The world is filled with disgusting toilets. You might personally prefer toilets that smell OK and aren't covered in filth, but try telling that to whichever organs are involved in making you really need to use the bathroom. It has happened before, and it will happen again: you'll be at a bus stop, or a music festival, or the apartment of a man under the age of 26, and you'll realise, suddenly, that you no longer have any choice.

How do you hang your toilet paper? The age-old question whether the "right" way to have the end going over the top of the roll or under, coming from the side closest to the wall, is as old as time. It's a controversial topic that has torn apart families, and now we have a definitive answer to the question: The right way to hang your toilet paper is with the end going over the top.

You're at a friend's house when nature calls. So you take care of business, then flush the toilet -- and nothing happens. After a quick scan of the bathroom, you realise there's not a plunger or toilet brush in sight. Here's what you do.

Some people squat over a public toilet, because they have quads of steel. Some people just sit their bare tushies right down on the rubella-covered seat, because evidently they have no fear of germs as sensible people should. For the rest of us there are toilet-seat covers. Yeah, you can cover the seat with TP, but the careful tearing, angling and placing of lengths of paper for perfect coverage can get a little tedious when you really need to go -- what is this, macramé?

One of the darker moments of my parenting career saw me holding a terrified three-year-old on a toilet that repeatedly automatically flushed at a volume that is only appropriate for the whooshing sound of the gates of Hell.

While there's never truly a "good time" to use the toilet in a crowded, cramped metal tube hurling through the sky at 805km an hour, some times are more comfortable than others. Here's what a professional flyer recommends if you're worried about privacy and being considerate to other passengers.

One of the funniest moments in Toy Story 3 was when Woody surreptitiously placed a sheet of paper on a public toilet seat in the midst of a daring escape. It was funny because it was relatable. But are public toilet seats actually any dirtier than the ones in your house? The answer's in the headline.

Are your coworkers constantly hanging the toilet roll the wrong way, standing uncomfortably close to you at the urinal or leaving suspicious smears on the toilet seats? While for most people, toilet etiquette is akin to common sense, it seems that some people still need a reminder now and again.

Dear Lifehacker, I have a strange but real question: What is the optimal location to position toilet cubes or other cleaners on the side of toilets? Do they do anything other than change the colour of the water blue? Are the ones you stick to the side of the bowl any better than the hanging caged ones?

Dear Lifehacker, According to Metamucil and other high-fibre products, I'm supposed to squeeze out a Number 2 once per day to remain "regular". Personally, I don't go that often and I don't seem to be suffering for it. So here's my question: Is remaining "regular" actually important to my health, or is it just a ploy to sell supplements I don't need?

Sometimes nature makes a local call while you're exploring it. This illustrated guide explains the proper way to take care of business in the wilderness, and how to keep it from being a problem for others.

As Seinfeld's George Costanza would happily tell you, public toilets are not all the same. This is especially true when travelling abroad -- everything from toilet architecture to expected bathroom etiquette can be vastly different depending on what country you're in. This infographic breaks down everything you need to know for intercontinental potty breaks.

Dear Lifehacker, When work is getting too busy or stressful, I'll often use my "potty break" as a chance to unwind. After doing my business, I'll regularly stay on the toilet for another ten to 15 minutes and just vege out. (Sometimes I'll even get some work done on my smartphone.) So my question is: is staying in the cubicle longer than necessary bad for my health? Or is it the same amount of risk regardless?

If you like to spend a lot of time in the great outdoors, you know that taking care of business can often be a challenge. This clever setup packs waste removal, toilet paper and a seat cushion all in one bucket.

For some of us, using a public toilet is a nightmare. AsapSCIENCE can put your mind at ease with this video explaining why public toilet seats aren't as dirty as you think they are.

Ever wish your home or office had plane-style occupancy lights so you know when the toilet is in use? Some crafty hackers in Tokyo made this dream into a reality.

The next time your wife is rummaging around in her handbag for her lippy or car keys, you may want to surreptitiously hand her a wet wipe. A new study from UK washroom company Initial Hygiene has found that women's handbags are often crawling with harmful bacteria that can pose a significant health risk to humans.

Dear Lifehacker, I recently got married but have encountered my first challenge to wedded bliss. As much as I try, for the life of me I cannot remember to put the toilet seat down. The repercussions for this apparently heinous act are getting progressively worse. What started as a cheeky dig from the wife has grown into a punishable-by-death offence after a recent late night trip to the bathroom went wrong with her falling in. Any suggestions would be much cheaper then marriage counselling. Thanks, "Currently Living" Husband

You probably don't remember who taught you how to wipe — your parents, most likely — or why you wipe the way you do. All you know is that once you were settled in on one style of wiping that worked, more or less, there was no real reason to change. But is it the right way? Is it the best way? Let's find out.