You may have heard that you shouldn’t flush toilet paper in the toilet in France and Paris, but you may wonder if this is true. After all, it’s just a big old bowl with water and some sort of magical flushing device on top. It can handle TP, right?
If you’re thinking about going to visit France and Paris and wondering if you can flush toilet paper in the restrooms there or not, then this article is for you. Keep reading to find out!
What Is the Big Deal with Flushing Toilet Paper?
Toilet paper is generally made of either paper or a combination of paper and cardboard. Toilet paper is specifically designed to wipe away solid waste and clean your delicate areas. Toilet paper dissolves in water and can often be flushed. This requires an advanced system of drains and wastewater processing facilities though. These wastewater processing facilities make sure that the dirty water doesn’t get into the local rivers as this can cause a lot of problems. If these facilities have to process toilet paper as well, they have to be more advanced and this requires a big investment.
Not every country or city has this advanced system. This might be because the country is quite large or because they decided to invest the funds somewhere else.
You will mainly find these plumbing systems in America, Asia, and Europe. More rural areas can have septic systems that process the wastewater locally.
In some areas of the world, the width of the drains is not big enough and toilet paper would clog them. Wastewater would back up and make the toilet overflow. This can result in wastewater all over the house. Next to bad smells, it also results in a dirty house. When those pieces of toilet paper break down, they create a very thick, sludgy substance that winds up jamming your household pipes and the local sewage systems. When these materials enter the sewer system, they cause major problems.
In some instances, it can be removed by flushing a lot but this is not always the case. A plumber will have to come out to clear the drains with water pressure or an auger. This costs quite a lot of money. If there is a big clog, it might be needed to dig up the drain and open it up. This is a lot of work and can result in a big expense.
Can You Flush Toilet Paper in France and Paris?
The short answer is “yes”. The plumbing system in France and Paris is able to process toilet paper. You should find toilet paper next to the toilet and you can use it as you normally would.
In the South of France, some toilets don’t have a seat and you have to squat. These toilets are not very common though. In most of them, you can flush toilet paper without any issue.
Some countries such as Dubai use a bidet. In other countries such as Greece, you have to throw the toilet paper in a bin. In France and Paris, you can just flush the toilet paper and be done with it.
They have an advanced wastewater system that processes the toilet paper to make sure that the water is clean before it gets into the rivers. There shouldn’t be any problem with using toilet paper in France and Paris. Just make sure that you don’t use paper that is too cheap. You can test this by dipping it in water three times and see if the toilet paper dissolves. If it doesn’t, it can indicate that you should get other toilet paper as it might clog your drains.
You can’t flush wet wipes or paper towels though as these don’t dissolve in the toilet drains and can cause clogs. A plumber might have to remove these with heavy equipment. The same is true in other countries as toilet systems are not designed to flush these items. For this reason, you should only flush toilet paper and no other types of paper. This is the case for any toilet though as they are not designed to deal with items that don’t dissolve in water.
Plumbers often get called out to fix clogs that have been caused by wet wipes. This can create a lot of damage so this should be avoided at all costs. You also shouldn’t flush food scraps, cooking oils or other waste. These should go in the bin.
Some people have a septic system in this city but you should be able to flush toilet paper anyway. If it isn’t allowed, you should see a sign indicating this.
Do they use toilet paper in France and Paris?
Yes, they use toilet paper in France and Paris. You should find it in every toilet stall. You can ask for more if it has run out. It is the same quality that you are used to at home so you will have a similar experience.
When it comes to public restrooms, you should always follow the rules that are posted. In the restrooms in France and Paris, you should flush toilet paper.
France is a great country to visit. From the great farms in the south to the more urban areas. In Paris, you can enjoy the croissants and take a look at the Eiffel tower. After this, you can visit the many museums in this city. Paris has a lot of great things to visit. You might have to learn some French words if you want to navigate this city. Asking where the toilet is, goes as follows “où sont les toilettes?”. Most people in Paris speak English but they are very proud of their native language. Speaking some French can help you out a lot when you visit a restaurant or hotel in this city.
Have a great trip to this special country.
