Mumsnet users share their experiences of public loos with Domestos

[EllieMumsnet]

This activity is now closed

Trying to find a loo when you’re out and about with your kids can be challenging. How many times have you asked if your DCs need to go before you leave the house and then they are demanding a toilet not even five minutes into your outing? We’ve all been there! Which is why at Domestos we want to know about your experience of public loos.

How often do you need to locate a loo when you’re out with your family? And how difficult are they to find? How do you feel when you have to go in and ask staff to use the loo in a pub? Or a café you weren’t planning on buying a coffee from? Or do you even ask? Are you ever met with resistance from staff when you ask to use their loo? What would you change to make this experience easier?

Here’s what Domestos have to say: “Domestos believe everyone deserve access to a clean, safe toilet. In the UK the problem is locating a public toilet when we’re out and about, in other countries the problem is far more serious. Domestos is committed to providing solutions, and have an ambition to help 25 million people around the world get cleaner, safer toilets by 2020.”

Whatever your experience is with public loos, post them on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

[Didiusfalco]

I wish more shops had toilets, or that they had more of them. My 3 yo can’t queue for ages, there were loads of us waiting in M&S the other day one toilet was broken and there was only one other.

[Treaclespongeandcustard]

I hate touching the door handle on the way out because of the people you see who don’t wash their hands

[abitoflight]

Erghh
Used to plan for public loos as DD2 went so much
I ended up just going into restaurants/cafes and saying that she needed a toilet. Most would say yes just put 20p or 50p in tips cup
Not in London though in my experience

[starlight36]

Too many public toilets are really dirty. We've experienced two today where DS has literally gagged in our v short visits. I think the problem is people not leaving them as you would want to find a toilet as well as them not being cleaned regularly enough. In both instances today toilets were left unflushed that one quick flush quickly resolved.

[shoelaces]

I because disabled a few months after having my first child. Negotiating public toilets with a pushchair when I could not stand up for very long was tough. When I got a radar key and used disabled toilets I often got told off by other disabled people waiting. Then when I moved to a wheelchair I've found disabled toilets double up as an extra stock room (in small costa and Starbucks especially). With extra stock, spare chairs and tables, I'm unable to get it with my wheelchair.

My big wish, make all toilets accessible. The baby changing area in very large shopping centres are ace, as they keep the disabled toilets free for those who need them.

Make flushing with those sensors so you don't have to touch anything. Most people think it's because of germs, but those with arthritis, weakness of the hands and amputees struggle with other styles of flushers. Sick of carrying a pen for flushing toilets with, then trying to get it away from DS before he puts it in his mouth.

[NeverTwerkNaked]

I hate the way so many women must “hover” over the seat which means there is mess all over the seat for the next person

I also hate hate hate when you discover an unflushed toilet in a horrible state as I did today. It’s just grim.

My over hatred is in baby change rooms when the nappy bin hasn’t been emptied for ages and it absolutely smells.

It makes such a difference when you visit a place if the toilets are clean and pleasant and plentiful.

[BristolMum96]

The only problem I ever have with public loos is when my husband is going to change our baby and the only facilities are in the ladies, or the locked disabled toilets and no-one is around with the key.

[mummymermaid]

There's simply not enough of them, I suffer from IBS and find it extremely stressful to try find toilets in towns. I usually end up using pub or cafe toilets. I wish more shops would have them too because of my condition I avoid shops that don't have them.

[Mallowmarshmallow]

I always, always, always need a toilet with my two, in fact i feel like I spend half my life in public toilets....!

I always carry a potette with me and it's often used in the car if we're out shopping somewhere with no toilets in emergencies but it would be so handy if everywhere had an available toilet.

[EggysMom]

My experience of public toilets is changing our disabled son on the floor, as he's too old for baby-change shelves but still in nappies due to his disability. It's never a good experience.

Thank goodness for the Changing Places campaign.

[Giraffey1]

I don’t have children but I find going to public toilets such a depressing experience. I don’t think any ever bothers to spend any time making them half decent - even a nice picture or wall art would help.

[Skinandbones]

When my kids were little I would plan my trip through the local town by the public toilets, most of them were in stores and there were some really old well looked after ones in the local market.
A couple of years ago we started holidaying in Wales, it didn't matter which part you went to there always seemed to be public, well looked after toilets, usually next to the main car park in the towns, villages or by the sea, no attendents were there yet the toilets were clean and looked after.

