Toilets, why are they not better designed?

Another vote for RAK bathroom fittings here. I had the whole bathroom redesigned and replaced 2 years ago and was recommended RAK as having rimless, easy clean loos and wash hand basins that have no dips and grooves for slimy bars of soap to sit in. Very streamlined and well designed, although not the cheapest.

I'm so glad I'm not the only person who rants on about the sheer impracticalities of cleaning toilets! Husband and I nearly had a row in B&Q once because I refused to even consider any toilet that was designed with grooves, useless nooks and crannies and totally impractical screws! Told him in no uncertain terms that if he insisted on one of those then HE can clean it. Needless to say, we left without purchasing a new toilet... I will tell him about that RAK one, thank-you! ?

Thank you for sharing the maker.

(I meant to say "foot" operated in the last post but one.)

Having just cleaned my bathroom and toilet i agree, there are so many hard to reach areas. I do have a hand held steamer which helps. I have become very squeamish in my older years, strange because i have been both a nurse and a domestic cleaner at different times! I also used to clean the local pub and regularly cleaned up sick from the toilets ?. I cant remember it bothering me that much but now i would need one of those all over suits that the forensic teams use!

My mother could never figure out how to flush many public loos, especially in foreign countries. There's often a button hidden somewhere, or the sensors that you have to wave your hands about to operate. Most sensible IMO is for operated.

I once went to a toilet museum in Austria, near to Salzburg, which was full of all kinds of toilet!

Marmight

Most of the motorway loos I use on my travels are kept clean. Pub ones are the worst.
Most public WCs have doors which open inwards almost touching the loo which involves squeezing against the wall then pirouetting round the door once it is closed. A bit more space or outward opening doors, which I’ve seen in Oz, would help. Heaven knows I’m not exactly slim but how larger ladies manage I have no idea ?

With great difficulty I can assure you! Made worse when there is also a sanitary towel receptacle wedged up against the toilet!

Yes, OH was very taken with the “comfort” toilet because of his long legs.

BUT

when I had to go to the hospital recently, on the back of their toilet door was a very graphic diagram of innards, showing why the squat position is best for you and encouraging us all to get a little stool (sorry about the pun?) to put our feet on when using the toilet in order to get that squat position. Comfort toilets make that harder.

Then, talking about this to my daughter over coffee? she told me it’s well known and you can actually buy something called a Squatty Potty for adult use.

It’s all very interesting.
?

Peasblossom, we have the same style RAK toilet as you, rimless and it is also comfort height which is about an inch higher than other toilets. I believe they also make the model in 'extra comfort' height, two inches taller.

i need a toilet about every few hours - how i envy your bladder control!

i would be interested to know where in Exeter - i live about 15 miles away and have never seen any well designed loos. please do tell

I've just spent an interesting half-hour looking at smart toilets. You can get one for £499.95 or pay up to £6628.06, and they do everything you would want them to, and more - plus most of them heat the spray water!
The ones I looked at were at Victoria Plum, but other suppliers are available.
www.victorianplumbing.co.uk/toilets/japanese-toilets

Happysexagenarian

Willow I was just about to ask the same question.

Please do tell us the brand of your lovely loo Peasbottom

OMG that's the best laugh I've had in ages!!!

The inward-closing door wouldn't be so bad if they'd stop fixing the toilet roll holder to the wrong wall. It seems the handyman stands with his back holding the opened door from closing, and fixes the holder to the opposite wall. If they would put it on the wall the door was opening against we would have somewhere to stand while closing the door, without encountering the holder at waist or hip height. Of course, if the cubicle was bigger there would be no problem.

A few years ago I went on a campaign of finding someone to tell (receptionist, cafe waitress barman) whenever I met one of these misplaced loo-roll holders. I had some success, but other places still had them on the wrong wall when I revisited them.

I think establishments with old fashioned toilets ought to familiarise themselves with the wonders of Viakal! So many have limescale which has turned brown and just looks disgusting!

JaneJudge, they're simply not designed by the people who have to clean them, that's the problem.

If I designed a kitchen, it would all dismantle into small pieces that fit in a dishwasher!

The cleanest toilets in town are the Ladies in a Betting Shop because hardly anybody uses them ?

As a cleaner in a nursing home OP I have often pondered this. Faeces get in every nook and cranny of a toilet seat and the fixtures on the base. I was thinking only a week or so ago about a fully “flushing” room that cleans the toilet, walls, sink, taps etc when someone exits the room (because trust me dementia patients do not use the toilet or toilet paper). They would not be cheap obviously but should I be calling Dragons Den?

Due to an unfortunate health issue I am well acquainted with toilets of all kinds, and often have to spend longer in them than most people! I can usually rely on IKEA and John Lewis to have superclean facilities and most hotels, but not always restaurants and pubs. Public toilets and seaside toilets are the worst.

I have encountered several self-flushing toilets and found them to be very efficient. But one of my pet hates are the toilet paper dispensers which refuse to dispense, or worse still are left empty! And why are there never any coat hooks or bag hooks in cubicles?

I agree that most loos are probably designed by men who are ignorant of ladies toilet habits and needs. Perhaps we should educate them! Come on ladies, I'm sure between all of us we could come up with a better design - a revo-loo-tion perhaps!!

jaylucy

There used to be what were called self clean toilets in some town centres in a sort of kiosk thing that used to stand usually in the middle of the street.
They were a bit strange as they looked like porta loos - you went into the compartment and after you had finished whatever, you had to step away from the pan and it sort of rotated under running water and was cleaned, then when you stepped out of the kiosk completely, the floor etc was showered , cleaned, then dried with hot air!
I don't think they were that successful as I think most have now been removed and if I remember you had to pay to use them anyway!

Two of these were installed in town. They weren’t used as people were wary that the door would fly open and you’d be caught unawares!

Thank you Peasblossom.
One of our loos is a RAK and definitely the best quality. When extending our house we discovered you definitely get what you pay for with regard to sanitaryware. We may have to replace one of ours soon so I will keep your RAK loo in mind.

You can get toilets which have a built-in 'hose' for washing your nether regions. They are the norm in Turkey, for instance, but there are more and more companies which will supply them in the UK too.

Happysexagenarian

Willow I was just about to ask the same question.

Please do tell us the brand of your lovely loo Peasbottom

For those who are interested is made by RAK ceramics. The local bathroom fitter suggested it.

It doesn’t even have a handle that needs wiping?

I had to have a new toilet fitted and was sold one that had an unusual shaped seat which is no longer made. It’s a bit smelly even though I clean it all the time and I so want to replace it. It’s so annoying. No other company wanted to just fit a toilet and I reckon they just had a job lot of old toilets to use up. They did sell me a spare seat but it’s got a chip on it and they also charged me full price for it: plus the fittings are unusual as well.