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

[anitagreen]

I have an awful phobia of black toilet seats, I cannot and will not use one at all I just can't do it I break out into a panic attack at the sight of one and this does make public toilets hard for me to use or take my children into . I always find the toilets in places like Costa to be quite hygienic and I don't mind using them there as they are hands free flushing, and taps and also white seats.
However the toilets in my local park and Asda are terrifying toilet roll on the floor, black seats, stains up the wall etc. Sanitary products usually left on top of the bin 😫

[Fanjango]

The public loos in our town are awful. Out of order often, smelly and not adequate for the need. My son is asd and phobic of germs and sensitive to noise, at 13 he won't come into a toilet for women but can't go to a male one as he's too scared. The disabled loos are disgusting so he tries to hold it. I think more shops should allow non patrons to use their toilets. There are so few well looked after public toilets I think shops should help us out. I've been forced to buy snacks just so I can allow my son to use a clean toilet, that should not be needed.

[Ilonq]

My son is only 5 month old but we already had terrible experience with public loos. We were shopping at "Range" one day and had to change him..spent good 15 min trying to find a toilet or baby changing facilities (There was no shop assistants to be seen that day).. finally found THE ONLY toilet and it was beyond disgusting.. There was yellow stains around the toilet rim and baby changing unit was in a state. So used all my hand sanitizer on it and also covered it with 2 muslins... 2nd time we just went in for a quick coffee with a friend and my little on needed a feed.. Sat next to a table and a man sitting opposite me gave such a killer look that I ended up going to the same toilet and Sat on the floor feeding my baby ... bare in mind I always use a cover while I'm breastfeeding in public.

[margaritasbythesea]

My dd bloody loves them. No clue why. Smelly. Small and often dirty in my experience.

Glad to have them though. Often outside UK there are none. They're a blessing really!

[countryred]

As many pp have said I tend to plan trips around toilets! I will often choose to go to a particular place because I know there is easy access to a clean public toilet. On holiday we will plan to park for a walk/trip out at places like national trust car parks as they often have good facilities and it's free if your a member. Get very frustrated when you go to places (particularly rural places) where you know there is a toilet and then you find things like they are shut because it's winter!

[Thebatswhiskers]

I bought a radar key as I'm a wheelchair user. My experience of disabled public loos.. they're not cleaned often enough. The first time I used the key to go in to a disabled toilet, someone had used the floor, ceiling and basin as the toilet..

I agree with a PP about the Changing Places campaign - most disabled loos aren't even big enough for my powered wheelchair, never mind for my carer to come in with me and assist. I'd like to see accessibility becoming a priority for public toilets, it would literally change people's lives

[Rudgie47]

Well theres not enough of them to start with and they tend to be dirty and also expensive. Some places its 50p.
All that happens is that people who cant find one or havent got any money will just go in the street or behind a bush or something. Which in this day and age is dreadfull.
The worst city I know of regarding public toilets is York. If anyone on here is going with kids or with someone who has bladder problems then you need to plan well ahead.

[user1495807524]

Some are good some are bad. Couldn't believe how dirty the public conveniences in Prestatyn were.

[Gynlais]

The public toilets in our local Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury's are usually clean and well looked after.
However, the public toilets which are run by the local authority are not. The toilets in our local park and bus station are really not suitable for children or anyone really! It's really not acceptable as we pay so much in council tax.

[PorridgeAgainAbney]

If we are going to an unfamiliar town then I make sure I know where the department stores or any indoor malls are as they are likely to have lots of toilets so less chance of queuing. Failing that, Costa always seems to have well maintained and spacious loos, I feel a bit sorry for them really as the only reason we ever go in there is to sprint to the toilet .

Worst bit is when the cubicle is so small that you end up leaning against the toilet when your child barges out before you and you lose your balance (not envy!).

[OopsIdidittentimes]

My daughter (4) hates public loos and would usually rather wee in a bush! Its the combo of grime and smell, lack of toilet roll, made toilet training extra hard too.

[musicalprof]

My DD has a chromosomal disorder, has a neuropathic bladder & bowel & an intense fear of hand driers; this all makes for a difficult time when out & about.

We now have a Radar key, which helps, but the current trend for putting disabled toilets within the main toilet area does not help with her hand drier fear.

We have also been challenged by other disabled people as my DD is not in a wheelchair. She loves the toilets in our local Waitrose, which are described as 'accessible' because 'not every disability is visible'.

[ButterflyOfFreedom]

Since having my DC I find I need to make use of public toilets more!! The majority seem to be ok, never particularly high standard but usable at least. Some are very grim thouch! Dirty toilets, wet floors, no loo roll, broken seats/ doors...

