Why Toilets Are Always White (7 Common Reasons)

You must be probably wondering why toilets are designed to be white, or why we cannot have dark toilets, perhaps to make it less burdening to clean. 

This post will uncover some of the reasons why toilets are white and why yours needs to be white, too. 

Additionally, we will be answering some most frequently asked questions within this article. So if this is something that has always disturbed you, please keep reading to find out more. 

Read: Red Cup Under Toilet Seat – 7+ Reasons [Explained]

Why are Toilets White – Reasons You Never Knew

Shades usually affect human emotions in different ways. In as much as there could be some slight difference in how different genders or cultures perceive hues, white has always been assumed to be pure or symbolizes safety. And this explains why most hospitals and bathrooms have white as the primary color – giving the space a sense of sterility. 

On the contrary, dark colors represent negative things – examples include black and brown. While I have mentioned that the white color brings some sense of purity, it usually does not give freshness, but that does not hinder it from being the perfect choice for most bathrooms or toilets. 

And because toilets should always be clean, it makes more sense to use white because white makes it easy to spot dirt or any discoloration; it makes you uncomfortable to spot dirt, prompting you to clean the dirt or discoloration immediately. 

Apart from the reasons I have listed above, below are additional reasons why people choose to make their toilets white, even though other beautiful colors can serve the same purpose. 

1. White Exposes Dirt Easily

Painting your toilet white means that you will easily spot any dirt and opt to clean it immediately. People often feel embarrassed when their toilets are discolored or dirty and would always clean them immediately. In a nutshell, white exposes dirt and makes it easy for you to spot and clean it instantly. 

2. White Symbolizes Minimalism

Minimalists love white because of a reason. According to most minimalists, white is a simple color that simply stands out; it is practical and functional in any way. People can use white in different aspects – whether in the toilet or your living room. This makes it a perfect choice for minimalist bathrooms. 

3. White is Associated With Cleanliness 

Honestly, whenever we see white, our perceptions are quickly driven to thinking that thing is clean. Likewise, whenever we see someone wearing white clothes, you will quickly judge that they are always clean. The same applies to toilets – it needs to be clean throughout, and the only color to convince people that it is clean is white. 

4. Some People Just Prefer the Color White 

White has been used in toilets for years, and nearly everyone would not stand another toilet color. It will appear awkward, and most people may not even accept the color. Most people also prefer white to other colors. They feel good to have white in their toilets because of the reasons I have previously mentioned. 

5. White Is Perceived Clean and Modern

White is perceived as clean, but most people also think of it as modern. White has some modern elements, so most people think it can fit in any home. It doesn’t matter whether your home is big or small – white will also bring the perception that your house or home is new. 

6. White Symbolizes Godliness

The white color is associated with most religions, and therefore, many people will be quick to link it to Godliness. It doesn’t matter what religion you subscribe to – the most important thing is that white symbolizes innocence and purity. And if you have ever wondered why wedding gowns are usually white, this is the reason. 

7. Creates a Sense of More Space

Perhaps you have never known this, but the white color creates a sense of more space. White usually blends with most of the colors, and this makes it a perfect choice for toilets. Additionally, bathrooms and toilets are designed small, and there is a need to create a sense of more space. 

White color can make your toilet look big even when you perceive it as small, which is essential because nobody loves a small bathroom. So if you are struggling to create more space in your toilet or bathroom, try painting it white, and you’ll begin to have a feeling of more space.

Are Toilets Porcelain or Ceramic?

Toilets are used daily and multiple times by different and many people. It doesn’t matter where your toilet is located within your house – what matters is that it has to be clean and sanitary all the time. 

Think of what would happen if the toilet was made of plastic? Your waste would probably be seeping into the plastic, making your toilet dirty or unsanitary, leading to many infections. Even worse, cleaning such a toilet would be quite a hassle. 

Sure, ceramics and porcelain keep toilets clean and enhance their sanitary conditions, but they also make toilets easy to clean. 

Why are Toilets Made of Porcelain? 

