You may have heard that you shouldn’t flush toilet paper in the toilet in the Caribbean and Barbados, 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 The Caribbean and Barbados 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 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.
Can You Flush Toilet Paper in The Caribbean: Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Barbados?
The short answer is “it is possible on some islands”. These include Jamaica and Barbados. The plumbing system in these locations 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 more remote parts of these islands, you might have to dispose of the paper in a bin next to the toilet.
Some islands on The Caribbean don’t offer this though. Haiti and the Dominican Republic for example don’t allow you to flush toilet paper. You have to place the paper in a bin that is next to the toilet.
In more rural areas this might not be the case though and you have to dispose of the toilet paper in a bin.
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 The Caribbean and Barbados, 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 The Caribbean and Barbados.
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 The Caribbean: Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Barbados?
Yes, they use toilet paper in The Caribbean (Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Barbados). 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.
The Caribbean are a great place to spend a holiday. You can experience an exotic holiday with a lot of beach days. Talk about holiday vibes!
It is possible to hop from one island to another to visit a lot of beaches. You can enjoy the sand and coral reefs while you are there.
There are some really unique hotels in this area.
Islands have an unique vibe as people are often more laid back and take life as it comes.
It can be harder to get your hands on some goods. For example, toilet paper can be more expensive if you go to The Caribbean.
You can even visit some volcanoes and great monuments.
A lot of cruise ships visit this area so it is quite easy to go around.
The climate is perfect in this location so you will get a lot of sun while you are there!
When it comes to public restrooms, you should always follow the rules that are posted. In the restrooms in The Caribbean and Barbados, you should flush toilet paper.
Have a great trip to this special country.
