After urinating, you flush, then walk away from the perfectly clean flowing water over to the faucet to wash your hands in some other perfectly clean flowing water. Combine the urinal, the sink, and the hand dryer into a mega restroom appliance. Also prevents lines at the now nonexistant faucets or driers.-- prometheus, Oct 04 2001 Straight Dope on microbes http://www.straight...assics/a990416.htmlToilet aerosols and home cleanliness. Scary. [pottedstu, Oct 04 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004] (?) Baked http://www.sony.com...n/yda97/junior.htmlScroll down to bottom of page [hippo, Mar 13 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004] (?) sabertoothy tiger http://www.halfbake.../idea/www.yahoo.comI think you should just refrain from urinating [sabertiger, Oct 04 2004] "Weird Toilet Sink" Urinal and Sink http://www.evilmilk...ird_Toilet_Sink.htmDunno if it is real, or just a concept. I like it. [baconbrain, Dec 09 2010] Grey water toilet http://en.wikipedia...i/Toilet#Grey_waterPretty common, you can use laundry water too [metarinka, Dec 11 2010] <cliche>If it ain't broke, don't fix it</cliche>-- thumbwax, Oct 05 2001 Or you could combine the dryer and a pair of pants, and just urinte in your pants. This would eliminate both the urinal and the need to wash your hands.-- mighty_cheese, Oct 05 2001 Or you could insert a recycling device in your penis-tip/vulva which would filter out the water, returning it to your bloodstream, and deposit the remaining powder (which I estimate would only be a few grams per micturation) in a small vessel/special knicker pocket/tiny rocket which is then fired into the sun.-- pottedstu, Oct 05 2001 Oh come on. You're all too good to let the water you just washed your hands with run through a pipe and flush the urinal?
In households not utilizing water-efficient fixtures, toilets used the most water on a daily basis. In households with water efficient fixtures, faucets are the second greediest appliance with 10.9 gallons per day. Toilets are fourth at 9.6 gallons per day. There's no reason toilets need to use drinkable water to wash away human waste.-- prometheus, Oct 05 2001 I'm voting for this one, just because I think it's ridiculous to waste potable water in a potty. prometheus - this makes up for your other idea (bathtub hydroelectric thingy) which is water-wasteful. What simplicity! Have a simple small sink at the top of the urinal. Pee, zip up, wash your hands - and the washwater is the flushwater. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." - our use of water resources is broken. Using potable water for lawn-watering, car-washing, toilet-flushing, etc., and running all wastewater into one system (often along with rain runoff through city storm drains) do not have the hallmarks of intelligent use of resources.-- quarterbaker, Oct 05 2001 Well, I voted for this one and can't believe all you nancys would vote it down. Nothing like conservation, you know. But, really, that means I would have to flush each time. Rock on-- 1kester, Oct 05 2001 My father (43 years) and his father (23 years - died 2 days after explosion at water treatment facility) both managed Water Districts - I'm quite familiar with water conservation - and it is one of my greatest concerns. I'm also familiar with bar sinks - where 3 square stainless steel sinks are adjacent. Manufacturing process of proposed idea would require far more resources to create such a setup, blah blah blah. Just as in Art, One cannot be so focused that they fail to step back and look at the overall picture. <!>Don't splash<!> Speaking of Art, Jackson Pollock had some of his best ideas while pissing outside.-- thumbwax, Oct 05 2001 thumbwax - The cost of manufacturing the urinal sink would not likely exceed the cost of separate urinal and sink. In fact, they would decrease some related manufacturing/installation costs and material resource use. Only one water line required, only one drain required. Just picture a normal-ish porcelain sink, about 12" diameter, on top of a porcelain urinal. It is the essence of simplicity and efficiency. I suspect that the negative responses here have more to do with squeamishness about urine than with the real merits of the idea. Think about this again: 1. Less use of resources for manufacture 2. Reduced consumption of water with every use 3. Just as sanitary as traditional separate sink and urinal 4. Save space Where's the problem, folks?-- quarterbaker, Oct 05 2001 I just wanted a urinal sink.-- prometheus, Oct 05 2001, last modified Oct 06 2001 The problem is also in reality of space used, and in additional resources required not only for construction of such standalone units just to save a 'nickel' on plumbing or water - but for additional resources to make apartments, townhomes and 2nd or 3rd baths in single family dwellings larger. If you have ever lived in an apartment or townhouse with a downstairs bath, you may be aware that there are limitations of space. Wall, sink, toilet, tub, wall - certainly not enough room within to expand. I live in the largest apartment in my building of 20 fully appointed units. Without going into detail, there ain't room to expand towards the interior - leaving only the option for the building to have been built larger on the exterior, thereby using far more resources such as wood, wire, insulation, tile, stucco, paint, concrete, blah blah blah. Think about the big picture. Far more water would be consumed in creation of all additional components in order 'to save water' than would be saved. Piss twice or thrice in a low flush toilet - Or just piss in the sink you've got.-- thumbwax, Oct 06 2001 If the concern is with wasted water, why not set up a grey water toilet? I channel all the water from my shower into a tank, where it is stored to be used in the toilet. I got the impression from [prometheus] that the idea was to avoid wasting time, not water.-- mighty_cheese, Oct 06 2001 I'm also surprised the reaction here is so negative. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is not an attitude I hope to see here, and many *far* worse urinal-related ideas got a lot more croissants.
I know, why don't you put a song in the idea description, then everyone will vote for it.
