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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To dislike male cleaners in female public toilets?

230 replies

GarliceGran · 04/12/2025 12:46

I travel a lot with work, mostly via train. For some bizarre reason, a huge amount of train stations have male cleaners for the female toilets. Worse yet, these men are often doing non-urgent cleaning, such as washing mirrors etc.

This makes me very uncomfortable. If I’m not desperate, I’ll often just walk out.

AIBU?

OP posts:
5128gap · 04/12/2025 20:19

FMc208 · 04/12/2025 20:12

You don’t need to ‘go around harming men’. The definition of misandry is:

dislike of, contempt for, or ingrainedprejudice against men (i.e. the male sex).

Not wanting someone to do their job based solely on their sex is a clear example of this.

I know what the definition is. My point is that even if the comments were based in 'misandry', (which caution and discomfort is not, but that's by the by) no man is going to be harmed regardless. No one has suggested a campaign to get male cleaners sacked, have they? All some people are saying is it makes them uncomfortable. Which doesn't have the slightest impact on the men, so no need for you to get upset by it on their behalf.

Pollqueen · 04/12/2025 20:13

Beautifulhaiku · 04/12/2025 19:44

So the idea is that predatory men would pretend to identify as women to prey on women, but they would never get a job as a cleaner to do so? 🤔

You are way over thinking this

FMc208 · 04/12/2025 20:12

Tryingatleast · 04/12/2025 19:25

There’s a thread about people not wanting male childcare. So no men as cleaners and no male childcare. Interesting

Quite!

FMc208 · 04/12/2025 20:12

5128gap · 04/12/2025 19:57

Give over with the hyperbole. No man was ever harmed by a woman feeling uncomfortable about seeing him in the toilet. It's the woman feeling the fear or discomfort. The man's none the wiser, is he?
It would be 'misandry' and 'disgraceful' if women were going round trying to harm men. I can assure you, they're in no danger from a bunch of us sharing our thoughts about having them clean our toilets

You don’t need to ‘go around harming men’. The definition of misandry is:

dislike of, contempt for, or ingrainedprejudice against men (i.e. the male sex).

Not wanting someone to do their job based solely on their sex is a clear example of this.

AnOldCynic · 04/12/2025 20:11

Whenever I’ve come across this there’s usually a notice to warn you. No problem about it.

5128gap · 04/12/2025 20:08

Beautifulhaiku · 04/12/2025 19:44

So the idea is that predatory men would pretend to identify as women to prey on women, but they would never get a job as a cleaner to do so? 🤔

Obviously, they could do either, and I'm sure there are cases where they have. In the case I mentioned earlier, which you can Google, it happened at New Street Station, the sexual assailant pretended to be an employee, then when arrested and asked why he was in the toilet, claimed to be trans. So there's at least one who did both in fact.
However, you must see that it's far easier to simply walk in off the street than it is to look out for cleaning vacancies, apply, interview, and actually do a cleaning job?

Plus, assaulting women in the course of your job carries a far higher risks of being caught. A woman reports a cleaner for assault and there will be records with his name, address and so on. If she reports a stranger off the street the police will be working only on a description, so its far lower risk for the perpetrator.

5128gap · 04/12/2025 19:57

FMc208 · 04/12/2025 13:34

The complete and utter misandry that some women feel is disgraceful.

Men cleaning women’s toilets?! How very DARE they?! Get a grip OP. This is a you problem.

Give over with the hyperbole. No man was ever harmed by a woman feeling uncomfortable about seeing him in the toilet. It's the woman feeling the fear or discomfort. The man's none the wiser, is he?
It would be 'misandry' and 'disgraceful' if women were going round trying to harm men. I can assure you, they're in no danger from a bunch of us sharing our thoughts about having them clean our toilets

SouthernNights59 · 04/12/2025 19:51

Couldn't care less, as long as someone cleans them.

MissMoneyFairy · 04/12/2025 19:49

I'd hate to be a man in today's world, everyone is suspicious, I wouldn't want to be working in any capacity alone with a woman under any circumstances.

