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?

Boots off makes sense, although I’m not sure it would make me rent a portaloo.

Confidential work calls absolutely doesn’t. I would sooner wear headphones than spend £100+.

Yabu. And judgemental.

There is no reason to believe these people can't leave a toilet in a decent state.

I would put something down to protect my stairs carpet (if I had one) so they didn't have to remove boots every time they wanted to use the toilet and let them crack on.

I think its weird to provide a portaloo when you have a fully functioning toilet.

We had a garage conversion done and also recently a roof replaced. I can confirm I never came home to any sort of grossness in the toilet or noted any strong smells.

We had building work done recently and only the electrician ever asked to use our loo. I think the others were all just weeing in bottles in their van.

I had a three week renovation project and the contractor had their own portaloo delivered. I set them up a camp under the carport with kettle, tea etc and a garden table and chairs, topped up the biscuits regularly and they were happy as Larry, whoever Larry is.

I don’t want to clean the toilet after random strangers regardless of how well regulated their insides and how perfect their manners are! It’s bad enough having to clean up after my own family.

I’d absolutely hire the portaloo. If your DH disagrees then it’s up to him to clean your loo daily, thoroughly, without having to be reminded/nagged and without whining.

They aren’t random strangers. They are people you have chosen to employ to do work on your house.

Interesting point about the calls but even with headphones workmen would still be able to hear one side of the conversation so could be a risk

I'm not a fan of cleaning loos especially not for people I dont know so i wouldn't reject a portaloo out of hand, annoying for the workman to keep having to take their boots off multiple times a day

My brother is a plumber. He is able to use my toilet without leaving any evidence that he has even been in there.
However he has many hilarious stories about the mess him and his mates leave behind in customers bathrooms. He has us in stitches.
😉😁😁😁.

Hire the portal op, workmen piss all over the floor!!

We have had many tradesmen over the decades in which we have renovated or improved our homes.
They have always used the toilet in the house - sometimes it was the only toilet!
Never a problem. Ever.
I've also provided plenty of tea, coffee and biscuits. They used our mugs...all fine.
What a terrible attitude. Most of these men are just trying to earn a living and are husbands and dads, too. What awful prejudice.

I like to be out of the house at work when I have traders in. They don’t need me in their way and I am oblivious to their use of my only loo. No problem with outdoor footwear as the guys I use always put carpet protectors down.

You’re letting them work in your house, I’d happily let them use the bathroom, and the kitchen and - shock, horror - I sometimes leave them in the house on their own. One has even locked up for me. They’re highly skilled professional people doing I job I can’t do. Basic respect goes a long way.

What a portal into an alternate reality in which being a plasterer or a brickie means you’re unable to use a bathroom?

Exactly. I've never had to clean a loo after a tradesman in about 35 years of employing them.

Certainly not the reality I'm in!

This 👆

Your choice, never had an issue. Work colleagues the only ones who seem to have 'nuclear' explosions, but thankfully not where I work now.

I would hire the portaloo. I don’t care how clean people are, strangers using my loo makes me shudder

Why is that? It all gets flushed away?

Get the portaloo.

You won’t get a balanced response on here 🤣 MN is literally famous for the pearl clutchers who just “couldn’t bear” to have a workman use their toilet!! I think YABU. An arse is an arse and a shit is a shit, they’re all the same regardless of which body they come out of

I let anyone use my loo who needs to. Never had a problem. Several years ago we had an extension built and the workmen had full and free use of my kitchen and downstairs loo and they were very considerate.

Most people are perfectly decent and not prone to dirty protests that could get them fired.

Just let them use your loo, mumsnet really is another planet, I worked in houses as a tradesperson, I worked with lots trades people, 99% of people let you use their actual toilet, that toilet is left in a clean state by the vast majority as surprise surprise, we want repeat customers or not to get a talking to by the boss etc

I do wonder about how some people cope with life, sometimes.
It never once occurred to me to prevent tradesmen using my loo.

We lost 3/4 of the house due to a top down flood 2 years ago. First thing that arrived from the insurance company was a portaloo. It was emptied every fortnight.