realmayo 1,768 Report post Posted February 16, 2009 Is flushing used tea leaves down the toilet appropriate? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roddy 5,230 Report post Posted February 16, 2009 Come on, give us the full story. Who told you you were being disgusting and culturally insensitive? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
realmayo 1,768 Report post Posted February 16, 2009 Nono, nothing like that. At the back of my mind I've got a feeling that lots of people do it, but then again I could have misremembered dire warnings not to do it. What's the score? EDIT: Am I being disgusting and culturally insensitive? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roddy 5,230 Report post Posted February 16, 2009 I could have misremembered dire warnings not to do it. Sure you're not thinking of toilet paper? Easily confused. I flush tea leaves. Nothing worse than trying to get the last cold damp tealeaf off the bottom of the mug and into the bin. Swill 'em into the toilet. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gougou 147 Report post Posted February 16, 2009 I learned not to flush any edibles down the toilet, as it will attract rats. They are able to climb up vertical pipes, and if your pipes don't have something to block them, they might eventually show up in your toilet. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roddy 5,230 Report post Posted February 16, 2009 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. 4 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skylee 1,911 Report post Posted February 16, 2009 Keep a cat. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roddy 5,230 Report post Posted February 16, 2009 Skylee, you forgot to answer the question. What do you do with your used tea leaves? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skylee 1,911 Report post Posted February 16, 2009 Uh, I don't drink tea now. I drink wine and water at home, so no tea leaves troubles. But I do flush away all the soup of my instant noodle dinner. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
realmayo 1,768 Report post Posted February 16, 2009 Ah, so a toilet can be a reasonable place to dispose of such, erm, non-digested waste. I knew I wasn't making it up! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
realmayo 1,768 Report post Posted February 16, 2009 Sure you're not thinking of toilet paper? While we're on this topic, has anyone actually blocked up Chinese plumbing this way? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roddy 5,230 Report post Posted February 16, 2009 No, and since seeing the attendant in a hutong public toilet take the waste paper basket full of stinking toilet paper, upend it, use his mop to jam the contents down the hole-in-the-floor and then flush, I don't worry about doing so either. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gougou 147 Report post Posted February 16, 2009 take the waste paper basket full of stinking toilet paper, upend it, use his mop to jam the contents down the hole-in-the-floor I suppose that also helps against rats... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jbradfor 681 Report post Posted February 16, 2009 Nope, it just makes them stronger. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Xiao Kui 148 Report post Posted February 16, 2009 While we're on this topic, has anyone actually blocked up Chinese plumbing this way? In the older buildings in Kunming (or even new buildings with narrow pipes) my friends and I have definitely blocked up the toilet with paper - in Chengdu it doesn't even take paper It's so disgusting having to take out the bathroom toilet paper garbage out every day. I'm happy my new apartment has a Western toilet with a turbo flusher so the toilet paper goes down along with everything else. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
randall_flagg 12 Report post Posted February 16, 2009 I am not a rebel, but I flush down everything whenever possible! Even against my ex-landlords' advice. And nothing has ever happened....knock on wood! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shadowdh 19 Report post Posted February 16, 2009 Even at some of the hostels that advised against flushing stuff down the loo I still did and had no problems... thank goodness... no super rats nor blocked loos... btw some of the funniest stuff is in this thread... woohooo... :mrgreen: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ABCinChina 15 Report post Posted February 17, 2009 I also flush food waste down the toilet! It sure beats that food waste from stinking up the place. My GF said that I shouldn't do that because of blockage but since we have no "sink garbage disposal" unit, old habits die hard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr.demoman 11 Report post Posted February 17, 2009 the general worry is blockage. If the pipe is wide enough, no problem i guess. hehe, sometimes it blocks in my home,becuz Dad pour whatever into the toilet, and then Mom almost raises the roof. is the thread in food section? hehe:mrgreen: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roddy 5,230 Report post Posted February 17, 2009 Wait, food waste? What are we talking here? Noodles? Orange peel? Bones? Milk bags? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
