What Do You Use On Public Toilet Seats For DC?

[randomkid]

We are in the midst of PTing and DD actually agreed to go on a public toilet today. This was her first time and I truly didn't think she would go, but she did (insert proud smiley face). I just sat her on the toilet because she has never agreed to do this before and I was totally unprepared. There were no seat covers, but it was an exceptionally clean bathroom in a new building and I didn't want to miss the opportunity.

Obviously, I don't want to put her bare behind on public toilets nor do I want her to feel like she's going to fall in. I remember my Mom standing me on the seat and I would squat, but I think that's asking a lot when DD is just training. What do you use when you are out with your DC?

Thanks,

[MarisaSF]

When DD was just starting to learn, I used the disposable toilet covers with Dora the Explorer on them -- Potty Toppers (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2792567). I got them at BRU. They are handy, but wasteful (they are not flushable). They give REALLY good coverage so would be very useful for really grody public toilets.

Now DD will sit on the supplied covers. I tell her not to touch anything with her hands in the bathrooms and I hold her on the seat. If there are no supplied covers, I line with toilet paper. I call the covers/TP "making a soft seat." :)

In the future, I hope to teach her to "hover."

[randomkid]

Thank you! I've seen these, but didn't know if they were worth the expense. Of course, $5.00 is not much when it comes to DD's health. I will try them, then move up to the supplied covers later on.

Thanks again,

[new_mommy25]

I usually just use the supplied toppers and if none are available I go with TP. I am lucky though because I have a boy so he only needs to sit if he's going #2. When he was first PT'd I bought one of those fold up potty seats but it was too much a PITA to lug around so I ditched that pretty quick. But it would work if you like to carry a big diaper bag or you could stick it in your stroller basket.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I remember an Oprah one time saying that sitting on a public toilet seat really wasn't a big deal from a germ perspective- provided the seat didn't look visibly dirty. On that episode they (she and whoever the "expert" was) said to look for a clean seat, if you had to use one with drops on it to wipe the seat then you were good to go. Basically the gist was that the part of your body in contact with the seat just wasn't going to cause any problems and it shouldn't be that dirty. I used to put a layer of tp down but now I don't bother. Just passing some Oprah logic on. Run with it how you see fit. :)

Beth

[randomkid]

I heard that as well, but it still just skeeves me out to think about sitting on someone else's pee germs - lol!

[amandabea]

I recall reading another parent's post on this recently (I think in the everything but Disney travel board) anyway this parent said she uses the Glad press & seal wraps. Just tears off a couple pieces, presses them on and that's it. I thought it was pretty ingenious. Haven't tried it as DD is a long way from PTing.
HTH,
Amanda

[lilycat88]

Apparently I'm in the minority. Unless it's a totally gross bathroom, I let DD sit on the toilet seat and have since the beginning. AND, I even let her put her hands on it. If it is truly questionable, I'll wipe it down with a Lysol wipe. She knows not to touch the floor when she bends over to be wiped and she knows not to touch anything else on her body with her hands until she's thoroughly scrubbed her hands and she often gets Purell as well. It's easier to clean her up REALLY well than to deal with a 3 year old screaming "I WANT TO DO IT MYSELF" in a public bathroom. DD tends to just *sit down* when she gets angry in a situation like that and I definitely don't want her sitting on the floor of a public restroom.

I will admit, though, that we're very strategic in planning the potty locations. Of course, they aren't always on a schedule. But, if we're in the car and she needs to go, we seek out the nearest coffee house or Starbucks. Generally, lots of room in the bathrooms and, in our experience, pretty clean.

[writermama]

I usually use tp or seat covers if the restroom has them. I carry a pack of charmin seat covers I picked up at Target ( cheap, 99 cents, maybe) and a travel pack of kleenex for those gotta-go-but-there's-no TP in the restroom emergencies.

When I'm out with both DDs, I carry the diaper bag, but I also have a special "Potty Bag" for my eldest. In it, I carry the kleenex and seat covers above, as well as extra underwear, tiny post-it-notes (for covering the sensors on automatic flushing toilets), and whatever necessities she may need for the outing (sunscreen, whatever). I use a little drawstring backpack I picked up in the Target dollar spot. It's small enough for her to carry. It's also really helpful for when DH takes her out and has to use icky men's rooms.

[egoldber]

I have never used a seat cover for myself or DD. I choose one that is visibly clean. If thats not possible, I use a wipe to clean it and then sit. :)

[MommyAllison]

I'm in the minority with you. I do try to keep DD from touching the seat since she's usually wrapping her fingers around it (and the underside of the toilet seat does gross me out!), but I have not ever used a toilet seat cover with her. Granted, we've only been at this for a few months, but it is hard enough to get in there, lock the door, pull her jeans down and get her situated on the toilet before she has an accident. Adding a seat cover to the process would probably derail us completely. I can barely get those seat covers to stay in place long enough to sit down on them, and I've been using the toilet a lot longer than DD. :P

Allison
Mama to DD 11/05

[shburks]

Sorry to hijack, but please...tell me about the post-it notes and the sensors on automatic flushing toilets. They *totally*freak out my ds. How does this work???

[anamika]

My DD hates the noise of the flush and tries to jump off mid-pee when they go off. Poor kid. So I would love to hear about the post-it notes. Where do you stick them?
Actually, I don't know how those toilets work. I assumed it was a weight thing - like with the seatbelt indicators in the cars but that doesn't sound very probable.

[egoldber]

There is a sensor on the back of the toilet or sometimes the wall. Its usually a small red light. If you cover the light with a post-it (I just put my hand in front of it) then it won't scare the bejeebers out of your newly PT'd little one. :)

[Marisa6826]

Ditto. Unless it's really, really gross, I just use it. And if it's that nasty, well, we just find a different potty to use.

I'm honestly more paranoid about touching other things in the bathroom than the seats themselves.

-m

[shburks]

Great tip! When you uncover it, it will flush then, right?

[egoldber]

Sometimes, depending on how sensitive the sensor is. There is also always a flush button somewhere. Usually it is black and has a soft plastic cover. You can cover your hand with toilet paper before you push it if you feel you need to. ;)

[anamika]

Thanks Beth. That's a great tip. I always saw the light but it never really registered, IYKWIM.

[mrskingred]

How does this work? The reason I ask is that automatic toilets have flushed while I've been sitting on them twice in the last week. Granted I have been trying to stop a wriggling 15 month old touch anything, but I was fully seated on each occasion.

[katydid1971]

>I heard that as well, but it still just skeeves me out to
>think about sitting on someone else's pee germs - lol!

ITA Plus my mom made me into a total germaphobe about public toilet seats!!!!! :)
Sarah