AIBU to expect air freshener in toilets when visiting friends?

[HangryBrickShark]

Is there an expectation that people's toilets should have an air freshener in? Like a spray air freshener?

We always have air freshener in both our toilets in case friends or family get caught short when visiting us or even to freshen the bathroom after having a wee if necessary, so I hate it if I go to a friend/family members house and they have none.

I get some people may be affected by asthma but surely if you had asthma you wouldn't use it?

We have a glade air freshener at work that sprays into the space where the wash handbasins are for example.

This is definitely a you problem.

Air freshener after a pee...why??
And at your work nothing says natural more
Than glade freshener.

Your experience links back to @HangryBrickShark saying about asthmatics "not using sprays".

I use basic gel air fresheners for a pleasant scent. A quite "earthy" lavender seems to smell better than artificially sweet versions.

The window can be opened and standard cleaning items are next to the loo.

"I get some people may be affected by asthma but surely if you had asthma you wouldn't use it?"
Are you saying people with asthma should have air fresheners in their homes for guests to use and just ignore the risks to their own health?

I suffer from migraines and spray air fresheners are a nightmare for me so I wouldn't have them. I find bathroom smells dissipate pretty quickly whereas air freshener stink lingers on for ages so I really don't see the appeal.

YABU. I don't keep air freshener in my toilet for a few reasons. Firstly, spraying air freshener in my loo makes the floor tiles a slipping hazard. Secondly, it doesn't actually get rid of the poo smell, instead it intermingles and becomes a disgusting jasmine-poo cocktail. Thirdly, we just open the window.

Light a candle. If we have friends over I light a big candle in the loo.

I've never bought air freshener for anywhere in the house tbh. I wouldn't expect it in a friend's toilet, although I wouldn't be horrified by it either.

But in general, Mumsnet HATES air fresheners (and fabric conditioner) so your vote is definitely not going to go the way you expected!

Those things give me an almost instant headache. YABU.

I'm with the PPs who dislike the smell of poo thinly (it is always thinly) veiled by an overpowering artificial scent. It's like a double whammy.
I'm also interested if the OP has a similar requirement for farts released outside of a bathroom? Are they sprayed too?

I have a silicone toilet brush, and once I have cleaned any 'mess', I flush again to rinse it. I then add bleach, and dip the brush in to make sure it is super duper clean. I then hold it in place under the toilet seat to dry out before putting it back in its holder.

I don't leave it out for guests however as I don't believe they'd do the extra rinsing, bleaching or drying. So they can use hands and toilet paper if they must go at my house. Hopefully it will encourage them to go before they visit!

No air freshener though. If there's one thing worse than smelling someone else's shit in my toilet, it'll be smelling someone else's shit mixed with cloying artificial fragrance in my toilet. Bleach is fine.

I’m annoyed if I do see an air freshener in a loo. I don’t want to be forced to breathe horrible toxic chemicals, thank you very much. Just open the window.

I don’t have a bathroom window so… I’ll stick with the poo pourri! Same at work, no windows

I just have a bottle of bleach and a toilet brush next to the loo…surely that will do OP! Chuck a bit of bleach down and give it a scrub 🤷‍♀️

I’m asthmatic and synthetic fragrances hang around a lot longer than you might think.

Poo smells sometimes. Bathrooms smell sometimes. It’s not really that traumatising.

We have a VIPOO spray bought as a joke for DH. Only person who’s ever used it is a friend and frankly synthetic flowery shit smell is a million times worse than just shit. Must get rid of it.
those of you who think it’s less embarrassing for friends to use a spray - is that to pretend they haven’t shat in your toilet? And surely using a spray just advertises that’s exactly what they’ve just done?
as for spraying after a wee - WTF? Do you live on asparagus? Don’t drink enough water? Because can’t think why there would be a noticeable smell otherwise.

So you use a brush - how do you clean the brush? How do you clean the bacteria in the loo? How do you stop dribbling bits of poopy water all over the seat while you put the brush part back in it's container?

I get some people may be affected by asthma but surely if you had asthma you wouldn't use it?

If you had asthma you wouldn't use it - and you wouldn't want anyone else to use it either! Your lungs don't care who pressed the button on the spray. It lingers for ages and gets out into the rest of the house.

I have never bought a glade air freshener in my life and never intend to. But I do have windows.

Air fresheners don't freshen the air, they fill it with a revolting sweet floral nastiness.

Opening a window freshens the air.

There’s no such thing as ‘flushable wipes’. They may say they are on the packet but it’s a marketing lie. They’re terrible for toilet systems and plumbing and don5 break down properly. They should be binned (and banned if they continue to perpetuate the lie that they’re flushable).

As for needing air freshener at all but especially after a wee - if your urine smells that bad you’re dehydrated or worse and probably need to see a doctor.

Air fresheners literally highlight poo smells! Poopouri all the way + an open window. I’m more confused about the people without toilet brushes who expect guests to use loo paper to manually clean up after number twos??

OP totally agree. Something to save your friends from an embarrassment. Even if it is a reed diffuser (turn it over) but personally I find them more synthetic than a spray.
We use the airwick droplet spray one.
EVERYONE i know has something in the bathroom.
As for the ones who dont have a brush!! I did read they just said put bleach down , it works! NO IT BLOODY DOESN'T ! I have a friend who often needs a look suddenly and would be mortified if there wasn't a brush

Op you would love my mums house there's airfresheners, plug ins and them timed spray things everywhere. She can't bear the idea of her home smelling (I had asthma growing up and she still wouldn't get rid of any of the sprays lol)

Yep I always have loo roll, wipes, air freshener, toilet brush. It’s considerate on both sides.

Even better, light a match. Cheap and it works.