Public Bathroom Tips
Read these 9 Public Bathroom Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Public Restrooms tips and hundreds of other topics.
Public Restroom Privacy
Particularly when traveling to an unknown location, many people are concerned about privacy in public restrooms. Although people living in the United States can expect that by law, they are entitled to their privacy, that may not be the case in other countries.
There should always be partitions between public urinals, and these should be long and tall enough to allow privacy. Every toilet should have a door that locks properly. Mirrors should be placed in a way that protects the privacy of restroom users, although this may not be possible in smaller restrooms.
With the recent advent of concealed security cameras, some private establishments may install them in their restroom facilities. This could deter criminal activity, but privacy could be compromised.
Sitting or Squatting - How Bad Do You Need to Use the Public Toilet?
It is completely understandable when people are uneasy about using a public toilet. In places like ball parks or rest stops, these public toilets can get pretty bad. I am sure that the people in control are doing what they can to keep it sanitary, but there is no accounting for those who could care less. However, if you really have to go, you can control the situation, to a point, yourself. Here are some valuable public bathroom tips.
First, use the toilet seat covers that are provided in many public toilets. These thin pieces of paper are more effective than you may think when it comes to keeping you separated from the last person who sat on the throne. If the public toilet you are using doesn't offer covers, you can easily accomplish the same thing using toilet paper. Simply tear of a few short sheets and layer them across the toilet lid. This will also create a sufficient barrier.
In the end, you have the choice of whether or not to use a public toilet. It all comes down to one simple question… How badly do you have to go?
Wary of Using a Public Bathroom? Don't Fear, They Are Much Cleaner Now
Over the years, public restrooms have been branded as unsanitary and havens for germs. However, sanitary public bathroom tips on installing automatic features must have gotten out. Developments in bathroom technology have made the public bathroom a far more welcoming place for the person wary of using it. With touch-free technology being employed at every turn, you can often use a public bathroom without ever having to touch anything besides the tissue, and sometimes, nothing at all.
From the sanitary paper that is now provided for toilet seats, to the touchfree sinks, soap dispensers, paper towel or air dryers, and even toilet flushers, the public bathroom is now an automated process. No more do you have to worry about who was the last person to use that sink or to sit on that commode. You can be sure that when you use most public bathrooms, you can easily steer clear from anybody else's germs.
Peeing in Style: These Restrooms Do Not Disappoint
Sick of being afraid to touch anything in a public restroom? Perhaps you're going in the wrong ones. The following is a list of amazing public restrooms at nightclubs, restaurants, markets and stadiums that you should really try out. Just because they're public doesn't mean they can't be pretty.
1. Luxury and Serenity at Vanity Nightclub, Las Vegas
The bathrooms at Vanity Nightclub cost $1.2 million dollars and the women's room spans 2,000 square feet with 11 stalls. It inspires luxury and comfort so much that you may just forget you're in the ladies' room. The men's room boasts flat screens over the urinals and faux reptile skin walls.
2. A new take on a communal restroom at Liberty Market, Arizona
Liberty Market in Gilbert, Arizona has five unisex stalls each with their own design created by individuals who are part owners. The stalls vary in design and are accompanied by a complementary music playlist chosen by the designer.
3. Glass Bathrooms in Sulphur Springs, TX
Inspired by artist Monica Bonivicini from Switzerland, you might find yourself feeling uneasy as people walk by while you do your business in a glass cube in Sulphur Springs, TX. Have no fear, that glass is one way, so you can see out, but they can't see in.
4. Pop-Up Toilets in Europe
A company called Urilift is producing pop-up cylindrical lavatories in London and Amsterdam that look like something out of the future. Thankfully, if you have the sudden urge to go you won't be out of luck with these popping up all over.
5. Rustic and Beautiful Barrel Sinks in Mie N Yu Restaurant, in Washington, DC
Inspired by a Singapore flea market, the Mie N Yu restaurant in Washington, DC includes a unisex restroom with rock-lined copper basins and rustic faucets.
6. Digital Mirrors at Lane Stadium at Virginia Tech
Lane Stadium at Virginia Tech includes bathrooms with digital mirror displays. As one approaches to wash their hands they might see game stats or advertisements.
7. Bohemian Inspiration at Gitane Restaurant in San Francisco
In San Francisco, the restrooms located in the Gitane restaurant are inspired by its Bohemian decor. Black and white tiles are mixed with florals for added romance and remembrance.
8. Glowing Brilliance at the The Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel
The Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel includes a magnificent interior including rolled towels and faucets that flow blue if the water is cold and red if hot.
Have a Go at These Sparkling Public Bathrooms
Mythical and coveted, clean public restrooms arouse awe in travelers, businesspeople, and families everywhere. Tidy toilets inspire so much excitement that one company decided to create a contest with awards for "America's Best Restroom."
Dirty gas station bathrooms, on the other hand, inspire tales of terror. Even the hardiest souls are brought to tears after using a public bathroom that features a row of clogged toilets and dingy, wet toilet paper covering the floor.
