Last Updated on October 17, 2022
Many people can say they have had at least one unfortunate experience in a public restroom. Busy bathrooms in high-traffic areas receive their fair share of abuse and frequent cleaning up is not always an option for businesses. Many users and long periods without cleanup can result in some nasty conditions. Check out four restroom horror stories from our employees. You’ll laugh, cringe, and maybe even want to leave a comment sharing your story with us!
The Serial Tamponist(s)
It was the fall semester during my sophomore year of college and I was living in a dorm on campus. Several of the girls on my floor and I were receiving the same unwanted surprise in the bathroom…someone, or some girls (as this went on for a few weeks) kept leaving used tampons in the shower stalls of the bathroom we all shared. We would find these used feminine hygiene products in the changing area or on the floor by the shower drain. None of us wanted to subject our sweet cleaning lady to this and we were all afraid to touch any surface in the shower or changing spaces. One night, a few of us taped a sign to the restroom wall that read “Do Not Leave Your Used Feminine Things in the Shower.” After that, there wasn’t an incident for the rest of the year.
Don’t Be Scared: There’s a Solution: Sanitary disposal units in each bathroom stall give women a hygienic and convenient place to dispose of these items so that they are not thrown on the floor or flushed down the toilet. These units will also enclose their unsightly contents from users.
The Haunting Flood
While my daughter and I were at a child’s birthday party in a function hall, she came up to me and said she needed to use the bathroom. I brought her to a family restroom that had an adult toilet and a child-sized one with a small partition separating them. I let her go on her own while I used the bathroom too. Suddenly, she calls for me and I see a puddle of water quickly spreading across the floor. The children’s toilet was completely clogged and my daughter was the unlucky one to flush it and find out! I had to pick her up right away, as the water was pouring out fast and was up to her ankles. My feet and sandals became soaked too. After propping her up on the sink and cleaning her, we tried to discreetly leave the bathroom and find an employee to alert. Unfortunately, there was already someone waiting right outside of that bathroom who saw the whole mess. The news quickly spread to the entire crowd at the party, it was so embarrassing and we just wanted to leave.
Don’t Be Scared: There’s a Solution: An auto flush system with inline sanitizer helps to eliminate organic buildup on pipes, which decreases the chances of a clog. Toilet seat covers help to reduce clogs too. Users can have the barrier they need to comfortably use the restroom without using extra toilet paper that gets flushed down.
Scarily Slim Pickings
My daughter and I both needed to use the restroom while we were out shopping at a big-name superstore. There were three stalls available. She chose hers first, leaving me with two options. The first stall I looked into had a large amount of toilet paper piled on the back of the toilet, as if the previous user tried to cover the seat. That untidy appearance got me to choose the third option. After I locked the door behind me, I turned around and realized that the seat was covered in urine. Quickly, I changed my mind and decided that the messy pile of dry toilet paper did not seem half bad after all!
Don’t Be Scared: There’s a Solution: Installing a surface sanitizer dispenser would give users the chance to clean off a messy seat before using it. Toilet seat liners can also create a barrier between the user and seat.
The Spooktacular Wait
I was a bridesmaid in a wedding when I encountered a long wait for the bathroom. During the reception, I took a break from dancing to find the restroom and found a line of women waiting for it instead. There were just two stalls and one was “out of order.” After standing around in my dress and heels with the other frustrated guests, I finally got close enough to see the problem. The toilet was not working because it had become so clogged with used feminine hygiene products. It was a gory sight to say the least and could not have happened during a more inconvenient time.
Don’t Be Scared: There’s a Solution: Installing hands-free sanitary disposal units paired with appropriate instructional signage can completely eliminate this problem. If users don’t need to touch the receptacle, they are more likely to throw the used feminine products away in the correct place and not flush them down the toilet.
We hope you enjoyed reading these and the next time you encounter a restroom nightmare, let us know! We may be able to help. Have a happy and safe Halloween!
