkce? Turkce?” (“Turkish” in Turkish) over and over again. I think they all found our excitement and concern over using the squatty potty humorous, as well they ought.
So here’s how one uses a squaty potty:
1. Place your feet on either side of the hole (where those grips are…keeps you from slipping, I suppose), face towards the left in this picture (usually it’s the door).
2. Pull your pants down to around your ankles. I like to put them down as far as they can go…don’t want to take any chances.
3. Do the Asian squat, with your rear down low behind your heels.
4. Make sure your pants are completely out of the way (this would be MUCH easier in a skirt, but I’ve never been wearing one), and do your business!
5. Clean up (always carry Kleenex with you in case there isn’t TP!) and flush if it’s a modern one (usually a chain on the wall).
So now…are there any more questions? I feel like I talk WAY too much about toilets on this blog!
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November 18th, 2009 at 3:39 am
Very interesting! I’ve heard of these but hadn’t seen them. Ya see, I have a condition where If I’m squatting, the blood pools in my legs and when I stand it can’t get back up to my brain fast enough so I either ALMOST pass out, or I do pass out. These potties would definitely cause a problem for me. I must sit! LOL
November 18th, 2009 at 7:28 am
I think I’d rather use a tree. Less possibility of contracting something icky.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:57 am
This is the funniest public service announcement I’ve ever read! ;-)
November 18th, 2009 at 8:19 am
Believe it or not I read through that guy’s explanation when you left the link on your post. I’m sure I’d get used to it…
November 18th, 2009 at 8:32 am
It’s odd that my mom was just talking about these on Sunday night because of their trip to Italy this year. I don’t know how the conversation even began. And now you’re talking about them.
The glaring question I must ask is, how do you not fall over or, heaven forbid IN, if you have to squat like that?
November 18th, 2009 at 9:00 am
Amanda: There’s not very many trees in Turkey, particularly in the middle of the cities. I think you’d be rather conspicuous!
Liz: I don’t know how you would fall in. My body, at least, doesn’t work that way. Since the hole is lower than your butt, you’d have to completely lose your feet. I think it’d be much easier to fall forward, but I’ve never been close to that, either.
November 18th, 2009 at 9:43 am
Ummm… no…. I dont think my bodily functions work if my legs squat! :)
November 18th, 2009 at 10:12 am
I am trying to figure out the logistics of this. I assume that you mean you don’t hover over the hole, but really squat down until the backs of your legs are almost touching the backs of your calves.
And…..uhhhmmmm….what happens if it is “that time of the month?”
I agree it would be MUCH easier in a skirt. I will remember this if I ever find myself in a country that uses squaty potties. :-)
But really, why don’t they just use toilets? ;-)
November 18th, 2009 at 11:54 am
WHAT! wild!
thanks for the tutorial, because if i ever see one of these, i would seriously be at a loss before reading this!
November 18th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I have the same question as Jacki plus one. What if you have to do more than just pee? I mean seriously. How do you poo? Won’t your legs start to hurt if you have to squat like that for a long time. Sorry, there’s no tactful way to ask that question!
November 18th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Diaper.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Yeah see I’d also be worried about falling over. My balance kinda totally sucks!
November 18th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Oh! How do you… uh… go #2? I would die! I can’t even squat on regular toilets. I have to use TP to cover the seat so I can sit fully or else I can’t go.
November 18th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
I’m with the previous poster. I’ve thought about squatty potties all day long, and I could not go, um, #2, to save my life in that type of restroom situation. TMI? ;-)
November 19th, 2009 at 11:02 am
Rebecca Jo: I do think it’s actually more natural this way, really!
Jacki: I have no idea what you do if it’s that time of the month! I’m glad that it hasn’t been when I’ve been.
These are as much toilets as ours are. I think it’s just one of those things where two competing things developed at the same time, with different cultures having different preferences.
Erin: I’m glad that I could prepare you!
Elizabeth: I suppose they don’t lounge around when they do #2. I haven’t tried it, though!
Amanda: LOL Makes me want to move overseas so you’ll have to come visit me. =)
Ari: I have horrible balance, too. It’s hard to get off balance, though when you’re so close to the ground!
November 19th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Thanks for stopping by and for your comment on my blog!
I just wanted to pipe in here and say that you really do get used to using a squatty potty after a while (I lived in Kenya for a year or so, with a squatty potty outhouse. I don’t remember what I did when it was that time of the month, but I don’t remember it being a big deal. I think I just did the same thing I’d always do, just squatting instead. You just figure it out with practice. #2 isn’t too hard either.
I definitely find it easier to squat all the way down than to only squat partway – makes it easier to get it in without getting your clothes wet and easier to balance. You build up the right muscles pretty quickly. It’s also definitely easier in a skirt, as long as your skirt’s loose enough to pull up easily.
It is much more sanitary in public. And I found that many public western style toilets had no seats. In that case, I would DEFINITELY prefer a good old squatty potty.
You’re right on – different cultures have different preferences and that’s fine.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Well, Ronnica, I didn’t know squat about using the commode this way! Thanks for enlightening me!
God bless!
November 20th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
I have never even heard of a squaty potty. Weird. Thanks for the step by step though, just in case, lol.
November 21st, 2009 at 11:23 am
Great post! I think that’s the cleanest one I’ve EVER seen!
November 21st, 2009 at 11:25 am
To answer some of your readers’ questions, the pink pail is used as a do-it-yourself bedet – both for #2 and for that time of the month. The left hand is used for this kind of cleaning – that’s why in most of the world the left hand is considered dirty and you’d never use it to touch someone, receive food, shake someone’s hand, etc.
November 21st, 2009 at 4:43 pm
I’ve haven’t used a squaty potty before. It’s funny because I was just having this conversation with a person who just returned from China. Thanks for the picture. Makes sense to me. ♥ Joy
November 21st, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Is there at least a squat bar? And let’s face it…as a woman, things don’t always go where they should like they do for men. Now I can never go to Turkey. ;o)
November 21st, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Cheryl: It’s REALLY not as hard as it looks. And they’re less and less common. The others on the team wouldn’t even have used them if I hadn’t made them…I didn’t use them at all when I was there for 6 weeks the first time, and I regretted it.
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:12 am
Ummm… Does anyone every try having babies like that? American Indian women (like my great-great-great grandmother) would go out to be alone, dig a hole, squat and have their baby. Just the thought of it makes my heard spin in circles, lol.
I know what you mean about regretting not using it the first visit. I felt that way about bidets. I didn’t ever try the one we had in our honeymoon suite and now I think that might have been kinda fun! Well, it would now anyway.
Thanks for visiting my blog!
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:08 am
Liz: I didn’t use a bidet when I had a chance in Spain, and wish I had. They have them in Turkey, but they don’t seem as clean so they don’t tempt me.
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:58 am
I’m a little late in getting around reading this post, but I had to chime in.
I’m amused by what looks like a plunger. It honestly looks like that hole is big enough not to get clogged up by anything, and I’d think since it was in the floor like that anyway they’d make sure it was big enough so it didn’t.
Several people in our church who have experience with these have talked about how unclean they usually are around the rims, especially I guess where they have to put their feet. They were in other countries though (Romania is the only one I can think of off the top of my head for sure).