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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think it would be common courtesy and common sense to that? possibly tmi.

436 replies

someonestolemynick · 06/04/2016 19:24

To put a bin next to the toilet.

This makes me irrationally angry: My job involves going to people's houses. Normally I will be with them between a and 4 hours, so occasionally I will have to use their toilet.
Today I'm on my period and have quite heavy flow. I was on a longer job (3hrs) and bled through my tampon. I discovered that there was no von in the bathroom. Just to be clear. I try to avoid having to change my tampon in client's houses by changing in public loos, McDonald's or Starbucks and carry scented plastic bags with me tobwrap the offender in when I have to do it at someone's house.
So, anyway, i was in the very awkward position of having a soaked tampon and no way of getting rid of it. I was in charge of a very young child - so no way of nipping out to the bins or a pub (to use the loo) and ended up stemming the flow with toilet paper and going back to working with their dc for another hour.
I will not flush a tampon down the loo because I don't want to block the clients toilet.

So, aibu to ask you all to provide a bin for female visitors?

OP posts:
limitedperiodonly · 07/04/2016 11:17

We were invited round for tea with potential new neighbours when we were house hunting a few years ago & the lady interrogated me on my personal hygiene habits & made me swear not to flush anything other than toilet paper. Apparently they'd had a blocked pipe somewhere along the road after someone flushed some sort of sanitary product. This was in a fairly modern part of a large city. We didn't buy the house in the end, nothing to do with the neighbours though.

WTF? A prospective neighbour interrogating me on my personal hygiene habits would be high on my list of reasons not to buy a house. In the top three probably, somewhere with serial killer next door and too far from the station.

newmumwithquestions · 07/04/2016 19:10

Why are the same people that are disgusted about the idea of taking a wrapped tampon away in their bag the same people that say it's fine to leave it in someone else's bin?
Have I ever left tampons (wrapped) in someone else's bin - yes - but only after asking them first what they want me to do with them. I would never expect to leave them in someone's bin as standard. If anyone left one in my bathroom bin at the moment my toddler would probably unwrap it...foul.

Sparklingbrook · 07/04/2016 19:18

Why would a toddler rummage through a lidded bathroom bin though? Confused You wouldn't leave them in the bathroom unsupervised.

RudeElf · 07/04/2016 19:41

Why are the same people that are disgusted about the idea of taking a wrapped tampon away in their bag the same people that say it's fine to leave it in someone else's bin?

Bin: lined, for bodily fluids-ear wax, snot, bloody tissue from nose bleed, dental floss. Nobody is going to be sticking their hands in it for a rummage.

Handbag: where you store your lipstick, child's dummy, phone, chewing gum, apple, water bottle. Lots of rummaging.

bornwithaplasticspoon · 07/04/2016 19:44

Wrap in loo paper and take outside to wheely bin.

CaptainMarvelDanvers · 07/04/2016 20:00

People are so weird about menstrual blood. I wouldn't care if someone left a tampon/towel in my bin, bins are for waste I don't go rummaging through them.

whois · 07/04/2016 20:05

Why are the same people that are disgusted about the idea of taking a wrapped tampon away in their bag the same people that say it's fine to leave it in someone else's bin?

Because in the bin, everything is rubbish. And in my handbag, there is no rubbish.

Just like I don't mind banana skin in my kitchen bin, but I wouldn't like to carry it around in my handbag all day.

Bins are for rubbish. Handbags are for, well, not rubbish.

How the fuck is that hard to understand!

Moltenpink · 07/04/2016 20:28

Don't people separate the recycling out of the bathroom bin though? Mine is always full of cardboard rolls and plastic bottles.

Sparklingbrook · 07/04/2016 20:31

No, recycling goes straight in the recycling and doesn't go in any bin here. No picking stuff out.

whois · 07/04/2016 20:32

Don't people separate the recycling out of the bathroom bin though? Mine is always full of cardboard rolls and plastic bottle

Nope. Bathroom waste gets binned into the black bin as potentially containing biohazard items.

