Loo bins - do you have them and what is the etiquette for visitors?

[cosmicdomestic]

We had SIL to stay over Xmas. She is always a polite house guest and generally tries to fit in with what we do. This time though she kept on hinting that we needed a bin in our downstairs loo (which is tiny) - we don't need one in our opinion.
Anyway, as if to make her point, when I went to put my Quality Street wrappers in the kitchen bin on NYE, I had horror moment when right there in the bin, on top, partially covered with one thin tissue was a (heavily) used tampon (bin is in the cupboard next to the dish washer - so it gets warm and we never put perishable waste in it - but the cupboard actually smelt of the offending article!!). It could only be SILs and I did not mention it
Even if we got a bin in the loo, is it polite to put used sanitary protection in it - surely she should flush or wrap in tissue and quietly put in our wheely bin?
What do other households do for female guests?

[dementedpixie]

We have a small bin in every bathroom. Sanitary towels/tampons get wrapped in tissue and put in the bin - they should never be flushed!

[NickNacks]

Oh my god yes you need a bin. How awful to expect guests to traipse through the house with used sanitary things. I doubt she was 'making a point' but nevertheless she shouldn't have to. You need a bin.

[dementedpixie]

Of course it's ok to put used sanitary towels in the bin as that's what it's there for! No way should they have to traipse out to the wheel bin

[Icklepickle101]

You should never flush tampons and I'm not sure I would fancy walking around to find a suitable bin with used sanitary items in my hand.

We have a very small bathroom bin and everyone wraps the offending article in enough tissue and the wrapper the new one came in and puts it in the bin, no biggie.

[dementedpixie]

Wheelie *

[slicedfinger]

A bin in every bath room. even the truly tiny one.

[BertrandRussell]

Of course you need a bin! And, when you have guests, a box of nappy sacks.

[TheFear]

I thought you shouldn't flush towels, tampons maybe. We've a biocycle (not on mains sewer) so we can't put anything extra down other than toilet paper. Maybe your sil is used to this.

[DrGoogleWillSeeYouNow]

We have a bin in our downstairs loo. For exactly this reason. I would never flush a tampon down the loo.

And what, you want her to go wandering round outside looking for your wheelie bin?

[TaliZorah]

You need a bin. How awful for her to have that do that.

[BasinHaircut]

A bin is for waste IMO. How she is supposed to discreetly trudge outside to the wheelie bin (at night in wind and rain?) is beyond me.

Put a bin in the bathroom, with a lid. Job done.

[DingbatsFur]

If she was making a point, then she would have thrown it at the ceiling to get it to stick there. ;)
You seriously expected her to go out to the wheelie bin?

[dementedpixie]

We line our small bins too so you don't need to touch the contents when emptying them

[Fairylea]

We don't have bins in the bathrooms. We have a very visible bin right next to our back door in our kitchen which everyone can see and I expect guests will wrap any sanitary protection in toilet paper and bung them in there, like I do myself. I am not going round emptying bins when I don't have to.

It's definitely a mumsnet thing to make a big deal out of having bins in the bathroom. I don't think I know one person amongst my family and friends that does.

[Helenluvsrob]

You can't flush sanitary items !

What do you do?

I feel for your poor SIL she basically asked you " wtf shall I do with my Tampax as you don't even have a bin " and you didn't say " nappy bags are under the sink for anything you want to throw away and we take things straight out to the wheely bin" or what ever.

In this house used sanitary stuff gets wrapped in tissue it the wrapper from the pad and chucked in the little bathroom bin. It doesn't smell - possibly as it isn't enclosed and stuff dries out fast. We also empty the bin regularly.

If you really refuse to get a little bin at last get some disposal bags and pop a note by the loo. Otherwise people will flush and block your plumbing !

[TaliZorah]

Fairylea sanitary towels in the kitchen? Grim

[PenelopePitstops]

Definitely need a bin in the bathroom, I can't believe you don't have one already! Your poor SIL how embarrassing for her.

[PenelopePitstops]

Also San pro shouldn't be flushed.

[BasinHaircut]

Yes fairy but if you don't want used tampons in the kitchen bin then surely put one in the bathroom?!

You can't expect people to go trudging outside every time you change a tampon/sanitary towel??

[Fairylea]

Sanitary towels well wrapped in a bin, which is emptied very regularly, is not grim.

[NickNacks]

Also the tampon was probably 'heavily used' as the poor woman was dreading having to go into your loo and change it.

[Wildernessrock]

She was obviously making a point, otherwise she'd have wrapped it in loo roll! I think that's pretty disgusting tbh and I think I'd have asked her why she would do something like that?! Eww!

But yes, all our toilets have bins and nappy sacks in them although personally I wouldn't leave used sanitary towels in someone else's bin- I'd wrap them and put them in my bag to take home and dispose of!

[PaulDirac]

When I first started staying with my dp in the early days of our relationship I told him he had to get a bin in his bathroom. We now have a bin in our bathroom. I have no idea what women do in houses without a bathroom bin, especially in your case op when it sounds like you don't put sanitary towels in the downstairs bin.

So yes, bathrooms should have a bin. And sanitary products should never be flushed!

[LeaLeander]

Of corse bathrooms should have a bin.

And tampons should never be flushed nor wipes even if they say 'biodegradable.' Ask any plumber, wastewater treatment expert or Google it.

Expecting guests to trudge through the house with used sanitary items seems ... Odd to say the least.