01
Entry
The gesture: Knock first. Check the space is clean. If something's off (empty paper, damage), report it before entering.
Avoid: Forcing the door without knocking. Spoiler: someone might be inside.
🚽
2 min · 7 steps
For everyone, because no one ever took the time to write it down
The universal code of shared toilets
Seven gestures that change everything for the person coming after you.
Context
No one ever taught us how to use public toilets properly. We learned alone, hastily, sometimes poorly. Here are the 7 gestures that make the difference — not to lecture, just because the person coming after you matters.
« 20 seconds. Two Happy Birthdays. »
— PLOUF
02
Bowl
The gesture: Seat down = good news, that's your starting point. Lift it if your use requires it. If it's dirty, take 5 seconds to wipe before.
Avoid: Sitting on a seat someone else has wet. (Spoiler 2: it happens more often than you'd think.)
💡 Tip: A disinfecting wipe in your bag is 2g and changes your day.
03
Use
The gesture: Aim. No need to rush, no one's timing you. If you're standing, watch the trajectory. If you're sitting, take whatever position works.
Avoid: The phone that slows everything down. Fine for you, but behind, there's a queue.
04
Wiping
The gesture: Paper folded, never balled up. You clean yourself — and you also wipe the seat if there are drops. Yes, even if they're not yours.
Avoid: The meter of paper that clogs everything. Save — and the planet thanks you.
💡 Tip: Thick paper (3-ply) = less quantity, more efficiency, fewer clogs.
05
Flush
The gesture: Flush. Look. Check everything's gone. If not, flush again. Not out of pride, out of respect.
Avoid: Leaving without checking. The person who opens the door right after doesn't deserve that image.
06
Seat
The gesture: Lower the seat AND the lid. The golden rule — 2 seconds that eliminate 90% of toilet cohabitation friction.
Avoid: Leaving everything open "because the next person will lift anyway". No.
07
Hands
The gesture: Soap. Water. 20 seconds (mentally sing "Happy Birthday" twice). Dry. Exit using paper or your elbow if possible.
Avoid: The quick rinse under cold water without soap. You're lying to yourself, and to the next person who shakes your hand.
💡 Tip: No soap? Report it. It's the venue's responsibility, not yours — but reporting helps everyone.