public loos - sit or crouch?

It looks as though most of our lavvie behaviour is learned from our mothers. Mine was a devil may care, plonk yourself down and get on with it person, and so am I. I never give it a second thought as long as I can wash my hands afterwards.

I do have a slight problem with the poles everyone grabs hold of as they get off the bus though.....

I was always taught by my mother and passed this tip down through the generations- You have to get a long peice of toilet paper and fold in the middle to make a large 'V' shape and place it quickly on the toilet seat, then also just as quick plonk your bottom down. Why the speed? well believe me, this is an art that takes some perfecting. Just as you carefully lie the paper on the seat it creates a gentle breeze and the paper either drops on the floor or one end goes into the toilet bowl and becomes wet, thus you have to start the procedure again from scratch! I have had many near misses with a full bladder bending over and attempting this!! I am not sure what diseases we are preventing ourselves catching. I was always told terrible, dreadful toilet diseases so watch out........(wink) Yes I was also told NEVER EVER sit on a seat but hover above it in mid-air and pee from there...well I never perfected a good aim and this usually results in wet floor, shoes and sprayed all over the seat which you then have to clean......and men wonder what we do in the loo that takes so much time...(grin)

A thread after my own heart ;)

I cover the seat carefully with toilet paper. I'm not successful at crouching, with my short, fat little legs!

I also seek out toilets incorporating a washbasin in the cubicle (disabled loos fit the bill usually). After bowel movements I need to bottle-wash afterwards (I do this every time as it helps to prevent cystitis) and you canna do that in an ordinary cubicle! I've found by experience that it's essential for me. Very tricky on public loos, however clean, and as it takes time it can be stressful trying to hurry when you know people are waiting

I find it difficult Abroad, especially in France where there are still plenty of loos which are holes in the ground. I cannot and will not use them and don't understand how any woman wearing trousers, or anyone elderly or disabled, could use them. Horrible!

Oh yes I remember Izal toilet paper. It was harsh but it did have a pleasant medicated smell. When we had three large sons all living at home I re-introduced Izal toilet paper because they used less of it.

Public loos are mostly disgusting so I usually go in a department store toilet which are cleaner.

I sometimes don't know what to do with my handbag if there isn't a hook on the back of the door. The floor seems an unhygienic place to put it.

JackyB, that would hurt my hands. And you must have to keel over a bit when you grab the loo roll? Could you put paper on the seat if necessary, and pick it up if it falls when you get up!?
Fascinating topic on gransnet - 3 pages thus far!

JackyB thanks for the tip. I am in London all day tomorrow and shall take a small towel with me (or maybe a flannel).

soon I always sit down to wee and I have never ever had a urine infection.

downto Game of Thrones is

pompa did you ever feel inclined to put one hand on your hip and say the rhyme ..."I'm a little teapot..." Good that you recovered from the illness.

I remember Izal. Did we really have it at school?

I couldn't hover - don't have the strength in my knees. Anyway, it would take much longer to reach a mindset conducive to "letting go" and by then everything would be quivering with the strain. I sit on my hands, having checked that there is soap at the washbasin outside, and then wash my hands thoroughly when I've done. Disinfectant wipes are useful - I'm not sure wet wipes would disinfect much.

If I'm on a long journey (especially in the UK where all public toilets seem to have more or less effective blow dryers (see the other thread about the dryers)), I have a small guest towel in my handbag which I pull out a bit before I start doing anything. Then i can just tweak it out of my handbag to dry my hands.

My late Mum although very generous to us was ultra thrifty with herself. I found her once peeling the home loo paper into separate layers to make it go further.

Do you remember medicated Izal which was like wiping your bum on tracing paper ?

Goodness, some of you worry about the strangest things...

It is not contamination by wee that is my concern, what if someone had a festering boil on their bum ?

I always hover in public toilets. I don't really expect to catch something, it's just squeamishness. I don't want to go around for the rest of the day with a stranger's urine, or worse, on my bum.

Also it's excellent exercise for the thighs!

I even hover at home, in my own bathroom, sometimes. This is down to the seat being cold.

I must be a total slut then as it rarely bothers me, apart from the hand washing of course. Have I ever had a urinary infection (which I am certain you cannot catch from lavatory seats?) Never.
On the other hand, I have had 4 babies. . . . . Is it true what they say about kissing?

I don't worry too much about public loos, but when particularly disgusting have been known to use my Sheewee, which I carry in my handbag.

Quite a lot of public toilets have sensors for the flush and taps so minimal contact. I never sit on a toilet seat. On holiday, when having to use non European toilets, I remove briefs in the car and then just stand over hole in the ground. This only works if you wear a skirt of course. A number of years ago I was confronted by several Indian ladies with their feet up on the toile seats, squatting, and the cubicle doors wide open. This was in a very large UK airport

I was always told that kitchen surfaces had more germs than loo seats and we are certainly exposed to worse dirt on public transport than public loos.

I just remember to use antibacterial wipes or gel on my hands regulurly rather than worry about loo seats, handles, flushes etc.

At our city hospital, the first set of loos you come to as you go in the main door are so ridiculously cramped, it is actually impossible to close the cubicle door without squishing up against the toilet pan. Oh they have touch free taps and top quality hand driers, but no thought has gone into the logistics of getting in and out of the cubicle without contaminating your clothes. A simple solution would have been bi-folding doors, and I can't think why they aren't used more, when these facilities seem to be squeezed into an ever shrinking footprint these days.

I often wonder how on earth very large ladies manage. Climb on to the toilet seat, perhaps?

I use a piece of toilet roll to press the flush button or handle.

I generally roll up the end of my sleeve, to avoid touching the handle of the cubicle door, and the outside door to leave the toilets.

But I am like Teetime. I dont use a public loo at all unless I have to.

grannyonce, Please, please explain how you can get home with clenched knees?

Maybe we all need one of these?

Downtoearth that was hilarious !

I'm with you there, Ana. It's not the germs on the flush that bother me, but the ones on the door as you leave, after you've washed your hands! Depending on the type of handle, I always try to avoid grasping it in the centre, where most of the grubby hands will have been. If ever there was a need for automatic doors, this is it!

downtoearth!

I plonk bum down if looks/smells clean on the odd occasion I am desparate enough to use seaside resort toilets which can be filthy will sort of crouch/hover whist easing knickers away from the pedestal in a no touch technique the aim in the loo is fine just find Iam sometimes left with soggy knickers as trying to dodge the sand/water/urine on floor.....have named this as a game of thrones....

I always wipe the loo seat with loo paper before sitting down. I believe Maureen Lipman's mother advised her on techniques for using public loos - it somehow involved hovering, holding on to the door so no-one else could come in and keeping your handbag off the floor.

In my last office job, there was a notice on the door saying

'If you sprinkle when you tinkle
Be a sweetie and wipe the seatie'

Loo was always spotless.