Dirty nappy and clothes in cafe

[Newmother2025]

My little one had a poo leak when out. I changed him in baby change area. I wanted to dispose of clothes - sleep suit and vest. The bin was overflowing and tissues on floor beside. Disposal unit there for pads. I asked staff for a bin bag which they gave me. I put nappy and clothes in bag and left beside bin. Staff followed me out and said I had to take with me. I didn’t think they would want me walking through cafe with it. I felt embarrassed.. it’s a cafe I go to a lot and now likely won’t go back.
anyway just wondered what people think I /they should have done?

I would have tied the clothes in my own nappy bags, as many as necessary and taken it away with me. I would have done the same with a nappy that didn’t fit in a bin. Or anything really. If something doesn’t fit in a bin, I would wait until I found a bin with room.

You should have either asked them to empty the bin or taken it with you. Not just left a bag of soiled things on the floor stinking.

I wouldn’t go back anyway, if their hygiene is so low that toilet bins are overflowing and theres sanitary waste all around the bin, that doesn’t seem like somewhere I want to eat.

personally, if I couldnt use the bin I wouldve most likely put the babies clothes into a nappy bag (or multiple nappy bags) and into my changing bag and taken them home

I can see why they didn’t want you to leave it, because technically you just left a bag of waste on the floor. But there should’ve been a bin so you weren’t in that situation at all.

I agree. The cafe sounds like it needs to up it’s hygiene before I would consider going back. That said, i wouldn’t have left soiled clothes there. I would have tied them up in a bag/a few nappy sacks and then disposed of in a bin once I’d left the café.

You should of course take with you, it’s never appropriate to leave nappies or clothing in an open bin especially overflowing. Take it home always

I wouldn’t have thrown away clothes any way but in this example I’d have put them into my own nappy bags and taken out / home in my changing bag.

Of course you shouldn't just leave a bag of poo soiled clothing on the floor of a cafe bathroom. You wouldn't leave loose used period products or incontinence pads?

It's your stuff, your responsibility. No need to be embarrassed, but you should've known to take it away.

Imagine if everyone did the same and just dumped waste? The poor staff would be flooded with complaints and extra cleaning duties.

First of all I don’t understand why you’d throw the clothing away.
But yes, leaving it all behind on the floor is gross. Why should the staff have to handle that?

Cafe sounds gross. If their toilets are that bad what do think their kitchen area is like?!

The bin isn’t for bodily waste. It’s for tissues and hand drying paper towels. YABU to just leave that there. You’re supposed to take that with you.

I would definitely have taken them with you in that situation. The poo will wash out and sunlight is great at getting rid of the stains.

Why would you not take them home to wash? You don’t just throw out clothes that have been pooed on, surely?! But YABU to expect the cafe to dispose of your waste - regardless of the nature of it. Leaving unwanted clothes / shoes / books / whatever is not ok. Take it home and put it in your own bin!

You need a wet bag for future. Made for cloth nappies but I rotate three between my changing bag / toddlers bags for soiled or dirty clothes. Game changer! Can be chucked in the wash too

You should have a bag with you to take nappies and dirty clothes away in. Not all cafes dispose of nappies.

If it was a normal waste bin, you should've taken it with you. If it was a nappy bin that was full, you probably should've let the staff know to empty it and either put in there or take it with you.

I wouldn't be embarrassed. The waste was in a bag. You're put into lots of awkward situations as a mother where you're trying to juggle a baby/ toddler at the same time as trying to cope with something they've done and often you're trying to figure it out on little sleep!

I probably would've done the same. I've thrown pooey clothes out when we've been out because I didn't want to carry them round with me

If they don't have a nappy bin, of course you take it with you!!

Thank you for the grace extended in this reply! I’ve rarely posted on here before and a bit taken aback by how much judgment and criticism there has been contained in some of the responses.

I really hope their food hygiene doesn't reflect their bathroom hygiene. I'm surprised they didn't empty the bin when it was pointed out that it was overflowing to the point people had to leave paper towels on the floor.

You’re fine, not great hygiene standards, we all do stupid/ unwise things at times!
Take care x

@Newmother2025What do you normally do with dirty nappies if you're in a park or something? That's probably why so many shocked responses on here.

If the bin is overflowing with tissue I would have put my foot in it and squashed it down - I worked in a school and this was standard practice!!! Then I would have used nappy bags and thrown them in the now 1/3 full bin. No need to involve staff.

You'd put it in a bin not take it home?
If I'm in a park I check there's a bin nearby.
On the rare occasion I've had to change a nappy in my car then its gone in a nappy bag and placed in the nearest bin whether at home or on way home.
I've never had to routinely bring nappies home and its not an unreasonable assumption to make that a cafe should have decent waste facilities. They should have emptied their bin not gone chasing after a paying customer with the waste not only embarrassing the customer but highlighting their poor waste management to the rest of the customers in there.
Its not like she's tried to leave a full soiled ADULT outfit in the toilets. A baby's sleepsuit or something of that size, tied up in a bag. They should have let it go.