Let’s be real. We’ve all experienced the horror of toilet water backsplash when we relieve ourselves. Well, the Dutch toilet shelf prevents this — and also ensures all is right in the digestive tract.
It’s a pretty common thing in the Netherlands — but as an international, when you take your first trip to a Dutch WC, you might ask: what in tarnation is this shelf-shaped thing in the toilet? 😨
What is it?
Basically, the traditional Dutch toilet in all its glory has a flat area beneath where you sit, which is awesomely titled: the inspection shelf.
READ MORE | 7 great Dutch inventions you never knew were Dutch
And the purpose of this odd toilet invention where you drop your deposit? Well, to inspect your business before you send it all down to the sewers and rats.
I freaked out the first time I encountered the Dutch toilet with its 💩 shelf pic.twitter.com/p1OepVehnx
— Riaz Naqvi (@riaz__n) July 17, 2021
Why do they do it?
Dutch toilets may not be the most welcoming of models but it does save you from the ghastly event of “Poseidon’s kiss” by avoiding the unwanted splash zone when you drop a big one. 😐
However, this isn’t the actual reason behind the shelf. It’s not exactly pleasant — but having the traditional Dutch toilet with an inspection shelf in your home could also quite literally save your life.
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Ungodly stenches aside, it has helped many lowlanders identify early signs of bowel diseases or colon cancer by simply examining their stool samples before flushing.
Just as we know whether we’re drinking enough water by looking at the colour of our urine, our bowel habits are also a strong indicator of digestive health!
Why is it quirky?
The toilet inspection system actually comes from the Germans, but it isn’t a common thing in most neighbouring countries of the Netherlands.
The French prefer the out-of-sight-out-of-mind technique as their toilets have more of a triangle shape, which means their waste immediately goes down the toilet drain.
American and many other western toilets have a similar idea, but their toilets contain much more water, so things float. As a result, the outright display of your bowel movements is sometimes a bit confronting for the unsuspecting international.
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Should you join in?
Nowadays, the majority of toilets we encounter in Dutch homes don’t have an inspection shelf.
It’s an older design feature that’s no longer necessary in first-world countries, thanks to modern medicine.
But listen, there are still some pros when it comes to the inspection shelf. For example, when your huisarts asks for a sample of what your stool looks like, you won’t have to fish it out of the water. 🤨
What do you think of this Dutch quirk? Have you experienced it? Tell us in the comments below!
Erica Jong immortalized this German habit in her bestseller Fear of Flying
it’s not dutch it’s common in all sane countries, more than half of the europe not not go shower every time you got splashed by your own doodoo
and your smells are imaginary you spend barely 30 seconds in the toilet with a fan the only difference is that with a shelf your walls are not stained in piss, the entire flat is not aware of your adventure and you don’t have to go take a shower
Inspection shelf is a very important thing for coprophiles who actually use poop as a sex toy or eat it! In countries like France they have it hard, they have to poop on a paper on the floor etc. Why are coprophiles always left behind?
I came over this marvellous invention in a public loo in Hayle / Cornwall during lockdown in December 2020.
I love the shelf and unplopping ….
Today Nov.2023 I asked AI if it knew where to find a seat like this and voila : here I am..
I don´t know how common shelf toilets are in the UK …but I want one…( Live in Finland )
Wtf, dutch invention? (almost) the whole northern Europe has those. That’s a proper toilet, not like the ones where you get a Poseidon’s kiss every time u poop (and infection as a bonus).