[LucyFox]

I just wish planners would put enough ladies toilets so that queues were the exception not the rule and make them large enough to actually get into the cubicle without having to straddle the toilet to close the door! You need enough space for a body as well as a door!

[PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks]

We don't really go far out of our area, our Sainsbury's has plenty of toilets, and they're always clean. The handwash dispensers seem to stick a lot though, not great when you're about to eat in the café or buy apples.

[kernowsailor]

The 'air fury' hand dryers they seem to like to put into baby change rooms. Babies don't like furious sounding hand dryers. Makes them cry. 🤨

[pinkdonkey]

I was in a service station the other day which had installed new toilets where you had to shut the lid to be able to flush them. Apparently this reduces spread of germs. The result was that not a single toilet had been flushed as understandably people didn't want to touch the lids, it was awful.

[MrsFrTedCrilly]

Try not to use them if at all possible as so many are disgusting, I’m always armed with a bother of antibacterial gel to clean down a seat before use.
It will never fail to surprise me how filthy some people are

[SusanWalker]

My local public loo has a special bin for drug addicts needles. I never ever go in there. Luckily I used to work in a shop in town so they let me use their loo. The main problem with public loos is that they 're not cleaned enough. A supermarket or shopping centre toilet is cleaned regularly throughout the day whereas public loos are cleaned once a day at best.

[Beeziekn33ze]

Used to use BHS, handy, clean but a bit dilapidated, now closed. John Lewis are very clean. Co-op always seem to have I cubicle out of 3 out of order, often no loo roll, and have a vile fishy smell from the gents' next door. Sainsbury's are fine, also M&S.

In London I like to use loos in big hotels, no one ever minds and they are excellent. I also use Starbucks, often messy and McDonalds' which are usually clean and ok to use.

[Beeziekn33ze]

I try to avoid the ones in trains. Shopping centre ones tend to be untidy but ok.
Disabled loos are often unpleasant and not well looked after.
If anyone is desperate go into a pub, the standard of loos varies but no one minds you going in to use them.

[Beansonapost]

They need to be serviced regularly!!

Not enough family type rooms in the U.K.
Lived in Australia and there were plenty!
Private rooms for breastfeeding mums, microwaves & sinks for formula feeding mums... TV and a few games. Changing areas and toilets for both parents and child. It was a great place to take a break if you needed it on a day out with children... as we all know it can be rather stressful sometimes. They were serviced regularly as well no always clean and never smelled. Had the unfortunate situation of walking into the family/disables toilet after someone had done a massive poo!!! It was rank! But we couldn't leave as 3yr old needed to wee... it wasn't vented so we had to suffer in the shit!

A lot of them are also lacking proper access. for mums who have one in a pram and a walker. Tight spaces make it more difficult to get the job done.

Most don't have disinfectant for the seats... I hover but always clean up after myself. If there was disinfectant available I'd probably sit.

[thatmustbenigelwiththebrie]

They recently built a new shopping area in our torn and the public toilets are the best bit.

Loads of them so there is never a queue, taps and flushes you don't have to touch, plentiful soap, dryers that work and you don't need to be buying anything to use them.

[fishnships]

Not enough public loos! This should be a priority when planning new developments and could we have them on the ground floor, for convenience! It's a basic human need. I definitely tend to shop in places where I know there will be loos nearby so I know it would increase 'footfall'. Public loos have generally got better, though. I love the Dyson dryers!

[rachaelsit]

I can honestly say I have never used a public loo or even loo on a chain restaurant that wasn’t filthy or at least poorly maintained or cleaned. Hate using Lois away from home and I wouldn’t call myself a clean freak in the slightest

[PickAChew]

I have a neuro disabled almost teen who needs to use accessible loos for a change, if there is no family toilet affording sufficient privacy available. Not only have I memorised where they all are at all the places we visit, I've memorised all the ones that are actually clean enough for him to take off his shoes. Many seem to be rarely checked by cleaners, many have bins too small for his pads or ridiculously tiny sinks for handwashing. Some have towels or soap dispensers too high for him to reach at 5', never mind someone in a wheelchair and all too many have floors that are absolutely swimming in goodness knows what, even the ones locked with a radar key.