Have you ever encountered someone keeping matches near the toilet?

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angmarsilar@reddit

We used to keep them by our chairs because of our dog. He had the foulest farts you could imagine. They were silent but deadly. We'd hear this little gas escape and immediately strike a match.

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Tongue4aBidet@reddit

Yes once and I was surprised. Then I saw the candles on the countertop.

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ArkansasTravelier@reddit

My grandparents always did this, kept a huge bowl of old matchbooks from different motels and such they collected over the years and used them regularly

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Postcarde@reddit

Yes, me. I also travel with matches for use in hotel bathrooms.

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paka96819@reddit

In the outhouse on my grandmother's property.

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KatanaCW@reddit

One person in my husband's family does this. I'm not aware of anyone else I know that does.

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NecessaryPopular1@reddit

Sulfur compounds, aka sulfur dioxide-SO2- neutralizes gases that make your poop stink.

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Effective_Coach7334@reddit

this is the correct answer. more specifically, SO2 from a match is more powerful that the sulphur compounds from poo, so it masks them. You're literally no longer able to smell them.

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Hopeful_Pizza_2762@reddit

If you can handle the smell of Sulphur. Who has that stinky poo that needs a lighted match to cover it up?

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It isn't a masking effect. I think the "stink" is comprised of methane, at least in part, and is eliminated by a combustion source. At least that's how it was explained to me, and I can confirm it works well.

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Whoppertino@reddit

That's definitely not how it works.

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RiverGroover@reddit

Well, now you made me want to find out for sure. Some others have said that it is, in fact, sulfer dioxide masking other gasses. However, the folk theory that I'd been told is pretty plausible too. Here's an article that explains that the makeup of flatulence is a highly combustible mix of hydrogen and methane. Most interestingly, only about 1/3 of the population produces the later:

https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/explainer-the-chemistry-of-farts/2500168.article

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JohnnyC300@reddit

There is methane in the atmosphere right now. Lighting a match doesn't cause it to burn. Methane, or any flammable gas must reach a certain concentration to be flammable. It's the reason they put odiferous compounds in natural gas. They alert you to the presence of natural gas BEFORE it becomes explosive. You smell it, you still have plenty of time to turn off the gas or get out of your house. I guess, technically, any methane in close or direct contact with the flame would burn off harmlessly.

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Whoppertino@reddit

There's not a high enough concentration of those gases to combust and if they did combust you'd notice...

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jakerooni@reddit

Exactly. Kaboom. Or at least sparks.

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WorldsMostDad@reddit

Methane is odorless. They actually have to add odorant to natural gas so that you can smell if there's a leak.

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BoulderNerd@reddit

Methane is odorless. That is the reason that gas companies add a smelly chemical to natural gas so you can tell there is a leak.

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RiverGroover@reddit

Ethyl Mercaptan. I believe you. That article I linked says the stink is actually some tny fraction of organic compounds, but is nonetheless carried by combustible hydrogen sulfide and methane.

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2PlasticLobsters@reddit

Matches smell even worse to me.

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ritesideuppineapple@reddit

I have a box of matches in every bathroom in the house. Cuts the smell quickly without artificial/chemical scents.

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Dapper-Presence4975@reddit

Yeah, sometimes

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dystopiadattopia@reddit

Yep

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wizardglick412@reddit

Yes, in Quebec after being served scotch eggs and pickled herring for lunch. :-)

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RotationSurgeon@reddit

Yes. It’s sometimes considered a bit crude or boorish (why remind your guest that their bodily waste is smelly when there’s nothing they can do about that fact?), but it does happen.

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Pernicious_Possum@reddit

Yeah. It’s fairly common. Gets rid of dookie smell

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LemonBerryCake@reddit

My grandmother keeps matches in the bathroom, yeah.

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IHaveBoxerDogs@reddit

I think this is very old school. My dad is the only person I know who did this, and I am GenX.

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Castronautik@reddit

I grew up in a house that didn't initally have a bathroom fan, and the window was usually closed. We always had matches next to the toilet to use after you poop.

eventually we installed a fan that just turned on when you turned the light one. We probably used the matches less after that.

I grew up in Montana in the 80s/90s/early 2000s.

Its been years since I've seen this.

