Why are there two flush buttons on a toilet lid? Many people are unaware of the surprising functionality.

Toilet bowls were invented to make life more convenient, clean, and aesthetically pleasing. Why do toilet bowls have two flush buttons? Sometimes we are used to pressing both buttons at the same time. So when should you press the small button, when should you press the big button, and what happens when you press both buttons?

Why do we need two buttons on a toilet bowl and what is their purpose?

A toilet system has a water tank, usually filled with water, which is then released from the tank into the bowl and gradually refills. The small and big flush buttons are both used to adjust the amount of water needed for the toilet bowl. The small button is designed to release only half or one-third of the water when it is used. Meanwhile, the big button directly empties the water in the tank. If there is more water and the water pressure increases, the toilet bowl can be flushed cleaner.

However, we don’t always need to use the big button every time we use the toilet. Therefore, the manufacturers designed these two types of buttons to help us save more water. Moreover, when you press each button lightly or heavily, the amount of water flushed out is different. For example, if you press lightly on the small button, it will only use about one-third of the water, and if you press it fully, it will use about half of the water.

When you need to clean the toilet bowl, sometimes you need a strong water pressure to wash away more dirt. So if you press the big button lightly, the water pressure will be lower, and if you press it heavily, not only will all the water be flushed, but also the water pressure will increase, making it easier to rinse away dirt. If you press both buttons together, the flushing force will be stronger and the amount of water will be greater. If there are some stubborn stains and a lot of water with high water pressure, you can press both buttons simultaneously.

Therefore, depending on the purpose of use, you should press different buttons and adjust the speed to avoid wasting water.

How to clean the toilet bowl?

Toilet bowls have a deep crevice structure, so over time, they tend to accumulate dirt in the crevices. Pressing the flush button will help clean the dirt stuck in the crevices of the toilet bowl.

The wider the crevices in the toilet bowl, the more difficult it is to clean. So how can you clean the toilet bowl to make it clean and emit a pleasant odor?

Use a mixture of white vinegar and baking soda

White vinegar can dissolve yellow stains in the crevices of the toilet bowl, while baking soda has relatively strong cleaning and disinfecting properties.

Therefore, if the toilet bowl has many yellow stains, you can pour a little white vinegar and then baking soda. Baking soda and white vinegar help you clean the yellow stains more easily.

Toothpaste

In addition to cleaning agents, toothpaste contains abrasive substances that can increase friction and better clean the yellow stains of the toilet bowl.

And toothpaste itself has a pleasant smell. If you use toothpaste to clean the toilet bowl, it can effectively eliminate odors in the toilet bowl. Toothpaste also contains some antibacterial components, which can kill some bacteria in the toilet bowl.

Close the toilet lid before flushing

According to experts’ recommendations, before sitting down to use the toilet, it is also a good habit to close the lid and flush once to rinse away the dirt. After finishing using the toilet, close the lid and then press the flush button and quickly leave. This is because the flush force of the water is quite strong and can cause bacteria to fly high, which can potentially cause infection. Therefore, remember to close the lid when flushing the toilet.

You should also limit sitting for too long on the toilet bowl as it can expose you to more bacteria.