What Is a Toilet?

A toilet is a porcelain device with a seat and bowl where people relieve themselves of waste. It is an essential component of a sanitation system, along with water treatment, collection, and disposal. Effective sanitation reduces the spread of diseases and protects against contamination of groundwater, rivers, and other water sources. In addition, it helps prevent fecal matter from entering the food chain and becoming a source of nutrition.

A person can use a toilet either sitting or crouching, or while standing with a stool. Some toilets have a bidet, which uses a wall-mounted nozzle for an alternative wiping action. Toilets usually have a sink for washing hands after using the toilet and a cupboard or other storage space for supplies such as cleaning products, soap, towels, and toilet paper. In some homes, the toilet room may also contain a small table or a mirror for grooming and personal hygiene.

The earliest toilets were pit latrines that required digging a hole in the ground and using a bucket of water to wash oneself. Later, people began to build toilets that used flowing water for flushing and cleaning. A flush toilet has a tank that holds water for flushing, and a lever or handle that is operated by a crank to start the flushing cycle. Some models have a button that stops the flushing cycle. A lid covers the opening when the toilet is not in use.

Toilets are designed to be self-cleaning and to prevent sewage from spilling outside the toilet. In some countries, people can be fined for littering or leaving fecal matter outside the toilet. Some toilets are automated and use a computer to monitor the amount of waste. Some have a screen that shows the current level of waste in the toilet, and an indicator light that turns red when the tank is full and green when it is empty.

Some modern architects have made the toilet an important part of their buildings, such as Buckminster Fuller and Frank Lloyd Wright. Fuller argued that plumbing and architecture are all based on the same basic concepts, and that clean toilets were vital to healthy buildings and bodies. Wright, on the other hand, said he judged a hotel by its bathroom facilities and argued that toilets sexualized architecture.

Today, the toilet is one of the トイレ つまり 大阪 most common and important items in a house. People rely on them for both convenience and safety. In fact, they are so important that they can be life-saving. A good toilet can help prevent the spread of disease and save energy and water. A bad toilet, on the other hand, can cause problems such as clogged drains and leaks that lead to overflow.

There are many different names for toilets, depending on the country and region in which they are used. For example, the American English term for toilet is "restroom," while British English often refers to it as a bathroom or lavatory.