Talk:Public toilet

Washroom

A washroom is a room containing more than just a toilet.

It may contain toilets, sinks, urinals, and hand dryers, etc., and it seems like it could be a good superset of just "toilet".

I'd welcome your comments, thoughts, ideas, etc.. Glogger 04:35, 9 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Nonetheless, we have an article on toilet that refers to rooms containing all those things. Observe that restroom redirects there. (Or at least, it did, before you turned it into a double redirect -- which does not work, by the way). - RedWordSmith 21:09, 9 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Redirect

Sorry about the double redirect. My mistake.

Toilet, Urinal, Shower, ...

In the long run, I think it would be good to make an entry for "Toilet", an entry for "Urinal" (there is already one), and for "Shower" (there is already one), each talking about the specific fixtures, and then move content that talks about the overall environment into the superset "Washroom". That's what I also did with "Changeroom", e.g. I created an entry for the superset, and then specific cases (like "Fitting room") could be linked in from that.

I don't think "Toilet" should be an article about urinals, hand dryers, sinks, and showers as well. But I do think there is room for an overarching "umbrella" article that covers all of these, and I think that could be "Washroom" or maybe "Washroom architecture" (to keep it focused on the broad contextual concepts like space management, design, traffic flow optimization, etc.). Glogger 04:22, 10 Oct 2004 (UTC)

The thing is washroom/restroom/bathroom are predominantly American usage. The rest of the world are quite happy to call it a toilet. Mintguy (T) 09:15, 12 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Whatever it is called it is important to clearly differentiate between a toilet "device" or toilet "fixture" and the room containing the toilet, the toilet "room". Appending the suffix "room" to whatever generic name is chosen should be sufficient.

Washroom architecture

I originally created a Wikipedia entry for "Washroom".

I apologize for not making the distinction from "Toilet" clear in my writing (my entry for "Washroom" was deleted and replaced with a Redirect to "Toilet", presumaby because I wasn't clear in my distinction).

I've created the entry "Washroom architecture" and re-written it to reflect the need for a Wikipedia entry that deals with the design of public washroom spaces, and not just flush toilets.

The "Toilet" entry deals primarily with residential tank type toilets, and although it covers also some other kinds of toilets, it does not address the general topic of commercial washroom space design and facility design, such as traffic throughput, labyrinth entrances, and the like.

Hopefully this new article will be of use to others.

If anyone would like to delete this article, please put it on VfD rather than just deleting it, because that way we can get a peer review on whether it's really redundant or badly written. Glogger 23:45, 9 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Restroom

I note that restroom redirects here. Just thought I'd mention that here in the UK, a restroom can sometimes mean what it says - for example, the school nurse's room at my high school (with a bed, but not a toilet) was called the "restroom", and this usage is not particularly rare. I'd do something about the redirect if I had a good idea of what that might be! Loganberry | Talk 12:16, 6 Jun 2005 (UTC)
Where does the term "restoom" come from ?'

Wow, that's odd. In the western portion of the United States, a "restroom" is used for a public room with a toilet and sink. A few restrooms have showers, but those are rare. Restroom in the United States would never connote a public room with a bed; that would be a lounge or bedroom.

Does anyone know exactly where "washroom" is in use as the dominant term? On the West Coast, "restroom" is the dominant term," and from what I've seen of Europe (5 visits so far, to the UK, France, Switzerland, and Italy), "WC" or "toilet" (or a local translation) seems to be the dominant terms there. It would be nice to know so that the article introduction can correctly denote which dialects of English are using what. --Coolcaesar 11:11, 15 August 2005 (UTC)

In most of the US, the dominant term is "restroom". In Commonwealth [?] English, the dominant term is "washroom", including Canada, which is odd because Canadian vocabulary usually coincides to American English much closer than to British English. (However, the orthography of Canadian English is mostly British.) I've also heard "washroom" used in the American South. For what it's worth I think altering the redirect wouldn't be prudent since about 300 million people call it a restroom, even though in the UK it can "sometimes" mean, in "not particularly rare" usage, something else entirely. If the usage is common enough and not merely an obsolete regionalism, you could put a note at the top: "Restroom redirects here. Restroom can also mean a nurse's office in my high school."  :)