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StatisticianBoth3480@reddit

Yup, outhouses.

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ShesGotaChicken2Ride@reddit

Yes. It makes poop smell go away

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Link_save2@reddit

Not in person but Ive seen it in tv

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dweaver987@reddit

My wife’s family did this.

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cheekmo_52@reddit

The flame eliminates certain smells. I keep matches in my bathroom for that reason.

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WhompTrucker@reddit

Yes. Growing up all my relatives had matches in the bathroom. You light it and let it burn a few seconds then blow it out. They say it helps cut the smell if you poop.

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rco8786@reddit

Absolutely

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Emergency-Salamander@reddit

No. I've never seen this.

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devilscabinet@reddit

I have relatives who would take matches in the bathroom and light them. They didn't actually keep them in there, though.

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AtheneSchmidt@reddit

I keep candles in the bathrooms. Both for emergency lighting if the power goes out, or if something stinky happens.

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GreenBeanTM@reddit

Never scene that or heard that phrase.

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jakerooni@reddit

I have a small box in my guest bathroom.

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No_Seaworthiness8176@reddit

Besides my wife you mean?

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SherLovesCats@reddit

I got desperate last week after my adult son blew up my bathroom after eating Mexican food. The vent couldn’t cut it. The match did the trick.

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Sylent09@reddit

Yes, it is a cheap and easy way to eliminate or at least mask the poo smell. I can't explain how it works, but I can confirm that it does work.

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AnybodySeeMyKeys@reddit

That's kind of standard.

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malinagurek@reddit

Yes, we keep matches in the bathroom

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pikkdogs@reddit

Sure. My dad used to.

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yurinator71@reddit

My grandparents

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CLEHts216@reddit

I don’t feel safe disclosing how old I was when I learned they were NOT for trying to light one’s farts….

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JasminJaded@reddit

My mom. It’s pretty effective.

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Cardinal101@reddit

Yeah, me.

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QizilbashWoman@reddit

Yes. The extinguished match works well.

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plumberbss@reddit

I remember people doing this back in the 70's.

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masoleumofhope@reddit

This is absolutely a thing. Not everyone, but it wouldn't be surprising.

See also: Poo Pourri, candles, febreeze, potpourri

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PrimaryHighlight5617@reddit

Except your examples only mask the smell while striking a match initiates a chemical reaction that removes the smell from the airExcept your examples only mask the smell while striking a match initiates a chemical reaction that removes the smell from the air

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masoleumofhope@reddit

Yea I was just listing common object people keep in their bathroom, not addressing their efficacy.

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purplishfluffyclouds@reddit

I'm sorry to say but you are, in fact, wrong. Mythbusters already covered this.

https://www.rubensteinsupply.com/science-explains-why-lighting-a-match-eliminates-smells/

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CPA_Lady@reddit

My in-laws do

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Coidzor@reddit

Yes. Mostly it was for the candles that they kept in their bathrooms.

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chameleonsEverywhere@reddit

Yes. Extremely normal in my household. All those fake sprays that are supposed to mask the scent are godawful (and can trigger allergies/asthma), please let me light a match instead. It fully eradicates the smell and replaces it with a nice burnt-wood scent instead. After flushing, light the match while standing over the toilet, let it burn down most of the way, then shake it out and drop into the toilet.

There's a pack or box of matches on the back of every toilet in my parents' house and mine. When I was a kid and we'd travel, having a pack of matches to light in the hotel bathroom was ESSENTIAL since we're all sleeping right there and often hotel bathrooms have terrible ventilation.

My husband, who grew up in the same area and same cultural background as me, had never heard of it and thought it was strange when he first met my family. He has since come around and is now fully supportive of lighting a match.

I don't always light a match - usually I'll just run the fan for a few minutes after finishing and not bother to light a match. But if it's particularly rank or if I know someone will be using the bathroom immediately after, I do.

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donuttrackme@reddit

Yes, not super common nowadays but not unheard of either.

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phrits@reddit

Flame is the easiest way to quickly sterilize the poop knife.

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kieka408@reddit

I’ve seen it

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PeterNippelstein@reddit

I've smelled it

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RIPdon_sutton@reddit

I’ve done it.

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ZenNihilism@reddit

Come on, "dealt it" was right there!

