carol

I was in Andalucia last month, and only once did I encounter a public washroom which had paper and soap and towels. Most are missing at least two of these. Several did not have functioning water faucets as well.<BR><BR>In addition, the ladies do not sit (perhaps the lack of paper) and so there is usually pee on the seat. This was the case in restaurants, museums, etc. Make sure you carry some tissues and Purell with you at all times.

curiousgeorgina

What is Purell?

Jen

Purell is a brand name for one of those "hand sanitizers" that give you the illusion that you have washed our hands.

carol

Purell is mostly alcohol, in a gel. If there is no soap, it is a good way to kill bacteria on your hands. Better than e coli or salmonella poisoning in my books!

bj

I think, most travelers especially to Spain will tell you thats pretty normal. The one that got to me though, was the lights on a motion sensor timer (usually on the switch right by the b-room door) that go off after about 1 minute leaving you in total darkness!!<BR>I appreciate the need to conserve energy but some are timed so short that they inevitably go off at a very inopportune time.

Julie

This post amazes me since it is so different from my experience. I remember doing a trip report or some such and extolling the cleanliness of Spain, having never encountered a dirty bathroom. We were all over in Spain with the exception of Galicia and Costa del Sol and never found anything to complain of. I do have a tendency to avoid public toilets in favor of those in restaurants, etc. so that may be the difference. I guess I may have a good strategy.

Carrie

Please don't be stupid enough to use those anti-bacterial gels. I just spent several weeks in the hospital at my father's bed side, and I must have heard 5 different doctors talk about how dangerous anti-bacterial products are.<BR><BR>BTW, I also just read a study that showed that public restrooms have far less germs than the average office desk. The office PC keyboard contains more germs that any service that researchers studied.

elvira

Carrie, did those doctors have any suggestions for getting one's hands clean when soap and water are unavailable? If I remember correctly, health officials make a big deal about teaching children to always wash their hands (to avoid the spread of virii). Is if better to risk a cold or hepatitis than use an anti-bacterial hand cleaner?

Suzy

Those little packets of Wash-n-Dris are more appropriate than hand sanitizers. You can buy them in packs of 25 or 100 and just put a few in your tote every day when you head out.

carol

Julie, I was referring to toilets in restaurants, museums, etc. as opposed to those in my hotel room. I only saw one that was properly equipped over a 7 day period.<BR><BR>Julie, as someone who works in health care, I can tell you that not only are most anti-bacterial products not dangerous, the doctors would be using them every day to clean their hands, as hospital soaps are anti-bacterial. What you are thinking of is the over-prescribing of antibiotics. Alcohol-based products are not a contributor to this problem.<BR><BR>It is pretty easy to get very sick if you eat with hands soiled in a washroom. I don't want to ruin my vacation that way.

M&J

BJ--we agree with the "surprise" of the motion detectors shutting off the lights while the bathroom stall door is shut---darkness overcomes us. We now carry a small flashlight "everywhere."

Jen

Carol, I think your understanding of antibacterial stuff needs updating. <BR><BR>It's true that the main problem is overuse of antibiotics, and it's also true that bacteria can't develop a resistance to acohol ( the active ingredient in Purell and other no-washing-type hand sanitizers). <BR><BR>But the antibacterial ingredients in soaps can indeed lead to the development of resistant bacteria. Just as there are appropriate uses for antibiotic medications, so the use of antibiotic soaps by physicians is appropriate. But the constant use of these products by the general public is not a good idea. Here's a discussion of the concerns of the AMA:<BR><BR>http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/hea...000/791934.stm

Shannon

I have traveled to Spain on numerous occasions and have never had a problem with their bathrooms. Why Carol has found it necessary to post her complaint about 1 bathroom in Andalucia not being clean is laughable. Carol, please do not go to Italy where in some places there is a hole in the ground instead of a toilet. And, no tissue paper or soap anywhere. We would not want you to have a heart attack! You get what you pay for. Just count your blessings that you could even afford to stretch your canadian dollar that far. And, just stick to the outhouses in good ol' Canada, dear.

xxx

Why do people think they'll pick up some disease by sitting on a toilet seat? Isn't this why some women end up peeing on seats, because they're too skittish to sit on them?

cyrilla

xxx, those women are idiots. Unfortunately, the first idiot of the day, say, is afraid to sit to sit on the toilet b/c, as mentioned, she is an idiot. She then, b/c she remains an idiot ,pees all over the seat. She fails to clean up the consequnces of her idiocy, leaving the next woman, who may or may not be an idiot, no choice but to squat above the seat as well.<BR><BR>As you can tell, this sort of hovering has always bugged me. Sit on the damn seat, ladies. <BR><BR>

Laura

Lived in Spain almost 5 years and always carried a roll of nice soft toilet paper for those times when:<BR>1. There wasn't any in the restroom<BR>2. The existing roll felt like paper towels on my bum.<BR>During the drought a few years back (94-96), the town I lived in would turn off the water to conserve....try going to a club with that situation. Don't visulize though. Ewwww.

No more pee pee

I have an even better idea. Just wear a damn diaper or depends and if the bathrooms aren't to your liking just pee in your diaper and dispose of it and put on a new one. Is that so difficult?<BR><BR>Get a life for God's sakes.

very

Yes. You CAN catch something from a toilet seat. I did and it was most uncomfortable and annoying. So there is good reason for not sitting.

xx

Very: you are truly an idiot if you really think you caught something from a toilet seat. Yes, it is theoretically possible, but the greatest chance of infection is from hands to mouth/eyes/nose. Truthfully, unless you have open sores on your ass, a toilet seat is much safer than the keyboard in front of you or any of the hundreds of doorknobs you touch every day. So, thanks to morons like you, the seats are besplattered. good job!

carol

Shannon, where do you get off bashing me for providing some potentially useful information to others who may have a desire for personal cleanliness?<BR><BR>Please read my original post carefully! I only found one w/c THAT WAS CLEAN AND FULLY EQUIPPED WITH APPROPRIATE SUPPLIES IN ANDALUCIA. ALL OF THE OTHERS missed at least one critical item for sanitation. I used at least a dozen washrooms in restaurants, bars, museums, etc., that missed all three of soap, towels, and paper towels and at least twice there was no water for washing.<BR><BR>This did not happen once during the rest of the trip in Portugal. This happened only about three times each in Greece and Turkey during my trip a year ago. It has been a long time since my trip to Italy, but I remember that I did not have to carry paper or handwash there, and only took it up in the trip a year ago to Greece and Italy.<BR><BR>I have used hole-in-the-grounds, and I have used trench toilets, and I have used the bush (I used to survey in Northern Canada for a living) and I have used outhouses. All of these are extremely rare washrooms in restaurants, bars, and museums in the above mentioned four countries, as well as in Italy, and they simply do not exist in this type of establishment in Canada.