Is Flushing With Your Foot a Good Idea?

It’s inevitable – we all find ourselves in a public bathroom stall eventually. Now sometimes the toilet is equipped with one of those cursed automatic flushers, and so when you conclude your business (and every time you so much as move a muscle mid-business), the toilet will just go ahead and flush for you. Other times though we are faced with the task of flushing the toilet ourselves. A simple task, but one not without it’s own complications and considerations. Realistically, there are four options:

1. Just use your hand and flush like you would at home
2. Use your elbow in a downward professional wrestling-style move
3. Use your foot
4. Use your hand, but via a wad of toilet paper

Now the foot-flush, from what I can tell, is a popular alternative. It’s easy, and you don’t get dirty (unlike using your hand), and you don’t have to wash half your arm (unlike using your elbow). Problem solved, right?

Wrong. Being a matter of etiquette, one must consider not only one’s self, but also people who might use the bathroom after you. And these people may just flush with their hand. And now, if you’ve foot flushed, you’re forcing them to touch all the crap (both literal and figurative) from the bottom of your foot that you just smeared all over the handle.

Gross. When it comes to proper etiquette, you should always use your hand to flush a toilet, and use a wad of toilet paper to protect yourself if you so desire.