Washroom is not the dominant term in British English. The normal term would simply be 'public toilet', 'toilets', or 'WC'. I can't think of anyone who'd say washroom or restroom, and I don't think I've ever seen it on signs either. BovineBeast

Don't worry, here comes the lexicographer/linguist/pain in the neck. Based on my corpus international data, I can conclude that washroom absolutely is NOT a Briticism, any! It's most definitely an Americanism that appears to have been imported to some extent by Britons and Australians, especially in commercial or formal usage. The word was coined in the U.S. in the early 19th century and fell somewhat out of everyday use in the last 30/40 years in the U.S., but remained the preferred term in Canada. JackLumber 12:13, 28 April 2006 (UTC)

Why *is* Restroom used in the US? As stated elsewhere, most people would not want to rest in a room where others are urinating & defecating? Markb (talk) 14:06, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

"Washroom" is the term used in Canada, though people understand the other terms as well. I read elsewhere that the term originated in the U.K., though (like "Water Closet") it may no long be used there. I think it is unlikely that Canada (and other Commonwealth countries) would have adopted the term from the City of Chicago (no offense to the city of Chicago, of course). Perhaps if someone has some definitive documentation to the contrary, it would be useful to post that. Certainly Americans visiting Canada today are rather confused by the word.

"Certainly Americans visiting Canada today are rather confursed by the word" Huh? Washroom, while not the most common of terms for a restroom, is certainly understood by the vast majority of Americans. Indeed, in grade school in Indiana that's what we called them. Indeed, check out http://www.thomasnet.com/indiana/partitions-toilet-restroom-bathroom-washroom-lavatory-57220402-1.html and you'll see this incredibly obscure term prominently listed amongst those apparently confusing terms restroom and bathroom for commercial suppliers of lavoratory fittings (yes, we Americans know that term too) right here in the good ol' USA. As for rest, many ladies restrooms indeed used to (at one time at least) have a couch for women to rest upon during, well, you know that time of the month. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.243.164.201 (talk) 03:12, 14 January 2011 (UTC)

Canadian English is a mixture of U.S. and British words and spellings. And in some cases, both U.S. and British words are used. For instance, in Canada, you can have a "chesterfield", a "couch" or a "sofa". Hsdonnelly (talk) 18:25, 7 March 2010 (UTC)

Captions are too long

And unfortunantely, they're very interesting. ;-) I'm going to try to cut them down a little bit. Ambush Commander 02:41, Jun 19, 2005 (UTC)

Requested Move 2005

The Southern States don't use the word washroom because it's British. They use it because it's *American*. See my above post. And Coolcaesar, I'm really surprised! Why does "washroom" sound British to you? My California Lawyer, you shall go to the washroom, wash your clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. JackLumber 12:18, 28 April 2006 (UTC)

I just ran some Google searches to find out what is the majority usage. The Northern, Midwest, Western and Northwest states all use "restroom." There's even an American Restroom Association! It's only the South that uses "washroom"---it's also the South that has weird food like "grits." --Coolcaesar 18:14, 28 April 2006 (UTC)

Got a couple quotations by a Californian. "He danced him over the ironing tables, the stove, and the mangles, and out into the wash-room and over the wringer and washer." "Bill's job was in the wash-room." (Jack London). Not exactly yesterday. The OED has a quotation from the U.S. dating back to the 1970's (Chicago, if I recall correctly---I don't have it at hand right now), and the last one is, duh, from Canada. But remember---the British couldn't have coined "washroom," that would have been "washing room" :-) JackLumber 20:50, 28 April 2006 (UTC)

As a linguist, I love the South, their accent, and their contributions to the language. (Although "washroom" comes probably from New England; but I don't like grits, especially for breakfast.)

Washroom is not a British term. If you said "washroom" in the UK I think most people would interpret that as being some sort of laundry. [Public] toilet, public lavatory, public convenience would be the more usual terms. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.32.72.129 (talk) 18:42, 16 July 2009 (UTC)

"Backworld" ?