Beautifulhaiku · 04/12/2025 19:44

Pollqueen · 04/12/2025 19:38

There's a difference between a man using women's facilities on the assumption he is a woman and a bloke who is a cleaner, putting up a sign to announce he is a male in there cleaning, doing his job, cleaning, and then leaving 🙄

So the idea is that predatory men would pretend to identify as women to prey on women, but they would never get a job as a cleaner to do so? 🤔

HappyNewTaxYear · 04/12/2025 19:44

FMc208 · 04/12/2025 13:34

The complete and utter misandry that some women feel is disgraceful.

Men cleaning women’s toilets?! How very DARE they?! Get a grip OP. This is a you problem.

Not misandry. Fear.

Pollqueen · 04/12/2025 19:38

Beautifulhaiku · 04/12/2025 13:26

The answers here are so interesting compared with the many responses I've seen on Mumsnet previously around protecting 'female-only spaces' for the protection of women.

There's a difference between a man using women's facilities on the assumption he is a woman and a bloke who is a cleaner, putting up a sign to announce he is a male in there cleaning, doing his job, cleaning, and then leaving 🙄

Pollqueen · 04/12/2025 19:33

Don't they usually put a sign up saying male inside cleaning toilets?

This doesn't bother me at all. I'd rather have a male in there cleaning than them not being cleaned at all and I'm sure most male cleaners are keen to get in, cleaned and out as quickly as possible

5128gap · 04/12/2025 19:30

Mt563 · 04/12/2025 19:16

If men are pretending to be women (trans) to get into the ladies loos, surely just getting a job as a cleaner is easier?

Plus, if men are getting jobs looking after kids to gain access and satisfy their sick desires, why not job as a cleaner to access lone women.

No. Its considerably easier for a man to walk into the ladies toilets knowing that if he gets challenged he can say he's a woman (because there's no need for a man to modify his appearance to claim he is of the female 'gender', it's purely self declared) than it would be to potentially resign his current job, get a new job as a cleaner, and actually clean toilets all day. Obviously.

dizzydizzydizzy · 04/12/2025 19:25

It doesn't bother me if the cleaner is male. I don't see why this make any difference since female loos are always in cubicles.

Tryingatleast · 04/12/2025 19:25

There’s a thread about people not wanting male childcare. So no men as cleaners and no male childcare. Interesting

ilovesooty · 04/12/2025 19:21

LittleMi55Nobody · 04/12/2025 17:12

doesnt bother me in the slightest...maybe purchase a laser key and use the disabled if youre that anxious...

Why? Preferring men not to clean toilets isn't a disability.

Mt563 · 04/12/2025 19:18

sprigatito · 04/12/2025 17:38

Why is this facile comment always trotted out like some sort of gotcha?! Women do not, as a class, represent a physical or sexual threat to the safety of men. There’s no equivalence.

But the female cleaner in the male loos is presumably still at risk, or did you forget about her right to safety?

Mt563 · 04/12/2025 19:16

5128gap · 04/12/2025 17:03

Surely you can see the difference between a male employee doing his job and any random man off the street who fancies going into the ladies?

If men are pretending to be women (trans) to get into the ladies loos, surely just getting a job as a cleaner is easier?

Plus, if men are getting jobs looking after kids to gain access and satisfy their sick desires, why not job as a cleaner to access lone women.

newbluesofa · 04/12/2025 19:14

Why do you care?

Checknotmymate · 04/12/2025 19:12

I see these cleaners but I don't understand what they do because the loos at train stations are always disgusting.

Our local one has had poo and blood all up a wall for months. I've told the station staff but nothing changes.

MissMoneyFairy · 04/12/2025 19:09

sprigatito · 04/12/2025 17:38

Why is this facile comment always trotted out like some sort of gotcha?! Women do not, as a class, represent a physical or sexual threat to the safety of men. There’s no equivalence.

Obviously , I meant are you happy with female cleaners going into mens toilets if men are such a threat to women, how many people really show concern for female health workers, emergency workers, the list is endless.

Chinsupmeloves · 04/12/2025 18:51

I don't really mind, only going in to use the loo!

JumpingPumpkin · 04/12/2025 18:44

Same - I was in a very quiet service station and a man was slowly using some machine to clean the floor. It made me feel very uncomfortable. It just doesn't feel right when there's only one other person there.

Oopsadaisydoodah · 04/12/2025 18:37

I didn’t think it would bother me until it happened that a male cleaner was cleaning and I felt very uncomfortable as only woman using facilities. So I agree with OP

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