RudeElf · 07/04/2016 20:33

Recycling doesnt go in bathroom bin, it goes out to the blue wheelie bin.

marshmallowpies · 07/04/2016 21:13

Sparklingbrook my 14 month old is perfectly capable of knocking over the bathroom bin whilst I'm showering - I don't have anywhere else I can leave her while I'm in the shower. Luckily she prefers banging on the lid to taking the contents out.

Recycling - I take loo rolls and things like toothpaste tube boxes down to the recycling bin if I can get them before they go in the bin, (DH gets recycling for kitchen items, I don't think it occurs to him that cardboard from the bathroom can also be recycled), but I would probably stop before fishing something out of the bin to recycle it.

AppleSetsSail · 07/04/2016 21:16

I wouldn't leave tampons in someone's bathroom bin. No way. I don't even leave them in my own bin because I don't want my cleaner to discover them . Bathroom bins are tiny - you open it and you see the contents.

If were at someone's house and had to change my tampon, I'd wrap it up and stick it in my bag.

RudeElf · 07/04/2016 21:17

Common sense would be to lift the bin out of her reach. You know like everything else you dont want her to have?

marshmallowpies · 07/04/2016 21:18

Rudeelf nowhere in the room it could go! If it was on top of the toilet seat she'd be able to knock it off there. Anyway, she's old enough now to respond to my voice so usually me calling to her is enough to stop her doing it.

Sparklingbrook · 07/04/2016 21:22

I would put the bin out of the bathroom briefly while you are in the shower if there was a risk of them knocking it over or rummaging in it.

LogicalThinking · 07/04/2016 21:31

Recycling is one of the reasons why I don't have a bathroom bin.
If there was one in the bathroom, nothing would get recycled, it would all end up in general waste. I am not going to start sorting through bins to sort recycling, it needs to be put in the right bin in the first place. Not having a bin in the bathroom ensures that all rubbish gets taken to the right bin and I don't have the need to buy bin liners.

RudeElf · 07/04/2016 21:32

Windowsill, toilet cistern, out of the room while you shower. Or take the bag out and let her bash away at the bin. Its really not a mad concept to make the contents of your bin unreachable for a toddler.

RudeElf · 07/04/2016 21:33

I actually cant believe i've had to suggest this. Its common sense surely? Confused

LogicalThinking · 07/04/2016 21:34

Or make it permanently unreachable by removing it completely :)

Sparklingbrook · 07/04/2016 21:37

YY remove it completely for the duration of the shower.

Sparklingbrook · 07/04/2016 21:38

I used to put DS1 in the cot with some books and toys when I had a shower.

MTPurse · 07/04/2016 21:42

I don't understand why she would let something like that have an effect on what she wants to do.

She started her periods when she was 10 and still in primary school, Her friends the same age have started in the last 12/18 months (they are year 9).

My dd came on when she was at a sleepover when she was 11 and there was no bin in the bathroom, She was far too embarrassed to ask how to dispose of her towel, didn't even ask her friend. She came home with all her used towels in her bag, hidden deep at the bottom.

She didn't have any nappy bags ,zip bags or any other kind of bags with her, she wrapped them up as best she could and was mortified, tearful, she felt ashamed fgs!

I completely understand why she will now not sleep anywhere unless she knows for sure that will not happen again, It was an awful situation for an 11 year old to be in.

I can honestly say that the thought of this ever happening to my dd never crossed my mind at all, Everyone I know has a bin in their bathroom and it is for y'know, bathroom waste!

This thread has really pickled my mind!

AliceInUnderpants · 07/04/2016 21:44

Oh jeez, I've always flushed tampons. I've not had a bathroom bin for years. I only have one now as I've had to start using Tena's and in preparation for my 11 year old possibly starting periods soon.

I haven't had a period in months but am definitely going to rethink the flushing.

MTPurse · 07/04/2016 21:47

I wouldn't leave tampons in someone's bathroom bin. No way. I don't even leave them in my own bin because I don't want my cleaner to discover them . Bathroom bins are tiny - you open it and you see the contents.

So empty your bin before the cleaner gets there? I have bins in every bathroom but I always empty them before my cleaner arrives.

shock horror I wouldn't mind one jot if my cleaner left a tampon in my bin on her way out!