Last summer, the restroom stalls at the rehearsal hall where I worked had a shelf. It was the perfect shelf, waist high and just wide enough for my cell phone. It made me so happy every time I went to the bathroom stall to have a place to put my phone and not have to worry about my it falling out of my pocket when I was peeing. It got me thinking of all the things I like in a public restroom. Which I know is a little random, but it’s been percolating, so here you go:
1) A shelf for my phone. As mentioned above. And, if not a shelf, at the verrry least a hook. Best if it’s a double hook. Or more than one. And it it’s high up enough that my stuff doesn’t drag on the ground. I don’t understand not having a hook in a women’s bathroom stall. Well any bathroom stall, but particularly a women’s. Because I always have a purse or bag or something with me. Or in the winter time, my coat. I want to hang that stuff up while I pee. Which also makes me wonder… where do men put their bags and coats when they use urinals?
2) Clean. I mean, it’s obvious, but had to be said. I’m partial somewhat to a bathroom that smells like PineSol, like the bathrooms of my elementary school.
3) Almond scented hand soap. This is my favorite public bathroom hand soap smell and it makes me so happy when I come across it. It reminds me of almond jelly, one of my favorite Taiwanese desserts. Also while we’re here – soap at every sink. How often do you go into a public bathroom and there is a row of sinks and one single soap dispenser all the way to the far side? And you have to “Pardon me, excuse me, so sorry!” your way past someone else to get to the soap and then back again to your sink.
4) A foot pedal flush. This might be asking a lot, but I do appreciate when there is a foot pedal. I will fully admit that I do use my foot to flush the toilet periodically. I have started just using my hand because when I think about it, it’s kind of an irrational germaphobic reaction to toilet handles since I’m about to wash my hands anyway. But then I think – If I use my foot to flush toilets, other people must, so maybe it is dirtier than I think…. I don’t know. I go back and forth on this one. Which is why I love a foot pedal flush because it takes all the overthinking out of it.
5) A changing table. Because I have kids and there are few things worse than changing a baby on a window sill. While we’re at it, I’m always delighted when there is a step stool for little kids so I don’t have to haul my kid up to wash their hands.
6) A trash can for my used period supplies. Maybe TMI, but there’s nothing I hate more than having to carry a balled up, used pad to the trash can outside the stall. I mean there are probably things I hate more – people who don’t use their turn signals, for one – but this one seems pretty unnecessary. Just put a receptacle for the used pads and wrappers in the stall, please! Ooooh, once in a while, I come across a bathroom that has little baggies for your used period product. I actually appreciate this quite a lot.
7) A full length mirror. And not opposite the toilet. I kid you not – the bathroom backstage at work has a full length mirror opposite the toilet. I do not want to watch myself pee. Makes me think that these bathrooms were designed for/by men. (probably true, given the demographics of the stage crew.) I mean I get the full length mirror in the single bathroom backstage – we often use bathrooms for costume changes. But…. there is a a whole expanse of wall. Put that mirror somewhere else. Or on the back of the door. Nonetheless, I do like having a full length mirror somewhere in my bathroom experience so I can do a quick once over before I leave.
8) Good soft lighting. Because while we’re at the above point, why have a full length mirror if the lighting is shit? Public bathrooms are awkward uncomfortable enough. Why aggravate it with bad lighting?
9) And to go along with #8 – warm. It’s nice when it’s warm. At Longwood Gardens, they have these bathrooms in trailers. They are soooo nice. Mostly because they are warm. Cold bathroom make things so unpleasant.
What are your favorite features to find in a public restroom?
I love those hooks at Amsterdam airport too! I also sort of love the shelf but it’s also easy to leave things in a stall then. Randomly I posted about my favourite toilet today – it’s at a museum in south wales and has a stall with a normal toilet and a kids toilet in the same stall! It’s the fastest public toilet wee I can get with my little ones and I don’t have to stand around waiting for them to wee before I can go. I love it!
Double toilets – AMAZING!!! That is going to go on my list now too!!!
This is hilarious (and I also saw Rachel’s post and thought of you – how ironic you both post about public bathrooms on the same day).
I think cleanliness is my favourite feature! Warmth second. I also agree on the lighting. And an aesthetically pleasing bathroom really does make the whole experience more pleasant.
I agree on aesthetically pleasing. I feel like part of the point in going to a bathroom at a restaurant to be delighted by the design. It happens very rarely, so when it does, it feels special.
I don’t think men generally have bags the same way women do and I don’t think they need to remove their coats to use the urinal. I honestly don’t think it’s an issue for most men!
I get so upset when I’m in a stall and there’s no where to put my bag! What are people even thinking? I don’t want to set it down ON THE FLOOR!!
You know, I asked my husband what men do and he says they just sling their bags so as to not get in the way. He *did* say that the bigger issue was always where to put your beer, but that can usually just rest on top of the urinal.
I was in a bathroom this weekend that did have a hook, but I was carrying a large tote bag and the hook was on the side of the stall, so the bag practically bopped me in the head hanging there! They could easily have put the hook at the end and avoided that problem–I’m guessing no one considered the large bag possibility but honestly.
Oh how annoying! I feel like people don’t design bathroom stalls with the thought that women have to sit down in mind!
A hook and a shelf would be amazing – but a FOOT FLUSH for the toilet would be GROUNDBREAKING!! I say that as someone uses their foot to flush in store and public bathrooms and does not have the balance skills to back up that practice…
hah! yes, I LOVE when I see a foot flush!
ALL of what you mentioned is amazing. I remember in Narita airport, the paper changed by itself on a toilet seat LOL I freaked out since I did not expect it.
Ultimately, nice smelling soap, paper towels or a nice strong drying machine, and CLEAN- that’s what I want.
Oh yeah, any kind of automatic/mechanized thing in a bathroom always freaks me out a little too.
What an interesting topic! I think cleanliness is at the top of the list for me, but I also get really annoyed when I go in the bathroom and there’s no hook for my purse. UGH. I like the shelf idea, too. That would be handy if you have more than one bag. I also like an automatic flush and automatic soap/faucets. Oh, and please let me just use paper towels and not those massive drying machines. I KNOW THIS IS NOT ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, but those drying machines are horrible.
The hand dryers are never really effective, I find!
Automatic flushes kind of freak me out because I don’t like not knowing when they will flush. I know parents who bring Post Its to the bathroom to cover up the sensors so their kids won’t be freaked out by automatic flush.