STAND AND DELIVER
Using Squatting Toilets
1
Recognize that there are two main types of toilets typically encountered in Italy. One is a version of the typical toilet bowl. The other is a squatting type, which is a ceramic platform with a hole in the floor. No flushing mechanism exists in the squatting type.
2
Stand with your feet on the ribbed, non-slip footsteps that are usually provided in squatting toilets on either side of the hole. This will help you keep the best position to maintain your balance.
3
Steady yourself with the handrail if one is made available
Read more: How to Use Italian Toilets | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5908590_use-italian-toilets.html#ixzz13oxUPkFu
Some benefits of using squat toilets are:
- It is less expensive and easier to clean and maintain.
- It does not involve any contact between the buttocks and thighs with a potentially unsanitary surface.
- The absence of water in the bowl avoids the problem of water splashing upwards.
A squat toilet (also known as an Eastern, French, Turkish, Iranian, Indian, Pakistani or Natural-Position toilet) is a toilet used by squatting, rather than sitting. There are several types of squat toilets, but they all consist essentially of a hole in the ground. The only exception is a "pedestal" squat toilet, which is the same height as a standard flush toilet. It is also possible to squat over standard Western pedestal toilets, but this requires extra care as they are not specifically designed for squatting.