You may have heard that you shouldn’t flush toilet paper in the toilet, but you may be confused why. 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 Hong Kong 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 in 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.
In some areas of the world the width of the drains is not big enough and toilet paper would clog them. Waste water 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 a water jetter 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. This is why restaurants and hotels in Hong Kong are warning you that it isn’t allowed to flush toilet paper. You might get in trouble if they catch you doing it anyway.
Can You Flush Toilet Paper in Hong Kong Restroom?
The short answer is “yes”. The plumbing system in Hong Kong is able to process toilet paper. You should find toilet paper next to the toilet and you can use it as you normally would.
Some houses in Hong Kong use a bidet instead of toilet paper. This is a water sprayer to clean yourself. It can take some time to get used to this but most people find it a great alternative to toilet paper.
They have an advanced wastewater system that processes the toilet paper to make sure that the water is clean before it gets in the rivers. There shouldn’t be any problem with using toilet paper in Hong Kong. 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.
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.
The Verdict – Should You Flush Toilet Paper in Hong Kong?
When it comes to public restrooms, you should always follow the rules that are posted. In the restrooms in Hong Kong, you should flush toilet paper.
Enjoy your trip to this magnificent city!