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RIPdon_sutton@reddit

You’re right. Poor effort on my part. I’ll try to do better next time.

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Southern-Usual4211@reddit

Yep its a old school odor control technique.

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qu33nof5pad35@reddit

Yes

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autumnleeves13@reddit

Love spell

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PrimaryHighlight5617@reddit

The chemical reaction between the match head and the strike pad neutralizes the methane in the air. It literally erases the smell.

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Yeahboyeah@reddit

About 60 years ago, yes. Maybe no fan in the bathroom. Maybe no window. Some people didn't buy air freshener products outside of Lysol, and that was more of a disinfectant. It worked. I think diet had a lot to do with it, too.

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Known_Psychology1581@reddit

I am an American in my 40s who has lived in six states and I have literally never seen this, not one time.

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PapaTua@reddit

That's fascinating. It's pretty common in places I've lived. Entire West Coast, Colorado, Texas, NYC.

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Known_Psychology1581@reddit

Yeah, super odd. I haven’t lived in CO, TX, or NYC, but three west coast states, two Midwest states, and the DMV.

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poetic_justice987@reddit

It’s pretty common. Most people I know have matches near the toilet.

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SubstantialPressure3@reddit

That's a silent generation and boomer thing. Now people out air freshener in their bathrooms.

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Traditional_Trust418@reddit

I've never heard of this personally before now

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DoublePostedBroski@reddit

Huh?

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Effective_Coach7334@reddit

it is very common

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that-Sarah-girl@reddit

The flame burns the stinky fart gasses. I wave the match around much as possible.

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eugenesbluegenes@reddit

Do you... actually think that?

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No_Arm_931@reddit

we keep them in our bathrooms, for candles and smell elimination.

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sharkycharming@reddit

Sure, lots of times. Especially in the bathrooms of men who live without women.

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AlexisRosesHands@reddit

I find it interesting that there seems to be two camps: the ”Yep, of course!” crowd and the ”I’ve never heard of this in my entire life what are you talking about??!” crowd. 😂

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Elixabef@reddit

I’ve had family members who did this. Come to think of it, maybe I should do it, too. But matchbooks aren’t as ubiquitous as they used to be.

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SteveArnoldHorshak@reddit

Yes, I do it myself.

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_fenwoods@reddit

We did this in my house growing up. Note that you’ve reminded me, I might start doing that again. It works!

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Klutzy-Comment6897@reddit

It was for his crack pipe.

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markuus99@reddit

Yes this is very common. Sometimes just matches or often matches and a candle. It covers up and/or combusts the stinky gases.

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seifd@reddit

I've never seen it. We always would turn on the little fan in the bathroom if the smell was bad. That makes the most sense, at least to me.

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Chemical-Mix-6206@reddit

My parents did. Light one after you poop. Neutralizes your fart gases. I prefer the courtesy flush followed with a spritz of febreeze but a lit match works too!

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Carinyosa99@reddit

My grandma always had matches near the toilet. This probably goes back to the days before there were air fresheners.

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VeronaMoreau@reddit

Yup. We did growing up. It kills the smell without being cloying.

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NecessaryPopular1@reddit

I keep matches in the bathroom.

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Vachic09@reddit

I have, but it's also not that unusual to have a candle in the bathroom where I am from.

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Ancarn@reddit

I feel crazy; so many comments are saying this is a thing, but I've never heard of it before this post

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thelmaandpuhleeze@reddit

Is that not normal where you are? (Whereabouts is that?)

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Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit

Yes, my grandparents did. Their house was old enough that it didn't have a bathroom fan and the lighting of a couple of matches actually worked pretty well to mask smells.

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Beruthiel999@reddit

The sulphur of a lit match neutralizes the sharp smell of shit to a degree. That's why they're there. It's common and it's kind of polite.

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Traditional-Let9530@reddit

Yeah it’s actually a real thing, people light a match after using the bathroom because the sulfur smell masks odors pretty quickly, it’s old school but it works.

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3m2coy@reddit

Yes, back when I was young and poor I would keep matches by the toilet. You could get a free book of matches from any restaurant. After pooping, you light the match and toss it in the toilet. This would eliminate / cover up the smell.

Note, you shouldn’t actually toss a match in the toilet, but I was young and didn’t know better.

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