Merepeka Raukawa-Tait: Hygiene goes down the toilet

Are men really to blame for grotty men's toilets?

When I had a restaurant, I gave the same careful attention to cleaning the loos as I did to cleaning and scrubbing the kitchen. I always felt there should be no difference in the standard of cleanliness.

Each deserves attention and, with toilets, it's not a matter of out of sight, out of mind. If the cleanliness of toilets was a condition for the granting of a health certificate from the local council, I believe some bars, cafes and restaurants would be shut down. We are grateful to business owners who provide their customers with restroom facilities. And these don't have to be flash. Old, and tired looking is okay. But dirty smelly toilets are not. And I think it is men who are being short changed.

Theo was in a wheelchair for two years and, during that period, I got to see the inside of many crappy toilets men put up with. This wasn't the case for all bars, cafes and restaurants, of course, but it was more than just a few. Enough to suggest to me that men should be making waves. I can't believe they don't particularly care about the state of the toilets they use when out and about in town.

With Theo, I would often have to assist him to manoeuvre his wheelchair into the disability toilet. That's if we could get into it. Many were locked and it appears used for storage. There were chairs, crates, gas bottles, and one restaurant even had boxes of vegetables piled up in the toilet. These disability toilets looked as if they hadn't seen the cleaner for the past 12 months.

And large hotels should know better too. Recently, at a function out of town, I walked past the men's toilet as I was heading to the ladies' restroom. The smell of urine emanating from the toilet was very noticeable. I couldn't see how any man could comfortably use the toilet. It must have been overpowering in the cubicle. The ladies' restroom, on the other hand, was bright and very clean.

I shared my observations with friends who were with me, all men. They agreed some men's toilets are very unhygienic but said it was often the men themselves who were at fault. Bar, cafe and restaurant owners shouldn't have to remind men to aim well, flush the toilet after use, and to put used hand towels in the container provided. They did agree though that doing their part is still no substitute for a high standard of cleaning.

Are men partly to blame like my friends said? I guess they would know. In my restaurant, every person who used the restrooms, men or women, could see they were kept squeaky clean. They were obviously checked regularly during the day too. I think it's more about how people find the state of toilets, in the first place, that has a big bearing on how they leave them. I can't say mine were ever left in a filthy state by customers.

It may also be that some people just don't like the thought of cleaning loos. Will do only minimal cleaning. So, to all those business owners who do provide customers with clean restrooms, a big thank you. It is really appreciated.

And thank goodness the Rotorua Lakes Council is looking to upgrade a number of public toilets. The one I had to use by the lakefront last week is a poor showing for locals and visitors alike. A good standard of cleanliness should apply to all theirs as well.

-Merepeka lives in Rotorua. She writes, speaks and broadcasts to thwart the spread of political correctness.