We’ve all been there. You’re out enjoying an open-air festival or sightseeing in a lovely city, and the need to pee strikes. To your dismay, a public toilet is your only option. Are there reasons to avoid using these facilities, and if so, what are your other options?

The Real Problems

The negative perception of public bathrooms is often overblown. The internet is full of dire warnings that you may contract a deadly disease in the five minutes it takes to use one. From a calmer perspective, let’s look at some reasons to avoid public bathrooms..

Diseases/germs

A summary of studies shows most surfaces in public restrooms have some bacteria and viruses on them due to aerosolization from flushing toilets and hand dryers.

The summary states that the only possible danger of sitting on public toilet seats is if you have an open wound on the part of your skin that touches it.

Overall, the spread of disease and infection via restrooms is low — and most likely to be spread via hands to mouth or eyes. The best way to avoid illness is to wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 30 seconds before leaving the restroom.

You will also want to stow your phone away and only touch it after you wash your hands.

Cleanliness or Lack Thereof

As we know, not all public toilets are well maintained. Germs aside, walking into a bathroom and seeing stains, trash, or bodily waste space provokes a natural response that makes most people uncomfortable.

If the restroom doesn’t look clean, it’s nice to have the option to avoid it.

Exposure to irritating scents

Scents used in soaps, cleaning supplies, and air fresheners are intended to give the impression of cleanliness, but for scent-sensitive folks, they are often unbearable. A mask can help reduce the effect of scented products, but some people prefer to avoid going into the public toilets to prevent exposure.

Gender policing

Attacks on trans and gender non-conforming people have always been an issue and have accelerated in recent years due to hateful media and politicians. Many people who have been harassed in public restrooms because someone else doesn’t think they belong there would prefer to avoid going into a gendered bathroom if gender-neutral ones are not available.

Conserving water / using urine as fertilizer

Some people want to avoid public toilets for environmental reasons. Most toilets use around 3-5 gallons of water for each flush. Expensive processes at sewage treatment plants are then needed to remove the urine to keep it from polluting waterways.

There is a global urine diversion movement to redesign sanitation systems so urine stays out of the water in the first place and is collected and appropriately used as fertilizer.

The pStyle Provides Solutions

Whether you want to avoid touching things in the public restroom or going in altogether, the pStyle can assist you.

Avoid Touching Things

Using a pStyle allows you to avoid sitting on a public toilet seat without hovering. Check out our video to see how standing to pee with the pStyle works. Just be sure to lift the seat with your foot to keep things clean for others.

Avoid the Restroom

If you have reasons not to go inside a public restroom, or none are available, the pStyle can help.

• Populated Areas

If you are in a place where peeing on the ground is a nuisance, like a city, or you want to collect urine for environmental reasons, you can use a stand-to-pee device like the pStyle.

Pee into a portable container with a secure lid and use it as fertilizer, or empty it into a toilet when convenient.

Although it is usually legal to stand and pee like this, it is best to be discreet. Turn your back to others and do something to camouflage your actions, like talking on the phone.

• Natural Settings

Since you don’t need to undress, you can discreetly and safely use the pStyle in any outdoor setting where urine won’t damage the environment.

Going out? Drink All the Water You Want With pStyle

Whether you want to avoid touching anything in a public toilet or avoid going in at all, the pStyle can help you.

Contact us if you have questions about whether or not it would be right for you. Or visit our website to learn more and get your own.