Mumsnet users share their experiences of public loos with Domestos

[EllieMumsnet]

This activity is now closed

Trying to find a loo when you’re out and about with your kids can be challenging. How many times have you asked if your DCs need to go before you leave the house and then they are demanding a toilet not even five minutes into your outing? We’ve all been there! Which is why at Domestos we want to know about your experience of public loos.

How often do you need to locate a loo when you’re out with your family? And how difficult are they to find? How do you feel when you have to go in and ask staff to use the loo in a pub? Or a café you weren’t planning on buying a coffee from? Or do you even ask? Are you ever met with resistance from staff when you ask to use their loo? What would you change to make this experience easier?

Here’s what Domestos have to say: “Domestos believe everyone deserve access to a clean, safe toilet. In the UK the problem is locating a public toilet when we’re out and about, in other countries the problem is far more serious. Domestos is committed to providing solutions, and have an ambition to help 25 million people around the world get cleaner, safer toilets by 2020.”

Whatever your experience is with public loos, post them on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

We try and avoid as much possible - dirty, no loo paper - always take wet wipes and a small poly bag for disposal. I must say some people using them are disgusting - paper all over the floor - loos not flushed - I really pity the people that have the job of cleaning them.

I wish that all toilets had doors that didn't need to be opened with a handle on the way out. A push door with no handle, or one you could open with your foot would be so much better. Never understood why they have automatic taps and flushers when you have to touch a germy door on the way out.

I tend to use M&S or sainsburys when I'm out and about as they have a separate baby change room that also has a toilet cubicle so I can lock the main door, change the babies and also use the loo myself at the same time.

Public loos are vile. I can't honestly say I've ever been to a good one. There was one I had to use in Dorset recently and it stank. It had wee all over the seat as well. Makes me shudder just recalling it!

It can be a horrible experience. I think people need to take more responsibility in cleaning up after themselves and not relying on someone else coming in to clean the facilities. Things like making sure the toilet has flushed fully and wiping the seat down after you've used it doesn't take much effort.

Hate them, they are a necessary evil but urghhhh, dirty, horrible, disease ridden cesspits

I really don't like using public toilets, especially ones that don't look to be have been cleaned regularly. Hate touching door handles as it is amazing how many people do not wash their hands :/

The toilets in our local shopping centre are ok, cleaned regularly but still don't use them unless we really have to. The public toilets in the centre of town are horrible, cleaned regularly but still smelly and dirty.

Mostly vile. Except for the ones in posh offices!

I find the toilets in department stores or restaurants tend to be the cleanest. So I try and always use them if necessary.

Not enough of them and they are often are quite dirty .

My DS loves public loos and even has a rating LOL. He recently went in a new Subway opened the toilet door and said NICE

I hate public toilets, the amount of people that don't wash their hands and then touch the door handles etc., is disgusting! I always use tissue paper to pull the flush and open the doors so i want have to use my hands. You can't find many public toilets these days because of council cut backs that have shut them so you are supposed to use pubs,resturants etc., which is hard to take children in.

generally public toilets aren't very clean and smell funny. I always take toilet wipes and mini hand wash in my handbag

If in France, make sure that you read the instructions very carefully on automatic self-cleaning toilets!

It's very hard where we live as the council have been systematically closing all the public toilets until there are hardly any left. It is very rare to find ones that are clean...I have to be desperate to use them!

I don't usually like to ask restaurants or pubs but with children I've had to a few times. Most people understand when you've got children.

Better than they used to be - not enough of them though!

My experience of public toilets is awful.

They are smelly, broken, or don’t have enough space for a buggy.

I think more shops should have toilets! I also hate how most shops have there toilets on the top floor, when my youngest was still in a buggy i often found lifts out of order so was unable to get to there toilets unless i folded buggy and carried it up 2/3 escalators!

I prefer the toilets where you have to pay as they are genrally cleaner

Have to say quite an effort in quite a few places just to find one,but certainly cleanliness has to be a priority with a small child when using one

I hate the automatic air freshners they have in public loos. A) they don't work, the toilets still smell, just smells like toilet + fake flowers, and B) they are so cloying and give me a headache.

Some very frustrating experiences, worst is when the baby change facilities are in the ladies, one particular one at a well known public attraction, very annoying

To be honest I won't use them - Previous experience has shown they are usually filthy dirty, smelly and often contaminated with dangerous and undesirable litter - Used needles, alcohol containers and so on.

I'd NEVER allow a child to use a public toilet without either being present or checking before they went in!

I get very frustrated with people who use the disabled toilets when they're not disabled just because there's a queue for the other toilets, this happens a lot in Motorway service stations & when you struggle to walk or stand for long periods it's very annoying. Thankfully a lot of them now need the keys to access them but they all need to adopt this method of use