Exactly what in the bloody hell does this term mean? There is no Wikipedia entry, nothing to be found in Webster's, at dictionary.com and not even at urbandictionary.com. If it's a neologism, someone please give some reference material for it. In the meantime, I'm removing it, as I feel it has negative connotations and thus is not NPOV. --dfg 19:47, 17 January 2006 (UTC)

"Someone erroneously thinks that washroom is not an Americanism"

I've lived in America all my life and have never once heard nor used the term "washroom". The word we use is "restroom". Washroom is used in Canada, not the US. So stop calling "washroom" an Americanism.

The word we use? We who? The English lexicon comprises several hundreds of thousands of words, and many thousands (like washroom, or restroom in that sense, for that matter) are Americanisms. So why don't you try to boost your vocabulary skills and, while you're at it, get some information on the culture and heritage of our Nation? Shame on you. If there's something I can't stand, it's nescience. That's all there is. --JackLumber 20:23, 29 April 2006 (UTC)

Isn't Canada part of America? --Kjb (talk) 18:15, 3 November 2008 (UTC)

Sure restroom, the "institutional" term, is much more common than washroom, but the two words can happily coexist. If you like the Internet, well, the Internet has a slew of examples in this respect. JackLumber 22:20, 29 April 2006 (UTC) Read, learn, little rugrat. It's called culture.

Sometimes, in my area (Michigan), whenever someone refers to the washroom, they're usually referring to the laundry room, not the bathroom or restroom. This usage seems to be more common. How common is this usage in other areas? --141.213.178.11 04:30, 12 November 2006 (UTC)

"Washroom" used instead of "Laundry Room"

I live in Gulf Coastal Mississippi, and I've only heard the word "washroom" used when referring to a laundry room. I really think this usage should be added to the article... --Celtic Jobber 05:37, 15 July 2007 (UTC)

Courtesy Services in Public Restrooms

Sometimes there are people in restrooms, usually men's washrooms, and particularly at places like fancy restaurants, country clubs and gentlemen's clubs where there are people who dispense the soap for you, give you a towel, offer mints and cigarettes, and usually seek tips for their services. They also maintain order and cleanliness.

Should there be mention of these people. I'm not entirely familiar with the subject and I'm not sure if this should be made a separate article (like the Toilet grannys) or not. However, I think it is worth mentioning. Comments? 131.156.238.75 00:33, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

This varies from country to country. In some countries, like Italy, it is customary for practically every large public restroom to have an attendant on duty at all times, and it is traditional to tip the attendant. In others, like the United States, restroom attendants are found only at very, very upscale establishments (the kind frequented by fabulously wealthy celebrities and socialites), which is why most public restrooms are in such decrepit shape in the U.S. I certainly agree the subject is worth mentioning, but it needs to be explained in a way that is in compliance with both the worldwide view guideline and the Verifiability and No Original Research policies! --Coolcaesar 06:55, 17 November 2006 (UTC)

cottaging

why no mention of it in this article? is this an example of self-censorship, as i always thought wikipedia was uncensored? cottaging in public toilets is surely significant and commonplace enough to be worthy of mention 212.159.101.129 13:23, 4 April 2007 (UTC)

Please read Wikipedia official policies, such as Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not, which states that Wikipedia is NOT a soapbox or an indiscriminate collection of random information! --Coolcaesar 17:38, 4 April 2007 (UTC)

World record for the biggest public washroom?

I heard that there was an official world record for the largest public washroom in China. Should we put that in? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 68.144.186.32 (talk) 22:02:39, August 19, 2007 (UTC)

If it's adequately referenced, I can't see a reason for not doing so. --Taraborn (talk) 11:50, 24 January 2008 (UTC)

Lighting

I have no idea whether this is common in other countries, but in larger Norwegian cities, pubs with restrooms that are easily accessible from the street commonly install blue or purplish light in them, ostensibly because the light makes it harder to locate a vein, making the restroom less attractive to heroin addicts. I've been told by unreliable sources that it has absolutely no effect. Besides, considering Norwegian drinking habits, most patrons would be too wasted to notice or care about a passed-out junkie... DES (talk) 12:26, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

