139
votes
Accepted
Why can't I wash away soapy hands?
Soap is mostly a chemical called sodium stearate that is moderately soluble in water. In pure water it dissociates into positive sodium ions and negative stearate ions, and the negative stearate ions ...
- 706
99
votes
Accepted
OK, we are all adults here, so what is a bidet for and how do I use it?
Bidet Who Are You?
The bidet is a sanitary installation which looks like a shallow toilet bowl with water taps. The purpose of the bidet is to clean up after you've done what you came to do in the ...
- 52.3k
90
votes
OK, we are all adults here, so what is a bidet for and how do I use it?
I'm Portuguese and every bathroom has a bidet. Only the really small ones don't. It is something I find in European countries with Latin roots (specially Portugal, Spain, France and Italy).
From ...
- 991
82
votes
Accepted
Why can't we use the toilet when the train isn't moving in some countries?
I don't know specifically for the country you are in, but in many countries, this is because the toilet empties directly onto the tracks, even in countries with relatively modern trains. Even in the ...
- 12.2k
81
votes
How am I supposed to keep a toilet bowl clean without a toilet brush?
You're not supposed to do anything. Cleaning the toilet is housekeeping's job, and in better hotels in Asia it's common to have several visits per day: once in the late morning and once more around ...
- 98.7k
78
votes
Accepted
My seatmate has digestive problems causing unpleasant smell. What ought the cabin crew do?
Passenger to Purser
Excuse me sir but someone here seems to be having a flatulence problem which is making me feel unwell. Could you please shift me somewhere else so i can enjoy the rest of my ...
- 32.7k
75
votes
Accepted
Is it safe to drink the water from the fountains found all over the older parts of Rome?
Ah, the large noses. I did last year. Had no issues.
There are approximately 2,500–2,800 nasoni in Rome, supplying citizens and tourists with free drinking water.
The water coming from the ...
- 158k
74
votes
Accepted
So what can I do to avoid being "that" passenger with bad hygiene?
Lots of options! Starting with the ones that require no forward planning:
Just lock yourself in the toilets for 10 minutes and wash your... smellier parts using your hands, sink water, soap dispenser ...
- 12.5k
61
votes
What to do without underwear on a 4 day trip?
Wash them in the sink before you sleep, let them dry as much as possible until the morning, if they are not dry by then, iron them a bit and they will be dry.
If you can't get a hold of an iron, put ...
- 95.7k
56
votes
Should I put toilet paper in airplane toilets?
Should I put toilet roll in airplane toilets?
YES. Airplane toilets are designed to take the toilet paper provided by the airline.
The sign is to inform you that nothing other than the provided ...
- 32.2k
54
votes
Accepted
Taming the nightmare of public toilets in the UK
There is a website that I was hitherto completely unaware of that aims to cater for this need.
Great British Public Toilet Map
For tourists with smart phones it would be useful as it geolocates the ...
- 1,023
53
votes
Accepted
Why do hostels require you to 'rent' bedding?
Some Stats
I ran some stats for you (from our data on Hostelz.com, a travel website that I represent) and currently 97% of hostels provide free bedsheets, and the remaining 3% charge a fee. Towels ...
- 1,647
52
votes
Accepted
Showering facilities at Kings Cross station - Where are they and what are they like?
Because Kings Cross station is one of the handful of big stations both owned and managed by the infrastructure operator Network Rail, the best source of information isn't National Rail Enquires (as ...
- 62.3k
52
votes
Accepted
OK, we are all adults here, so how do the doors and controls work on an airplane toilet?
Airplane lavatories can be a bit tricky to use if you're not used to them. You may also find one of the many videos on YouTube on this topic, such as this one, helpful.
First, the door usually has an ...
- 85.6k
49
votes
What can I do if I'm seated next to a person with bad hygiene on an airplane?
Well,
the solution is an ointment with menthol/eucalyptus. Pathologists are using
Tiger Balm, the red variant and apply it under the nose to suppress...well, I think I do not need to explain that.
...
- 16.5k
48
votes
OK, we are all adults here, so what is a bidet for and how do I use it?
Edit: Since I've discovered that the "Number two" euphemism isn't global, I'll add here that it means defecation, and comes from the fact that "poo" rhymes with "number two". It's a common euphemism ...
- 1,101
46
votes
How am I supposed to keep a toilet bowl clean without a toilet brush?
If you lay down a few sheets of toilet paper across the water and inner bowl before you poop, it prevents the poop from sticking to the sides of the bowl. Obligatory emoji: 💩🚽
If it's too late and ...
- 15.9k
44
votes
Accepted
What happens if all toilets become inoperative during a flight?
Lavatories (airplane toilets) can be inoperative for many reasons, they could get blocked by someone vomiting in the sink, or by throwing tissues or other objects in either the sink or the toilet seat....
- 95.7k
44
votes
Accepted
Male using change tables in female restrooms in Japan
It is quite rare these days (even inside trains) for the changing tables to be in the women's section, usually they will be somewhere in between the two sections, or inside the separate large restroom ...
- 12.5k
42
votes
Accepted
What's the easiest way to relieve oneself in a car?
Bring a towel or blanket, some baby wipes, and optionally a small trowel or a stick you picked up along the way. A few small plastic bags are also helpful.
If someone (especially a small child) can't ...
- 78.6k
39
votes
My seatmate has digestive problems causing unpleasant smell. What ought the cabin crew do?
Unfortunately this is mostly a case of bad luck. The usability of your mom's seat was significantly reduced but in a manner that's mostly subjective. That leaves it in the discretion of the crew and ...
- 83.1k
38
votes
Accepted
Is this sign in a Mongolian airport saying you can dispose of toilet paper in the bin?
No; this sign means you have to use bin for disposing of toilet paper. I used Google translator to translate the text on signs:
2nd sign means "Don't forget to flush".
3rd sign means "Use trash bin ...
- 6,955
37
votes
As we are all adults here, how do I politely indicate that I need the toilet?
In the United States, the more polite terms I hear are usually either the restroom or the ladies' room/men's room (always including room). Washroom sounds Canadian to me. British terminology (such as ...
- 852
36
votes
Accepted
How do you use a traditional hot-air hand dryer so your hands are actually dry afterwards?
Shake your hands to remove as much water as possible.
Hold one hand with the back of the hand close to the air stream until it is dry.
Swap hands, dry the back of the other hand.
Rub your hands ...
- 476
35
votes
Taming the nightmare of public toilets in the UK
Toilets are important, but not something to worry about. You don't need to make it this complicated.
British people really don't mind when foreigners ask where is the nearest public toilet? We don't ...
- 1,780
35
votes
How am I supposed to keep a toilet bowl clean without a toilet brush?
That's why toilets flush - to carry everything away. If it's not working right and cleaning properly, it sounds like the toilet is defective.
Ask the hotel staff to:
Fix the toilet
Or move you to a ...
- 737
34
votes
What can I do if I'm seated next to a person with bad hygiene on an airplane?
This happens periodically, and you can politely and privately bring the problem to the attention of the cabin crew during boarding, before the aircraft door is closed, especially if the odor is so ...
- 85.6k
33
votes
Accepted
What to do without underwear on a 4 day trip?
I'm surprised that nobody mentioned the infamous "flip them around" technique. Arguably you can use one pair of boxers for four days if you flip them inside out and front to back. Indeed boxers, and ...
- 52.3k
31
votes
How do you use a traditional hot-air hand dryer so your hands are actually dry afterwards?
My experience is that you don't use them. They work poorly, which is why they are generally being replaced with newer more efficient dryers or removed altogether.
In theory, you can use them by ...
- 85.6k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible