Bathroom Hygiene

I understand that I live in America and that there are a lot of people who come from many different countries, cultures and backgrounds who visit my restaurant. I also understand that American public bathroom hygiene and procedures aren't the same as someone from Europe.

At the restaurant I work at, the hostess are in  charge of making sure that the bathrooms [ladies of course] is spotless for hygiene reasons and obviously because the bathroom is a clear indication of how clean we keep our restaurant *sarcasm alert*. It's also connected to a mall which of course people who aren't dining with us will use our bathrooms.

Either way, here are a 5 things I've noticed that people do in the women's bathroom besides their 'business':

1. They put used tissues in the small trash can and not in the toilet.
• I initially thought that tissue was made to be flushed down the toilet. I guess I was wrong. I've noticed even sometimes they're not even gracious enough to put their used tissue in the toilet nor trash can--they simply throw it on the floor, even better method of disposal!
2. A lot of people don't wash their hands.
• I've been cleaning the restroom sometimes and watch some women come right out of a stall, walk out the door and proceed to their table where they will use their hands to touch the menu, the complimentary bread and eventually their dinner. I don't know if the thought of washing your hands slips their minds or maybe they are just not accustomed to washing their hands after using a public restroom.
3. No one flushes their disposable seat covers.
• In most good public restrooms, there are these disposable paper seat covers for the 'sitters' [people that enjoy sitting freely on public toilets]. I've started to see that although a lot of people put them to use-good-they don't flush them down the drain along with their 'business'-bad. The idea of the DISPOSABLE seat cover is for you to use it, then flush it as if it were tissue.
4. Moms like to wait for the handicapped stall. No matter what.
• Yep, it's true, I've seen a small child pee all over the bathroom floor [which I had to clean, pfff.] All because she didn't want to use the small stalls to let her child use the bathroom. It all makes sense because our changing station is inside the handicapped stall. So, all in all, if you see a mother in the restroom with a stroller and screaming child, she's waiting for the 'big stall'.
5. Some people don't really use the bathroom.
• Just as if you were home, there are some conversations you can only have in the restroom. A lot of people take 20 minutes in the bathroom not because they're sick, they have a phone call to make and don't care that people are waiting to use it.

So there are 5 things I've noticed foreign people do in the restroom. Lesson? Tissue goes in the toilet, always wash your hands after using the restroom, flush your seat cover, let the moms in the 'big stall' and be courteous to people waiting.

Signed,

The [UN]Happy Hostess