When it comes to everyday objects, the humble toilet seat is one we are more than used to.
Toilet seats help to keep smells exactly where they should be and all around create a more pleasing bathroom aesthetic - that's why it's so noticeable when they are missing.
If you've ever been abroad, you'll know that - for some reason - toilet seats tend to go walkabout more often than here in the UK.
Now, the reason why has finally been revealed.
Advert
The worst thing is that it actually makes a lot of sense, so it's worth bearing in mind the next time you're on holiday - particularly in Europe, where the issue is most prevalent.
It turns out that toilet seats are apparently removed for purely hygienic reasons.
The revelation was made by a website dedicated to all things bog - Toilet Guru - which pointed out that loo seats are typically made of wood or porous plastic while toilets themselves are ceramic.
As you can imagine, wood or plastic is a lot more porous and therefore has the ability to capture all sorts of bacteria and smells in a way that a porcelain toilet can't.
Even with the best will in the world, there's only so much that wood can be cleaned, and this situation gets a lot worse for toilets that are used by a lot of people.
While seats without toilets aren't exactly the most comfortable to sit on, it's a lot easier to keep them clean.
Not only that, but there are no specific rules against toilets being seatless - however, there are plenty in place when it comes to their sanitation.
The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines, for example, states that public toilets need to be clean and sanitary.
Qualities that are a lot easier to achieve without a seat.
Don't just take the word of the Toilet Guru for the phenomenon, either, but The Florentine, which specifically delves into Italian seatless bathrooms.
The website notes that while Italian toilets do come with toilet seats - contrary to what you might think - they end up so dirty that people stand on them.
As you can imagine, standing to squat and similar doesn't exactly do the toilet seats any favours, and it's not long before they break, adding to the seatless situation.
We have to admit that, when we think about it, the removal of toilet seats might also be a time issue.
If a bathroom is in a public place and is one of many, whoever is cleaning it will have a much easier job without an additional seat to sanitise.
The more you know, eh?
Emma Guinness