Porcelain is preferred for toilets because there are not many materials that can match what it offers – the hygiene, ease of use, affordability, etc. Wood might have been a good substitute, but it expands when exposed to water. 

On the other hand, Metal may be hygienic and affordable but will be a nightmare to sit on. Plastics, too, would have made a perfect match, but the weight people insert on toilets are too much for them. 

Porcelain is smooth and robust, which means that it can accommodate the weight exerted by most people. Additionally, porcelain is easy to clean, which is very critical as far as public health is concerned. 

Ceramics have been there for the past 30,000 years, according to a report. In case you have never known, the porcelain you see today in the toilets is called the vitreous china, a shiny technique used to make toilets, tubs, or sinks to keep them durable. 

Some colors were used in toilets up to the 1970s, but that has now come to pass because most people can’t stand other colors in the toilet and instead prefer to see white in the toilet because of the many reasons we have discussed. 

Read: Toilet Water Splashed on Me: What To Do? (Do This Now)

Why are Toilets Ceramic? 

You sit and squat in the toilet nearly every day. The materials used to make sewage pipes have always been changing, but the materials used to make toilets have never changed ever since. Porcelain has always been the material people think of when they are constructing a toilet. 

And you could be wondering why anybody has ever questioned why we cannot use any other synthetic materials as materials for toilets’ construction. According to you, there has been more advancement in technology that we can’t miss a porcelain substitute. 

The reality is that there is no other material that can offer what porcelain will offer in the building of toilets. Toilets must meet four characteristics – they must be flushable, waterproof, and hygienic, and lastly, it has to be strong. 

The process of making toilets is a little bit complex. For the materials used in making pipers, water tanks, sewage pipes, etc., there is no problem, and new materials can be found as substitutes. However, we have no better replacement for porcelain. 

If people were to use plastics in the making of toilets, we could be having very few toilets, which means that we could be having a very untidy environment – God forbid. This is because plastics’ cost is too high, which is one reason you can see that plastics are only used on toilet seats. 

Another reason why people can’t just turn their backs on porcelain as the primary toilet building material is that it is very durable. Honestly, nobody would be willing to repair their toilets regularly. It would be costly and uneconomical. Porcelain is rigid and can sustain heavy weights exerted when people sit on them. 

Plastics cannot be suitable substitutes for porcelain because they can’t hold the weight that most overweight would exert. Additionally, as we previously noted, plastics’ cost is too high, which means that it would be too costly to build toilets using plastics. 

Porcelain is porous and aids in bacteria propagation. Toilets specifically designed for the cleaning of waste will not be affected by water or bacteria. And because porcelain contains glaze, water and bacteria are kept in the glazer’s outer layer, making it easy to clean. 

Porcelain has always been the number 1 priority for use in the toilets, and it will continue being a top priority considering the many benefits it offers. There is no other material apart from ceramics that can be used in the toilets. 

Read: How to Fix a Toilet Seat That Keeps Falling? (+ 3 Simple Solutions)

How Many Years Does a Toilet Last?

A toilet can last for 50 years or even more. However, you will still incur some costs maintaining the toilet once in a while. Usually, repairs and replacements will need to be made, and this is normal and unavoidable.  

There have been massive developments in how toilets are made in the last fifty years. Today, it takes just a few flushes to get rid of waste. Additionally, the advancement in technology has made it easy to use less water in toilet flushes. So if you have a toilet that you bought in the past fifty years, you need to consider replacing it so that you can enjoy the modern features. 

Sure, your toilet can last for many years, precisely, more than 50 years, but you need to maintain it. You will often need to make repairs and replace defective parts or components so that your toilet can continue being more effective as it was when you first purchased it. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Indeed, toilets must never be white, but most of them are white. The color white is because most of the toilets are made of porcelain, and there are no many substitutes for porcelain, which is why most toilets today are white. 

It would be bizarre to see a toilet with a different color because people are already used to the white color in toilets. Instead of getting it complicated, it would be better to go with white that most people have vetted and accepted as the toilet color.