[thumbwax]: What are you talking about? Most homes don't have urinals anyway, and surely the urinal-sink would take up *less* space than separate urinal and sink. Besides, what about new construction?-- egnor, Oct 06 2001 Just a thought, but considering how few males actually flush urinals and/or wash their hands after using a public restroom, is it possible to save any more water?-- mighty_cheese, Oct 06 2001 [mighty cheese] Didn't you ever sneak into a mens rest room to see how a urinal worked/looked like? Curiosity got the better of me years ago.-- Helium, Oct 06 2001 You know, you could just piss into the sink...-- Deity, Oct 07 2001 Deity - That is baked. Anyone ever listen to loveline?Heard this from a movie once... "Ain't ya gonna wash ya hands?" "I wash my hands BEFORE I touch my dick."-- AfroAssault, Oct 08 2001 Its a standing joke to all synthetic chemists (at least where I work) that you have to wash your hands before going to the bathroom. I can only imagine what the various acids, alkalis, solvents and skin irritants we use would do to the more sensitive areas of the body. Mind you, I do spend most of the day wearing disposable latex gloves, therefore why not cut the end off a condom, put it on and go pee. Bingo! Problem solved, no need to touch anything that has been festering in hot underpants all morning.-- chronic irony, Oct 08 2001 I am personally uncomfortable with the idea of waiting in line (say at Oktoberfest, after 10 pints or so) to use the urinal while some guy is busy washing his hands and drying them in the new mega-appliance.
[Helium]... I make regular trips to the men's restroom, though never out of curiosity. When I try to use the women's restroom, I get bashed with handbags.-- mighty_cheese, Oct 08 2001 [mighty_cheese] Sorry mighty cheese you threw that insult out there regarding men and their hygiene, or lack of it, with all the finesse of a woman.-- Helium, Oct 08 2001 Just read this on The Straight Dope:
'The toilet seat was the least contaminated of 15 household locales studied. "If an alien came from space and studied the bacterial counts," the professor says, "he probably would conclude he should wash his hands in your toilet and crap in your sink." '
I've put up a link (great cartoon).-- pottedstu, Oct 20 2001 Baked. My urinal sink is in the kitchen, next to the stove!-- blainez, Mar 12 2002 Oh- I thought that was what those things in the wall at McDonalds restrooms were, WHOOPS.-- IvanIdea, Mar 13 2002 Baked - I saw a combined urinal/sink a couple of weeks ago at a bathroom shop in Islington. The only one I could find on the web is linked.-- hippo, Mar 13 2002 i know! Maybe every one could have a pipe attached to their pants.....so they could urine in their pants and the urine could be all transfered to a similar plant for treatment into new water-- sabertiger, Nov 13 2002 Is this getting close - doesn't answer the conservationist element though - http://www.neo-metro.com/toilets_neo_comby.htm-- dougall, Jan 03 2003 I think those who support the urinal sink will be happy to know that they already exist and are standard in most of our country's fine prisons. I'm not sure if the convicts really appreciate the efficiency and economy though. Brushing one's teeth directly above a toilet is a somewhat jarring experience psychologically perhaps, but I'm sure we can all get used to it.-- brinkmanship, Jan 15 2003 Never, never wash your face in a washbasin in the room of a college dorm. Even in all-girl dorms.-- FloridaManatee, Oct 21 2003 I'm voting for this one simply because I enjoy pissing in the sink, and have done for a while now.
However, (and this is a big however), I don't think this is a wholesome *or* fun idea for the reason that there is a *very real chance* that you may get piss on your person, the surrounding furnishings or elsewhere, or, more importantly *someone else's piss*. Now, who could live with that?-- bobajobrob, Apr 15 2004 //There's no reason toilets need to use drinkable water to wash away human waste.//
But in areas where drinking water is plentiful and not in short supply (the vast majority of the US), there's no reason not to either.-- zigness, Apr 15 2004 I was pondering something similar to this - similar enough I will put in an anno. [Pro] posits a whole new appliance - unecessary. Currently urinals are arranged in a row against the wall: invariably too close together. The sinks are on a different wall. The proposal: simply alternate urinals and sinks. The drain from the sink goes to the top of the urinal. This is better in a number of respects:
1: Less water waste. 2: Less plumbing. This eliminates one connection to water (the urinal) and one connection to the sewer (the sink) 3: Reminds urinal users to use the sink.
If there is not enough flow from the men's sink to get the urinals flushed, one could connect the urinals thru the wall to the sinks on the women's side.-- bungston, Jan 29 2007 We think that you might do well to clarify that last paragraph, [bungs] ...-- 8th of 7, Dec 09 2010 Makes sense. It does seem kind of silly to install two seperate appliances when one will do.
It's not like he's suggesting combining it with a salad bar. Great idea.-- doctorremulac3, Dec 11 2010 very baked. This is called grey water systems and it's already used on places like boats, remote facilities and the likes where potable water is hard to come by. You can buy grey water toilets, or make your own, but you have to be careful as certain detergents, hair etc can clog up the system or leave nasty buildups.-- metarinka, Dec 11 2010 You could just keep the normal layout and pump the sink water into the cistern.-- marklar, Dec 11 2010 When you think of it, the combining of the two is only a social stigma elimination away. Put out a "Cool people pee in the sink" campaign and suddenly every sink is a combo sink / urinal.
They did it with showers.-- doctorremulac3, Dec 30 2014 random, halfbakery