Tipping cleaners and bringing your own toilet paper: What you should know about restrooms around the world

Navigating local customs while travelling internationally can be tricky. Knowing when to tip and whether it's polite to shake hands with a stranger is hard enough, but it's even harder to figure out the restroom etiquette at your destination.

Before you start packing for your next trip abroad, read some of these facts about bathroom etiquette around the world, Travel + Leisure warns.

Tipping cleaners

Toilets in Europe's largest cities used to be paid for. Today, many of these facilities have become free for ethical reasons. There are exceptions - Amsterdam, for example, is still a country of paid toilets - but payment is now more often symbolic. When the restroom is used (i.e., a cleaner works in it), it is customary to give a tip. Warning: service personnel sometimes put large bills in tip jars to confuse tourists. A small tip, equivalent to 0.50 to 1 dollar, is sufficient.

Toilets in some parts of Asia are designed for squatting

If you've visited a public restroom in Singapore, Thailand, India, or China, you've probably seen a squatting toilet. These types of toilets are common in many Asian countries. Squatting down to do your business has been proven to be healthier and more natural for the body, which is probably why some countries use in-ground toilets with steps on either side to accommodate your feet. When using a squatting toilet, make sure your pants pockets are empty or secure.

Flushing toilet paper can clog the toilet in these countries

One of the most embarrassing things you can do in a public restroom is clog it. And the easiest way to do this is by flushing toilet paper in a country where it is prohibited. Some places have narrow pipes or don't have systems that easily break down toilet paper, so it's common to throw toilet paper in the trash can instead of the toilet, or use a bidet instead. It is common not to flush toilet paper in Turkey, Greece, China, Montenegro, Egypt, and rural areas throughout South America.

In China and South Korea, you must have your own toilet paper

In some countries, such as China and South Korea, it is customary to bring your own toilet paper. The biggest reason why toilet paper is not served in a public restroom is theft. Toilet paper theft was such a huge problem in China that in the late 2010s, the authorities installed facial recognition software in some public restrooms. It's best to travel with napkins in your bag as you never know when you'll need them.

Bidet

Bidets are commonplace outside the United States, especially in Europe, Asia, and parts of South America. The water cleansing device originated in France, so you can bet you'll find them in many French bathrooms today. Bidets are not just preferred to toilet paper in many parts of the world, they are also essential in places where paper products are limited. Prepare to use it if you use a public restroom in Italy, Portugal, Japan, Argentina, or Venezuela.