What can you flush down the toilet? Tea leaves? Bones? Rats?

[ABCinChina]

Everything that is small enough to be flushed and is semi-organic! Once, I received an order of beef with bones (in chunks) that was deemed to be stinky by the GF. Then I went to flush it all and after I pressed the flush button, I immediately got yelled at.

I've always thought that China is just like the US in that there are sewage processing plants that separate the waste from organics to non-organics.

[imron]

Yes, because China and the US are alike in so many ways, especially in the areas of key infrastructure like this.

[heifeng]

I learned to flush edibles down the toilet to keep the rats well-fed. Otherwise they leave little wet footprints on their way to the kitchen.

'

This made my day by the way.

Ok, (at my old apt) if i ever actually entered the restroom w/ a cup of tea in hand rather than tossing the leaves in the toilet I'd just dump them in my hand over the sink first and probably just toss them in the bin by the toilet instead for 2 reasons:

1) they don't always flush down right away

2) don't want to risk any splash back into my mug.

If I was out and about and had my thermos w/ me I'd just dump the water and everything into a garbage can or potted plant and run. Splash back from restrooms, even sinks frightens me...ewww

[simonlaing]

In nanjing there are quite a few places where flushing toilet paper can be a problem. I think for older apartments located on the 6th and 7th floors there is less water pressure at that could be the reason for not flushing the toilet paper.

It's annoying but like anything in China, after awhile you get used to it and it becomes normal.

have fun,

Simon:)

[ABCinChina]

Some of you guys must be living in the ghetto! There's just no way that flushing toilet paper down the toilet will lead to blockage or that food down the toilet will = rats coming up.

[imron]

Some of you guys must be living in the ghetto!

Public Health - Seattle & King County - http://toiletratproof.com/'>Rats live in sewers and can follow the food in pipes up to your toilet.

See also: http://toiletratproof.com/

[gougou]

Are you giving Seattle as proof for or against ghettos?

[roddy]

From Imron's link

If you find a rat in your toilet, flush it!

If you can flush rodents I guess tea leaves are fine. I'm going to rename this topic, as 'toilet tea' doesn't really cover it any more. God knows what I should call it though . . .

[randall_flagg]

I think for older apartments located on the 6th and 7th floors there is less water pressure at that could be the reason for not flushing the toilet paper.

I don't really understand this one. Once the toilet has recharged and the flushing tank is filled with water, there should be no difference whatsoever.

I flush food waste down the toilet as well in China. It beats having the leftover 锅包肉 sitting on the side walk in the sun for a day or so! Now, if there were better garbage disposal I might change my mind. I'm not afraid of the "back-splash" onto my plate: I learned and now close the lid before flushing!

[roddy]

That's just sick. I'm genuinely disgusted at the thought. Leaving 锅包肉 unfinished . . .

I've got to admit, although certain stuff - left over noodles, tea leaves - will go down the toilet, I would never think of putting actual leftover food in there. Does make sense though, and I'll certainly look into this possibility next time I have any food I don't want.

[peekay]

Sorry guys a bit of thread-jack... my toilet isn't clogged (thankfully) but my shower-drain is.

Has anyone found a "gel" type de-clogger (such as "Liquid Drano" or "Liquid Plumber") in China esp. in Beijing? I used the "Mr. Muscle" brand liquid de-clogger found at my local supermarket, but it's not thick enough (liquid vs. gel) or strong enough to break through the clog. The powder kind just made a mess and didn't help any.

[skylee]

This thread is a bit relevant -> http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/26-traditional-vs-simplified-characters643

[Xiwang]

Hey, isn't there supposed to be some kind of water shortage here in China?

For the larger tea leaves, I usually just throw them in the sink. In the morning when the leaves have dried out, I throw them in the trash.

Note: This only works if there aren't any GFs or SOs around to complain.

[Lu]

For tea leaves, I always put a little water in the cup, swirl, and throw it in the trash. I never flush leftovers through the toilet, just seems wrong to take food into the bathroom to me. But maybe that's just me.

[bhchao]

This thread reminds me of a movie I saw long ago where a kid flushed a tiny baby alligator into the toilet. The alligator grew up inside the sewers feeding on sewage. Once grown up, it found its way out and embarked on a human-eating rampage.

[renzhe]

Some of you guys must be living in the ghetto! There's just no way that flushing toilet paper down the toilet will lead to blockage

It certainly did in one hotel in Luoyang I was staying at. The thing was blocked beyond recognition!

But there were other things wrong with that hotel. Actually, everything was wrong with that hotel.

[Meng Lelan]

This is quite some toilet thread.

When I was living in the students dormitory in China the toilets always had a sign saying not to flush waste paper down the toilet, there was a trash can provided for that purpose.

[flameproof]

My tea leaves go into the litter bin.

Talking about litter bins, to my mainland associates, which do visit our Hong Kong office once in a while. .... used toilet paper should be flushed down the toilet and NOT put into the litter bin!

[adrianlondon]

I pour my tealeaves (and any left-over tea) around pot plants. I read somewhere, or someone told me, that it's good for them.

[jbradfor]

"pot plants" or "potted plants"? You might have reveled a bit too much about yourself that might also interest the police....