Experience the best in bathrooms with a visit to the following public potties:
Hollywood Bowl bathrooms, Los Angeles, California
Refurbished in time for the 2012 season, the bathrooms at the Hollywood Bowl offer savvy, eco-friendly features like Dyson dryers and LED lights. The smooth green floors and soft yellow lighting feature a total transformation from the old bathrooms, which were dank, dark, and claustrophobic.
JCDecaux public toilets in Paris, France
The French know fashion, and they've also mastered the art of beautiful toilets. In Paris, designer Patrick Jouin built a gleaming bathroom that actually cleans itself. Paris has a huge problem with graffiti, but visitors won't find any dirt around these blindly clean toilets.
Shoji Tabuchi Theatre bathrooms in Branson, Missouri
The unassuming locale of Branson, Missouri doesn't seem as though it would feature incredible bathrooms, but the city was featured as one of the finalists in the "America's Best Restroom" contest. The ornate toilets of the Shoji Tabuchi Theatre feature some incredible pieces of furniture, like a $15,000 marble fireplace and Victorian antiques.
Radisson Blue Aqua Hotel bathrooms in Chicago, Illinois
Chic and hip, the luminous bathrooms of Chicago's Blu Aqua bear the stamp of British designer Jim Hamilton. Walls of radiant mirrored tiles and vases of gorgeous purple orchids create a space that feels like a serene, underwater adventure.
Protect Yourself From Public Restrooms
I typically like to avoid public restrooms as much as possible. They are inexplicably wet, foul smelling and crowded. Short of the front line in Normady 60 years ago, there isn't anywhere else I would want to avoid more. But sometimes you have to use them and, fortunately, there are precautions you can take to protect yourself.
1 - Carry Disinfectant Wipes
Let's forgot about those paper toilet cover seats that they give out. Most places don't even have them. Bringing your own disinfectant wipes will allow you to make sure the toilet seat is clean.
2 - Drop the Toilet Seat
When you are done doing your business make sure to drop the toilet lid cover before flushing the toilet. The particles in a toilet can splash outwards of 20 feet after every flush. I would not want to take home any of those germs with me, that's for sure. This is an easy way to stay a little bit cleaner.
3 - Carry Hand Sanitizer
There are two types of bathrooms in this world. There is the bathroom that never has any soap because people use it up so quickly and then there is the bathroom that never has any soap because nobody ever refills it. Err on the side of caution and carry hand sanitizer in your purse or pocket. It won't be as good as using hot water and soap, but it will definitely help ward off the worst of the germs you may encounter.
4 - OPEN THE DOOR WITH A PAPER TOWEL
The door handle is disgusting, just face it. Some people don't even wash their hands--why would you touch the handle after washing yours?
Need Multiple Restrooms In A Hurry? Think Executive Restrooms
Have you ever stopped at a rest area and found that the main restrooms were out of service and, instead, you were sent to use restrooms in what looks like a big trailer? If so, you were probably using one of Executive Restrooms extraordinary models of modular restroom facilities.
Executive Restrooms has all but pioneered the multiple portable restrooms. Their technology is extremely sanitary for you and the environment and has become the solution of choice for most state contractors. Many executive restrooms even have air conditioning and all of the other comfort amenities you are accustomed to in a restroom. These aren't your daddy's port-o-pottys.
If you run a public venue and are repairing your restroom facilities, think about renting or leasing one of the many different models of executive restrooms. They come with your choice in number of stalls, sinks, and plenty of other customizable choices.
The Differences in Commercial Bathroom Fixtures
All bathrooms are created equal, right? Wrong. For heavier usage bathrooms, commercial bathroom fixtures are installed for a variety of reasons. There are many differences between commercial bathroom fixtures and residential bathroom fixtures, but one, above all, stands apart from the rest: Conservation.
Commercial bathrooms are used far more frequently than residential ones. Therefore, there is much more waste to deal with as well as resources used. For water conservation – from toilets to sinks – commercial bathroom fixtures provide more efficiency from the water used and therefore conserve as much as possible. These conservation measures do not stop at the waterline, so to speak.
All of these efforts in conservation also conserve one other important thing – money. For the proprietor of the restroom, these commercial bathroom accessories will save them money on the water and power bills, as well as their disposable paper products.
Graffiti - It is Still A Crime in Public Restrooms
Nobody can control the inane actions of other people. Personally, I have never understood those that graffiti public restrooms. Sure, once in a while you get something funny as you are taking care of your business, but most of the time, these messages seem to be left by illiterate, very un-funny people. It makes many wonder, isn't this a crime?
You bet it is; especially if you see graffiti in a state-run public restroom. Defacing state property does not have to mean a police car or road sign. People who graffiti a state-run public restroom are also defacing state property and had better hope that hey do not get caught. Such a crime can carry stiff penalties including fines and possibly even a little time in the slammer. This will depend on how egregious the crime was.
With as far as manufacturers have come in making public restrooms a better facility to use, it is a shame that many people will still go out of their way to mess it up. If you see someone committing this crime, don't be afraid to let them know that what they are doing could cost them far more than they bargained for.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Christina Chan |
