Are You a Clean or Dirty Restroom User?

By Wally Habben

This is how I propose we solve the “Who gets to use which bathroom?” problem:

Dirty Bathroom Users: They go on the floor, and they certainly don’t wash their hands well, if an attempt is made at all. They touch everything before leaving (including the only handle available to open the exit door).

Clean Bathroom Users: Everything goes inside the porcelain. They always use the paper cover on the seat (no matter how difficult it is to place correctly). They flush the toilet with their shoe. They put the toilet seat down.  They wish to wash their hands with soap and hot water. Finally, they use a paper towel to touch the door handle as they leave.

With two young boys (one potty-trained & one in training) and a conscious effort to drink more than one gallon of water/day myself, I frequent public restrooms.

Until my sons get full control, they will sit down to use the bathroom.

Unfortunately, this means their soft, innocent little hands touch a lot of the seat and adjacent wall.  Disgusting!  Even worse, after completing their business, they typically struggle to reach the sinks, and I must either set them up on the dirty counter or prop them between myself and the edge of the counter to wash their hands. And wash their hands with what? Water that is usually cold to lukewarm at best, and does nothing to rid the bacteria.

Now, even if by God’s grace we managed to get all six of our hands satisfactorily washed clean and dried, how do we open a door that swings in and still keep all our hands clean?

Where on that door can I grab?

Is there a handle on that door that doesn’t contain a previous dirty bathroom user’s residue?

I challenge business owners and managers (who don’t keep a restroom attendant posted in each bathroom for 100 percent of business hours) to provide cleaning/antibacterial products for users of their facilities to clean up

after themselves (or for clean-conscious users to attempt to clean a spot before use).

Keep in mind, some of the dollars you get to count before whistling on the way to the bank will come from hands that utilized your restroom facilities.

DIRTY bathroom users or CLEAN bathroom users — that’s what the door labels will say. Which door is it that you are qualified to enter?