[OnMyWayToday]

One of mine is potty training so we stick to bigger supermarkets or shopping centres at the moment if needing to shop so we know there will be loos. Also planning ahead with sticking to parks that I know have nearby loos. I don’t hesitate to go in a pub or a chain cafe or McDonald’s for the toilet though.

[Angiemum23]

I don’t like using public toilets until I really have to. It never feels clean. Most of the time there is no soap or the dryer doesn’t work.

[daisyduke66]

Try to avoid them at all costs!....if absolutely necessary then a nice cafe or restaurant is usually a best bet...even then there are no guarantees. Outside of this they can be grimmer than grim....I've spent years carrying around sanitised (paper) loo seat covers -since my three were tiny! - they've been a lifesaver on occasions!...and antibacterial hand gel is a must. I don't think public loos have improved over the years at all and certainly most don't have decent, clean child and baby facilities.

[Happyoldbat]

Councils are closing public loos because there is no statutory duty to provide them and everything non statutory is being cut. If you want more loos, campaign to make it a statutory duty for the local authority to provide them. Closues would be less likely if they were not subject to business rates, which is a huge part of the running costs for a small public loo, so how about campaigning an exemption for public loos? It is a nonsense to provide bins for dogs and nothing for humans. I am more likely to shop in places with decent loos, and the quality of the loos are a reflection on the quality of the shop. I don’t like the ladies to be too close to the gents; it feels threatening and the gents always stink.

[Namethecat]

We've all been there. Out with our dh or a male friend, they can nip in and out in minutes and are then left hanging around whilst we form an orderly queue of 6 women who are waiting for the 2 or 3 cubicles. We call it hotseating ! Due to the constant use they won't flush so you end up seeing a sea of pee and loo paper which is never pleasant.

[toolazytothinkofausername]

In a shopping centre, go to the toilets hardest to get to. No one will bother to walk that far, hence they are used less and will be cleaner!

[Etymology23]

I hate using public toilets. I have bowel problems and frankly trying to use the loo while out is a nightmare. Lack of loo roll, seats so awful you can’t sit down (fine for a quick wee, much less fine for anything else), lack of soap. Argh. Just horrid. I know exactly where all the decent ones are in my town and surrounding ones.

[IWouldBeSuperb]

Public toilets are so hard to find and when you do they're inevitably awful!

It's bad enough with children but I really feel for people with illnesses etc. that make you even more dependant on them.

I think this is a great campaign - I'd be happy to pay for toilet access (a small amount 20-50p) if it meant they were clean, and if there was the option to contactless pay by card - I NEVER have change and have had to rely on the kindness or strangers a couple of times when caught short!!!

[libra101]

Our most recent experience at 'trying' to use a loo in our local town was disgusting!
We approached a block of porta-loos adjacent to the High Street, the area was covered in litter, bottles, and cans, and cost of using loo - a massive 40p! I inserted the coins and on entry, discovered a bloke asleep in there! I was totally shocked! None of the other loos worked either, and eventually I found a loo at a local store.
I was so revolted by the experience, I complained to the local council, who replied stating that local drug takers sleep in there overnight.

[DuckingMel]

I rarely need the toilet when out and about. When DS was potty training, we needed to know all the loos in our area. Going to a public toilet is never nice. Sometimes we'd get a drink at a cafe just to use the look, or if the place was fairly busy, we'd just sneak in without buying anything. I preferred to go to accessible toilets if possible, as that made it less cramped for us, especially when he was still in a pushchair. He was also terrified of hand dryers, so individual toilets were better for that reason.

If we were unable to find a loo, I'd just ask DS to pee out of sight in a bush or similar. Would be harder with girls!

What I find the most annoying are paid loos in places where there are no other toilets available. In what world is 50 p for a quick pee reasonable? Also, I often don't carry cash and coins with me.

[rainbowhaggis]

I use public toilets fairly regularly and it makes a big difference when they are clean and hygienic. The worst thing in the world is when you have finally found a public toilet, you are just about to burst, you barge in, sit down and let yourself go aaaaaaand there is no toilet paper in the dispenser....Oh Bums

[YorkieDorkie]

The newer ones are usually quite clever in where they're positioned and how they offer accessible facilities. The best I've been to have small loos for children and feeding chairs. I do lots of nappy pit stops so I like to see good cleanliness and plenty of soap, paper towels etc. I've been to so many where they've run out of soap and when you've just changed a poonami it's really not great and you know that the door handle has been touched by unwashed hands - or if I need to feed my baby then great!!! My hands are filthy!!!