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Original poster

Smell in work toilets...:-(

76 replies

BlazesBoylansHat · 12/04/2024 13:28

I've recently changed jobs & have moved from a small organisation to a large one.
There are 2 blocks of toilets on my floor & one of them is near the canteen which is on my floor, so potentially gets more traffic

But Oh. My. God. The smell of unwashed foof is overwhelming. On top occasions I've opened the door to go into the room where there are 3 cubicles & backed out. It's revolting.
It's not crap. It's unwashed under carriages & to be honest I'm pretty shocked by it.

The toilets are clean & looked after. I see the cleaners in & out etc..they are internal so no windows & ventilation is obviously very poor.

I work in local government & there's a dress code etc so people look presentable but Jesus christ a lot of the women using these facilities REALLY need to improve their hygiene..

I don't remember this being so bad before but I might have been spoiled when working in small offices before.

I wish people would wash more 🤢 i read the threads here with people claiming not to need/ bother showering daily & that they don't smell etc but my experience says otherwise!

I shower every morning & wear clean clothes daily. And now I've become a bit paranoid about smelling....!!

OP posts:
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Booksoverbros · 13/04/2024 08:06

Unwashed vulvas can smell.
It's a smell that I recognise from being in school/communal changing rooms/puberty and living in very hot climates.

I have also smelt the same smell when with women who don't have easy access to washing facilities.

The smell does linger.

The issue is not the reality that sometimes some women may have a smell.
The issue is that you are completely tone deaf OP.

Women have been shamed for their vulvas/vaginas and periods etc.
We are told we are dirty and that we have to be perfect at all times.

Women are under attack from every corner at the moment and we should be showing discretion and protecting each other rather than judging on public forums for things that are likely completely out of people's control.

Public forums where the things that are said here are frequently used against women as a whole.

Someone may look professional, but be struggling with mental health or physical health.

Women who have been abused can struggle with personal hygeine too due to triggers.

Regardless, the way you speak and the language you use is incredibly immature and unnecessary.

fungibletoken · 13/04/2024 07:37

If what you're saying were correct I just don't understand how the smell would linger like that? It's not like you waft yourself/your bits around when you use the loo?

Didimum · 13/04/2024 07:32

But I'm finding it fascinating how people are tripping over themselves to tell me I'm wrong or weird or somehow being mean

… well when many many many people are telling you the same thing, OP, then it might be time to consider you’re not the one bring reasonable … just because others have experienced a similar smell, that doesn’t mean you’re right. It means some others are likely also mistaking the smell.

Fairyliz · 13/04/2024 07:30

Universalsnail · 12/04/2024 13:37

I am so confused as to what you are talking about. I don't think you can smell "unwashed foof" in toilet blocks. If the toilet smells it'll be something to do with the toilets / system. Not random employees "unwashed foofs"

I agree. If the toilets are regularly cleaned it sounds like a problem with the drains.

BobbyBiscuits · 13/04/2024 07:30

I can't say I've experienced this in clean seeming women's work toilets.
Sometimes you have to 'leave it a minute', but could it be to do with the drains, the Aircon? Mould? Can you speak to office management as it could be they can improve the ventilation?
You'd think if people stank that bad you'd smell them walking about, not just in the bogs.
It could be one person with some bad health issues and they are polluting the whole block.
Can you use the upstairs' ones instead?

LlynTegid · 13/04/2024 07:26

Are you able to work from home some days? One of the advantages of doing so is your own bathroom.

5128gap · 13/04/2024 07:25

BlazesBoylansHat · 13/04/2024 01:27

I'm still here & can vouch that I'm 100% not an incel.

I'm not a troll. I'm not anti-women & I'm amazed at how triggering my post has been for so many posters! That's really weird to me.

