Have you ever noticed a red cup under the toilet seat and wondered why it was there? For those who don’t know why it can be pretty confusing. However, there are actually a ton of reasons as to why the cup has been placed there, and you can find out by reading this article.

1. There is no more toilet paper.
There’s nothing worse than sitting down on the toilet and discovering there is no more toilet paper. Luckily, leaving an empty red cup beneath the seat will tell the next user that this is the problem because they will need to remove the red cup before using the toilet.

2. Hygenic reasons.
Are you someone who hates touching the toilet seat to raise or lower it? Then the empty red cup might just become your new best friend. It prevents you from having to touch the actual seat. However, there have been studies that suggest this is more unsanitary than raising the toilet seat manually. Germs get splashed on the cup when the toilet is flushed.

3. Displays a warning.
If you live in a country with many creepy crawlies, rats, and snakes, you may see the red cup as a godsend. You can place it there as a warning if any of these unwelcomed guests want to make an appearance in your toilet. The cup will fall over as they enter, and the toilet seat will make a loud bang as it closes. This will alert you if there is anything near your toilet before you use it.

4. A measurement reminder.
People who suffer from diabetes or other disorders may be advised by their doctors to measure how much they urinate each day; however, this can be easy to forget. If you place a red cup under the toilet seat each time you are done, it’ll remind you to track your urine instead of going straight away.

5. Toilet training.
If you’re a parent and have tried to toilet-train a young boy to lift up the seat before they relieve themselves, you will probably know how difficult it can be. That’s when a paper cup can come in handy. It means the child can’t use the toilet at all before taking it off, and it reminds them overall to keep the toilet seat up before they start peeing.

6. Helps sleepwalkers.
Sleepwalking may not affect everyone, but those who experience it will know you have no control over your actions and may even urinate in your sleep. They will usually make their way to the toilet, but their aim may be very off. By placing a red cup under the seat, it will make a large noise when the sleepwalker goes to the toilet and hopefully wake them up. This will help with aim and prevent them from having an accident.

7. Needs a clean.
Red paper cups aren’t just for home use, and they can be used for public bathrooms as well. It will alert the cleaning staff that there is either no more toilet paper or the area needs a clean before people can start using it again.

Final Thoughts
A red cup may seem like a simple object, but it can do so much more than you think. Using it under the toilet seat is a useful hack and can help many people in the long run. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a red cup, and you can use any plastic or paper cup you can find.