My Thoughts on Public Restrooms...

...in case you ever cared to know them. :) First of all, I have to show you photos of what I believe to be the PERFECT public restroom. It's in a little bakery/cafe here in town and although the bathroom alone is worth the trip, their sandwiches are also amazing. :)

This bathroom is beautiful. It's always clean. There's a separate room with a toilet with a solid cherry paneled door, beautiful tiled floor and walls with a pretty border and a gorgeous painting on the wall. The only thing missing are those handy disposable toilet seat covers but they keep it so clean in there you ALMOST don't seem to need them.

That brings me to my first thought when it comes to public restrooms and a funny story to go with it. I am NOT a hoverer. I just can't do it. I'm just not cut out for hovering above the toilet to pee. If you can do it successfully then more power to ya but if ya can't please please PLEASE don't try. There's nothing worse to a non-hoverer than to use the restroom after a hoverer with horrible aim. UGH! Seriously!! Because I realize I'm not cut out to hover I choose instead to line the toilet seat with toilet paper (unless of course they have the wonderful disposable toilet seat liners available).

Funny story comes in when I got a phone call quite some years back from my sister Tammy saying 'you'll never guess what your Paige just did'. Well, I'd taken Paige to the bathroom (I believe at Red Lobster) just a week or so before this. She must've been JUST potty trained cuz she was only maybe 3 years old tops. Before sitting her on the toilet I carefully lined it with TP and she must've thought it was a fantastic idea because Tammy walked in on her in the bathroom at home and she had toilet paper everywhere trying to cover the toilet seat. When Tam asked her what on earth she was doing she simply told her she'd learned it from her Auntie Shawny. :) Guess I could've explained to her that at HOME it's not necessarily as important. :)

Now, when it comes to designing a perfect restroom, there are a few simple things about placement that can make all the difference. Like the hook for our purses/jacket/etc. It should be in the center of the stall door about 2 feet from the top. That or on the side wall works too. NOT way at the top and certainly not right next to the edge where your purse can be seen through the space between the door and the stall partition. I'm protective of my purse and when you're sitting on the toilet there's not a whole lot you could do if someone decided it would be just too easy to grab it over the top of the door and waltz out of the restroom while you're still pulling your pants up from around your ankles. Doesn't take a genius. And it doesn't cost any more money to put the same hook in a sensible position in the stall. Just a little pet peeve of mine. Probably one I've given a little TOO much thought to but I feel much better getting that out there. Maybe someone who reads this will actually be designing a public restroom and will make better choices because of this post. :)

Personally I hate those blower things to dry your hands. For one, it leaves you empty handed when reaching for the door handle to leave the restroom. We all know there are people who leave the restroom in a hurry without taking the time to wash their hands. Probably those careless hoverers most of 'em. There should always be paper towels and the best dispensers are the ones without the pumpy handle thingys. You just washed your hands, why do you wanna touch something everyone else has touched just before you wipe them dry?! And then the garbage can should be close enough to the exit so that I can use the paper towel when I open the door to leave and then toss it in the garbage as I'm walking out of the restroom. Again, doesn't cost more money to put the garbage can in a convenient position for optimal restroom sanitation practices. :)

Just my humble opinions of course. Don't mean to offend all the hoverers of the world. Some of you are probably very good at it. And huge thanks to Leeandra for humoring me by locking ourselves in the perfect public restroom so I could snap some photos. She even did a LO about it that you can check out here. Did ya ever think you'd see a LO about a public restroom? Or an entire blog post? LOL

Comments

[Kim]

hey...you're NOT make fun of the hoverers are ya?! :) Gotta admit...I've been know to hover. BUT, I am a very tidy hoverer...so I completely get ya. In fact, that is why I hover....from all those sloppy hoverers that came before me. LOL Love the pics Shawny!! You make me smile.

[LeeAndra]

You are completely insane. *lol* Love ya!

love, me <><

[Shabby Miss Jenn]

OH YOU ROCK MISSY PEA!!!!! Loooove that bathroom and the textured/painted walls RULE!!!!!! Thanks for sharing that! Eat a shabby sandwich for me! :) Smooch!

[Laurie G]

Shawn! I can't believe I haven't been to this bakery yet! When I was growing up it was called Hempel's Pastries and was just 2 blocks away- of course it didn't have a place to eat or an awesome bathroom like that LOL! The deBoers used to go to our church too. :)

ITA with all of the above- and I'd like to add a few more bathroom amenities that I love LOL!
1. touchless faucets- although the above are really nice :)
2. Good ventilation- nothing worse than a stinky bathroom- aarrgh!
3. floor to ceiling stalls- although not ideal for little ones who might lock themselves in. :)
4. BIG stalls- I hate the stalls where the door practically touches the toilet when you swing it open and you have to try to maneuver around the door while trying not to touch anything.
5. Good toilet paper (within reach LOL) that doesn't rip into tiny pieces with each pull.
6. A big trash can- so paper isn't falling out of it- and of course close to the door so you can throw away your paper after using it on the handle ;)
Better yet......
7. The door to the bathroom should pull to go in- and push to go out- so you can use your shoulder LOL!
8. I'd also love to see a sanitizer pump on the wall- just outside of the door- just in case you have to touch the door after a non-washer!

OK- that was more than a few haha! I'll have to go back to Body Perfections to get a pedicure so I can check out deBoer's (bathroom). :) LMK if you wanna go. ;)

[Carla]

Gotta admit that's a pretty awesome bathroom. I'm pleased to say that my little bathroom at home that I love has the same color scheme. We have granite countertops, and I got brave and painted it red. One of my favorite rooms in the house. LOL!

My little rant is that if you are a hoverer, and you don't make the target, how hard is it to take some TP, and wipe your mistake for the next poor soul? I just don't get why people won't clean up their own mistake! OK-rant done! Cool post!

[Heather aka MuddyPawPrints]

Oh I am right with you girl! I even carry my own seat covers! LOL!!!! I cringe when I have to use a public rest room. The door handle thing, oh yeah, I always sigh when I hear the people leave without washing.... ugh!

[GinaEgg]

OMG, I'm so not a hoverer, either. I have travel packs of those seat covers in my purse and in my girls' backpacks just in case I'm ever in a place that doesn't have the seat covers available.

Ooh! I was in O'Hare airport on Sunday and they have these automatic seat covers -- you wave your hand in front of a sensor and it wraps a new seat cover around the seat. Waaaaay cool!

[kari]

you crack me up!

[Amy Wathen]

Amen Sistah!! I am with you on all counts. I also frequently curse the logic of having the door PUSH in and PULL out. You are too funny and maybe have been stuck in front of a sewing machine too long?! LOL

[April]

I laughed my butt off (so to speak) at this entry. I swear to you that I feel like posting one of those "If you sprinkle while you tinkle, be a sweetie and wipe the seatie." signs every time I have to mop up someone else's pee pee from the seat. NASTY! Great entry, mama.