To pay to hire portaloo for workmen when they could just use the toilet in our house?

[CandidAzureReader]

I'm planning on having some renovation work done in my home which will take about a week to complete. I'm aware that the tradesmen will need to use the toilet while performing the work. I simply can't bear the thought of letting them use our toilet. We have no downstairs toilet, just the one upstairs. I wouldn't want them using a downstairs one even if I had one.

My reluctance in allowing it is due in part to the stories I've read on MN over the years about workmen "shitting nuclear waste" and stinking out the whole house. DH thinks I'm mad to want to hire a portaloo. It would cost around £50 to hire one for a week and around £60 for delivery and removal of the loo. That to me seems a fair price to not have to deal with them using the toilet in the house. What are your thoughts MN?

I’ve never had a problem, when we had it first house we had one toilet and different people in for different things for several weeks on end. All very respectful. Now we do have a downstairs loo and although we haven’t had the same levels of people here, only do a day at a time it hasn’t been a problem. I think it would look a bit snobbish to hire one for them.

Having had workmen in for 7 months last year, I'm happy to report that my toilet wasn't the scene of a nuclear event whose aroma could be detected on Mars.
Most people, including men, are perfectly capable of using a toilet properly.

I let the postman use my toilet so it wouldn't bother me at all to extend that courtesy to others. I think tales of workmen creating nuclear devastation in people's toilets is vastly exaggerated - these people are under contract, why would they want to treat your home with disrespect? It doesn't make sense. There might be the odd bad egg (who leaves a bad egg in your bowl) but they are few and far between. If your DH think it's daft, but it's a red line for you, then I think you should be paying for the portaloo costs. I wouldn't want to waste £110/£170 (not clear if it's £60 for delivery and also then for collection, or just one fee for both) but if it's not a waste for you (poo pun intended) then you pay and you get your own way.

I would hire it. I'm sure it feels better for them too as opposed to having to ask to use yours.

Is the renovation being done inside your home, or on the outside? Outside work and I think a portaloo is ok as presumably they'll have mucky boots and them working when you're not in. But inside work it's definitely bizarre. I have never had an issue with workmen and I think the vast majority don't. It would feel very off to make them go out to a portaloo.

Absolutely get a portaloo. Workmen are animals. I know from bitter experience.

We paid for one and didn’t regret it. It was quite large scale external and internal work over a few weeks though. For a few days I would probably suck it up.

"Workmen are animals ".

Thats nice.

We had an extension built with 3 - sometimes up to 5 - builders on site at any one time. They all used the (downstairs) loo and it was fine.

The only time I'd hire a portaloo is if I only had an upstairs loo and the workers had to remove their shoes every time they came into the house, so if save them that hassle. But even then I'd probably just put down sheets etc over the carpets.

For every comment about "shitting nuclear waste" there are tens, if not hundreds, thousands even, of other households that have had workmen able to use their toilets without issue.

I'm with your husband; it's a waste of £110.

That’s cheaper than I thought it would be. If it makes you more comfortable, then hire the portaloo. People spend that on much more pointless things than being comfortable in their own home for a week.

Nothing like a sweeping generalisation is there?

You’re totally mad, just let them use your toilet! They have toilets in their own homes that they presumably manage to use properly!

To look down on workmen to the point you’re treating them like animals and assuming they will be disrespectful of your toilet honestly just shows who YOU are, not them!

What if they was work women not men would you still want a loo outside.

Im team husband just let them use the toilet and save your money.

I’d be embarrassed to tell the workmen they had to use a portaloo.

Workmen are just normal people. They have friends they go go BBQs at the weekend and they visit their nans and use the toilet like other normal people.

Maybe you should use the portaloo?

How painfully judgemental of you. I’m know many “workmen” who come from beautifully clean homes, are only used to the finer things in life and most certainly know how to respectfully use someone else’s toilet. Are you buying special mugs for tea too, just in case they leave some awful “workman” residue?!

Any work I have had done they bring their own portaloo
Garden/ patio/ bathrooms, kitchen

Excuse me? What a nasty, sweeping statement.

My husband is a "workman" IE, he is a skilled tradesman. He's a clean, polite, considerate person and is much better around the house than I am. He works hard to earn a very good living to provide for his family, to which he is a good husband and father.

He's an animal in bed, I'll give you that. Otherwise he's a human fucking being and Id rather be him than be as judgy and mean as you.

I had some building work done and the workmen brought a portaloowith them

Same.

Toilets are cleanable. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

OP, the workmen are going to roll their eyes at you for being one of "those" customers.

And your neighbours are going to see your portaloo and immediately think you're an insufferable snob.

We’re having major building work at the moment 2-3 builders here a day for 10+ weeks. They’re all using our loo no issue - leave it clean, spray a bit of air freshener if needed. We have had to increase our toilet roll supplies but other than that, no issue!

They also come in and make themselves a coffee a couple of times a day without issue.

Didn’t even have to ask them to take their shoes off, they just did it automatically.

No boasting, please.

If you had a downstairs loo then I’d say you’re being silly. We have a downstairs loo that you can access directly from the garden and when our patio was being laid, the chap just let himself in when he wanted to use the loo (or kettle- to make tea obviously 😂)

Had we only had an upstairs one, I’d have hired a portaloo as it would have been a right faff for him to take his boots off every time. Plus, we work from home and our calls are confidential.