I’ve seen enough unpleasant bathroom situations in Cuba that it’s worth writing this article about when and what to flush in Cuba. Here’s when, where and what you can flush in Cuba other than water and waste.
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What You Need To Know About Toilets In Cuba
Picture Christmas night and a tour group has booked my friends Alvaro and John for an ‘authentic Cuban dinner experience’. One guest asks to use the bathroom and is expressly told not to flush anything other than waste down the toilet.
After the dinner and once the guests have left we go to use the bathroom. Only to discover that the American tourist had indeed flushed paper down the toilet. And that there was sewage coming back up the pipes in the shower, sink, floor drain and toilet. We spent the rest of the night mopping human waste out of the house, yay.
When your casa particular host (airbnb) or tour guide asks you not to put anything in the toilet, they aren’t merely offering a suggestion. Only the large hotels are equiped with sewage systems capable of handling toilet paper. Everyone else has a sewage system from the 1950s.
In a hotel you can flush just about anything. In a private home you need to ask before you flush unless you want to flood that persons home with sewage. The 1950s septic systems and pluming were not designed to handle paper or sanitary napkins. So if in doubt, don’t flush it.
If The Sewage Overflows You Will Be Billed
Let’s say you decide to shirk the rules and flush toilet paper even when you’re told not too. If you flood somebody’s house with waste, you will be billed.
You can’t just flood a house with sewage by not following the rules and expect to be without repercussion. You can’t just move Airbnb and expect not to pay once you’ve flooded a house with human waste.
Airbnb won’t just refund your stay or pay the bill, trust me. I’ve seen many a foreigner try to skirt responsibility and fail. You’ll be stuck paying for the unsightly mess you’ve caused.
How Do I Know When I Can Flush Toilet Paper?
Generally the two easiest ways to tell if you can flush toilet paper are to ask yourself if you’re in a hotel and look for a waste bin next to the loo.
If you’re in a hotel and there’s no bin next to the toilet, you’re safe to flush toilet paper. If you’re in a Cuban home and there’s a waste bin next to the toilet, be sure to put the paper in that bin. Not down the toilet.
Where Can I Get More Information About Cuba?
I’ve made a Cuba Frequently Asked Questions Page (FAQ) available on this website. And I would strongly advise you to read it before travelling to Cuba.
My Cuba FAQ page will save you a lot of time and a significant amount of money on your trip to Cuba. Cuba is not the sort of destination in which you can just arrive unprepared.
Read the Cuba FAQ Page here.