Toilet has a photo. --Error (talk) 23:55, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Secondary use

Something should be said about its secondary uses. For example, as a men-only area, they were the only places to buy fireworks in some society I forgot. Men's restrooms were frequented by gays looking for sex, before the gay liberation. In some discos and night clubs, restrooms, as a somehow private area are used for drug trade and consumption or impromptu sex. --Error (talk) 23:55, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

white toilet seat

required by law in some states? wha? explain.♠♦Д narchistPig♥♣ (talk) 05:34, 14 September 2008 (UTC)

Squat toilets

Anyone else think we should put a picture of a squat toilet to balance out the picture of a sitting toilet? Squat toilets are the normn in some Asian countries and are far more likely to be encounter in a public toilet then a sitting one. Nil Einne (talk) 09:01, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

Disability

Some of us don't like being referred to as "the disabled", so I've fixed it to "people with disabilities", OK? Also, I've removed a couple of occurrences of "spouse", since a) someone's spouse isn't necessarily of a different gender to them, and b) spouses can act as caregivers, so it's otiose to separate them out. IMHO, of course... Kay Dekker (talk) 21:41, 10 August 2009 (UTC)

Restrooms / Washrooms

In most of the towns the people had to walk to church, their meetings (Eagles, Odd Fellows, and other organizations like this (with some having women's auxiliary members too), political meetings, etc). Because of them having to travel by foot (and occasionally by horse or horse and buggy/wagon) they had to travel over unpaved roads and the dust and dirt (snow in winter, mud and rain in rainy times). [remember that paved roads didn't begin to be in existence until around 1910 when I believe the first paved road came into being in Ohio] By the time they arrived in town they were a "mess" and oftentimes really sweaty -- both their clothes and themselves, as well as being very tired due to the time (usually hours) it took to go from home to town.

Because of this, in most ALL of the towns they had "rest rooms" where the men and women could go and sit and relax (sometimes eating), and also go to freshen up or wash up (sometimes to bathe) and change their clothes so they would look nice and presentable when they went to the church or their meetings. In my over 50yrs of researching and reading of newspapers, diaries, letters, books, etc I came across the earliest mentions of these restrooms in the late 1600s in Boston, Philadelphia and New York City. Since that time in history I have seen thousands of mentions of these and most all of them had the same items I mention in the one I found in a small town in Iowa in the late 60s (see below) [some didn't have the cots/beds or tubs]. Neither the restroom (or washrooms mentioned later on) were to be used for urination/defication -- those things were done in the outhouses. But they were used to get the people rested and back to smelling and looking better (brushing off dust from clothes, removing mud, etc). In the over 50yrs of research I never found the word "washroom" used to describe these areas for the public to rest up, etc. until after the 1900s.

The term "washroom(s)" was always used when they were describing a place where they could wash up before or after work (like a washroom in a butcher shop, cattle yards or where they slaughtered cattle, a place where they made things or assembled them (like furniture shops (the newer automobile shops), and other places of work where people would get dirty and want to wash up before and after work or before and after lunch, etc). The washroom only had sink and water (or bowl to pour water that was brought in from the streams and wells and used to wash hands and faces) -- occasionally a mirror. These were sized according to the number of persons working at that location -- sometimes small -- sometimes huge with lots of sinks or bowls. I never saw the term washroom (used in the same context as a restroom) in anything I read until the early 20th century -- always only in the context as I described previously.

In all my 60 yrs of living I have only come across one town (in 1969) that still had a restroom (even though I had read so many times about them and heard from so many elderly persons describing them and why they were there and what used for). This particular restroom still had the large area with couches and chairs for persons to rest up, the separate areas for men and women to wash up (wash bowls), groom (with mirrors), and an area to change clothes, etc. It had several rooms where a person could rent a cot or bed (these were in large rooms and you slept in the room with others of your same sex). It had a room (one room for each sex) with a tub if a person wanted to pay to have a bath. There was a HUGE area where there were long tables and chairs where people could fix their lunches (also had potbelly stove for warming up and a woodburning stove for warming up soup and water, etc.)

