How to Hide That You’re Pooping

Hide the smell

Even if nobody notices you’re pooping while you’re pooping, that telltale smell tends to give it away. Fortunately, you have options.

An air freshener or a spritz of a scented product—like perfume—can go a long way. Some folks swear by sudsing up extra scented hand soap in the sink when they wash their hands. And if there is a fan, don’t forget to leave it running even after you step out of the bathroom.

But there’s more. Even the most critical reviews of Poo-pourri, which you drip into the toilet before you drop one into the toilet, acknowledge that it does something. The consensus seems to be that there will be less poo smell in the air overall, but whatever smell does escape will mix with the citrusy or ginger-y scent of the product. (This is, admittedly, an issue with any fragrance-oriented solution.)

How can you prevent the smell from getting into the air in the first place? Enter the courtesy flush. You simply flush the toilet the instant you hear a plop. This may mean flushing two or three times in total (you’ll also want to flush your toilet paper, of course), but it’s a good strategy when being proactive about smells.

And check the toilet bowl before you leave. Some toilets don’t flush as well as others, and you don’t want to assume that a flush or two disposed of all the evidence. After all, if you leave a log behind, the next person will know exactly what you did in there.