Then you need to either grow up or wise up. A women in her 50s starting a thread about other women and their stinky smelly 'foofs' and not having the wit to realise its a klaxon call to all the pervy basement Bernards and 'Haha women's toilets smell as bad as men's (so no need to be precious about them)' cohort? Then claiming to lack the gumption to understand why you're accused of being disingenuous and weird?

weareallcats · 13/04/2024 07:23

Would you sit round with your friends and talk about the smell of unwashed vulvas in the work loos? It's naive to think that you can write in a way that echoes the language that some men use to demean women and not piss people off. It's internalised misogyny.

Notmyuser · 13/04/2024 01:35

weareallcats · 12/04/2024 19:06

I have never encountered a woman who would talk like this about other women. Ever. Yuck.

I have never met an adult woman who refers to genitalia as a “foof”, because that’s more embarrassing than any smells that may be emitted.

Original poster
BlazesBoylansHat · 13/04/2024 01:27

I'm still here & can vouch that I'm 100% not an incel.

I'm not a troll. I'm not anti-women & I'm amazed at how triggering my post has been for so many posters! That's really weird to me.

OP posts:
EvenStillIWantTo · 12/04/2024 20:23

There was a thread on here a few weeks back about whether a man should ever take his daughter into the men's public toilets.

Literally close to a thousand posts on there saying god no, the smell, the piss, horrific.

But women's toilets must only smell like rainbows and unicorns apparently 😂

Stayupallnight · 12/04/2024 19:20

This reply has been deleted

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weareallcats · 12/04/2024 19:06

I have never encountered a woman who would talk like this about other women. Ever. Yuck.

Abbimae · 12/04/2024 18:58

Erm… what?

EvenStillIWantTo · 12/04/2024 18:55

And I'm also not the OP @5128gap so piss off with your posts.

Nottherealmama · 12/04/2024 18:21

Universalsnail · 12/04/2024 13:37

I am so confused as to what you are talking about. I don't think you can smell "unwashed foof" in toilet blocks. If the toilet smells it'll be something to do with the toilets / system. Not random employees "unwashed foofs"

Unfortunately all it takes is one dirty person to cause a stench for everyone else. It's like a musty, sweaty smell and it's absolutely revolting.

5128gap · 12/04/2024 18:17

EvenStillIWantTo · 12/04/2024 18:12

Just report it and stop making stupid 'ooh isn't this sinister' comments @5128gap

Don't be silly. I don't think you're 'sinister' or reportable. Just a dime a dozen weirdo.

EvenStillIWantTo · 12/04/2024 18:12

Just report it and stop making stupid 'ooh isn't this sinister' comments @5128gap

Sunquest · 12/04/2024 18:08

Something very wrong with this thread.

5128gap · 12/04/2024 17:59

EvenStillIWantTo · 12/04/2024 17:48

It's really not weird to mention that sometimes toilets smell...

Given you're on here enthusiastically defending a thread about the smell of women's genitals, something tells me you and I would lack a shared understanding of what is meant by "weird". So I'll leave you and your friends to your enjoyment of the subject.

EvenStillIWantTo · 12/04/2024 17:48

It's really not weird to mention that sometimes toilets smell...

5128gap · 12/04/2024 17:40

EvenStillIWantTo · 12/04/2024 17:28

It's a talk forum. For talking about stuff. Are you only allowed to mention things you've already handled in real life? That'd be AIBU pretty fucked...

Show quote history

I think you're getting confused between two different things here "Things we're allowed to mention on a talk forum" and "Things its weird to make a thread about" Despite the OP meeting the criteria for both these categories, my comment referenced only the second.

Ilovemycatalot · 12/04/2024 17:39

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SweetFemaleAttitude · 12/04/2024 17:31

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EvenStillIWantTo · 12/04/2024 17:28

5128gap · 12/04/2024 16:36

You are weird though OP. You're a woman in your 50s who seemingly hasn't the first clue how to address the issue of a bad smell in your work toilets other than to post on MN about it so other 'like minded' individuals can share their experiences of the smell of female genitalia? Nothing weird to see here...

It's a talk forum. For talking about stuff. Are you only allowed to mention things you've already handled in real life? That'd be AIBU pretty fucked...

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