​​How American Tourists Can Avoid A Humiliating Accident Using Europe's Self-Cleaning Toilets

Americans can avoid a stressful European trip by brushing up on local etiquette and travel tips. Avoiding common clothing mistakes and this luggage packing mistake can make your journey more enjoyable, but you should also understand how to use public self-cleaning toilets. These toilets are popular in major European cities and offer a quick and convenient bathroom break. Just be sure you know exactly how they operate before you use one — otherwise, you might face a messy and humiliating accident in the way of its wash cycle.

This type of self-cleaning toilet is single-use, and a self-cleaning process runs between uses. The restrooms have a 15-minute time limit. After this has elapsed, or after the bathroom is vacated and the door closes, the toilet bowl automatically retracts into the wall, and water is pressure-sprayed on the floor multiple times. If you are still inside the toilet when the door closes, you will get wet. Influencer Caroline of @rivieradreamer shared on TikTok that her friend learned about this mistake the hard way in Italy, saying they got "totally drenched" from this type of public restroom.

Americans are often surprised at having to pay to use the bathroom in Europe. Many restrooms, including these self-cleaning toilets, charge an entry fee per person. While the fee is low — often 50 cents to 1 euro — no change is given. It's helpful to carry small coins for situations like this, and always pay for these self-cleaning toilets in exact change. While holding the bathroom door open for a friend to save money may seem like a clever hack, it'll backfire when the cleaning cycle starts.

There are a number of toilet etiquette tips for Americans to be aware of when traveling to Europe. For example, many public toilets in Italy don't have seats, so you may choose to hover over the bowl or line the seat with toilet paper or tissues, if available. In Greece, you'll want to avoid flushing toilet paper. Pipes in Greece are narrower, and throwing used paper in the garbage bin provided next to the toilet puts less pressure on the plumbing system. Whichever destination you choose to visit in Europe, be sure to keep these tips in mind when using public restrooms.