Later on the towns no longer needed these (what with the automobiles, gas stations and their restrooms, interstate rest stops, etc). After this particular town decided not to use it anymore, they rented it out for various purposes -- and I ended up renting it for a furnished "apartment".

Just a bit of trivia about how your ancestors lived their lives and where the word "restroom" came from and why they were used.

My sources? Over 50 yrs of research in newspapers, diaries, letters, books, interviewing elderly persons in thousands of towns across the USA, and finally finding one that was still in existence.

Judith Sandage Murphy

You have sources? PLEASE LIST THEM (in a proper format like Turabian). See Wikipedia:No original research and Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not. --Coolcaesar (talk) 05:44, 21 September 2009 (UTC)

Requested move 2009

The following discussion is an archived discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the move request was page moved. The issue of the proposed merge remains to be addressed and the text needs a good rewrite after the move. Vegaswikian (talk) 20:40, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

---

• Washroom → Public toilet —This page should be moved to Public toilet. Washroom is a local term maily used in Canada and partly in the US, where the usual term is restroom. Also, the word is ambiguous as it is often used for a toilet within a dwelling where (in Canada) a guest might politely ask the host where to find the washroom. Therefore, "Washroom should redirect to "Toilet". --Unsigned. 14:23, 30 November 2009 (UTC)
• Here in England a washroom is a room for washing, a bathroom is a room with a bath in it, and a lavatory is a lavatory, and a toilet is a toilet; here we "call a spade a spade". Anthony Appleyard (talk) 20:38, 30 November 2009 (UTC)
  • Comment I thought you called it the WC ? 76.66.202.219 (talk) 04:23, 1 December 2009 (UTC)
• Rename to Public lavatory or Public washroom or Public restroom... be sure to use "public". 76.66.202.219 (talk) 04:23, 1 December 2009 (UTC)
• Support rename to Public toilet. There may be even better names but the euphemism washroom is less suitable as so many English speakers would fail to recognise its meaning. This move may not be the last word (and discussion may suggest a better name) but it's a definite improvement. Andrewa (talk) 14:20, 2 December 2009 (UTC)
• Support rename to Public toilet. It's the least ambiguous. There are "washrooms" where there is no place to wash (Movable units?), but certainly "restrooms" where there is no place to rest. "Lavatory" is dropping out of usage, in the U.S. at least. Piano non troppo (talk) 21:53, 2 December 2009 (UTC)
• Support rename to Public toilet. The latter term is clear and better known internationally. odea (talk) 00:00, 5 December 2009 (UTC)
• Support as well. As an American, I personally prefer "restroom" but I agree that "public toilet" is the most widely and easily understood compromise. --Coolcaesar (talk) 04:51, 5 December 2009 (UTC)

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

Domestic toilet & bathroom

Have just read the main article and discussions on this subject. I'm born & bred British and now an Australian. I've never seen a sign saying 'Washroom' until a about 5 years ago and I thought it was a place to wash things (laundry). 'Restroom' has recently been sign-posted here (Americanisation of Australia) but people still say they're going to the 'toilet'; though I've occasionally heard 'Bathroom' (Americanisation of Australia). Unlike what we see on TV/films where Americans always seem to have to go to the Bathroom to use a toilet, we have a separate Toilet room (not WC, as on public signs) to the Bathroom. In other words, if you came to my home and asked for the Bathroom I would direct you to where you can have a wash; not to use a toilet. From my experience in Australia, having to go to a bathroom to use a toilet is rare. I think the problem with this article is one of a general nature in that this site is American in a global environment, and as such, your editors need to remove the insular nature of your people when dealing with non-American contributors to this forum. Molbrum (talk) 15:57, 8 September 2010 (UTC)

Breathtaking Clarity

This article begins with this profound statement (after editing out all the crap, pun intended, in parentheses): "A public toilet is a public toilet facility..." Man, that is enlightening. One wonders what school children used for reference sources before wiki was invented. Guess a rose by any other name... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.243.164.201 (talk) 03:19, 14 January 2011 (UTC)