The sanitary challenge of opening the toilet bin with your hands

Most shared facilities are provided with a bin. We all expect the toilet to be a place where waste is released. Our body waste such as pee and poop can find their way to the urinals and toilet bowls. Other wastes such as hand towels, sanitary pads, chewing gum, lollipop wraps and wipes can settle in the provided bins. This is why the bin could be a beehive of conventional and unusual waste. Bins of portable toilet units bins mostly at events such as festivals and marathons can contain a wider range of items than one at the local shopping mall or the train station. 

The toilet bin comes in different shapes and sizes. Some appear to be more basic and all-purpose than others. A well managed public facility could provide a properly designed bin that is ideal for the toilet environment. One of such is the bathroom pedal stainless bin that can be found in some public facilities across the world. These bins are ideal and convenient from a hygienic and practicality perspective. We are likely to use them when we wipe our hands with a paper towel, getting rid of our chewing gum or after using a face wipe. They come in handy and help keep the toilet environment clean. It comes with a pedal that helps prevent us from using our hands to open and close the bin. 

Imagine the hand dryer is broken or there is none provided for the public unit you’ve just visited. In a period of the Coronavirus pandemic, washing our hands with soap in water and drying afterwards is expected. The best way to dry our hands in this circumstance is by using the hand towel provided and leaving it in the pedal bin. This is a logical and hygienic thing to do after completing a number one or two. There have been circumstances when the pedal is broken or not responding to the applied pressure, what do you do? Littering the toilet with your used hand towel is not the right thing to do. The only option is to use the allocated bin regardless of the malfunctioning pedal. This calls for hygienic concern for most. We will explore a few ways of overcoming the sanitary challenge of opening the toilet bin with our hands.

Sanitary challenge of opening the toilet bin with our hands. 

You’ve just completed the drying of your hands in a paper towel and stepped on the bin pedal to realise they are broken. How can one deal with this sanitary challenge?

• Step on the bin pedals before washing your hands: This is a habit that can help you prepare for a broken pedal bin. If possible, before washing your hands, assess if the hand dryer is working and the bin pedals functioning. Confirming the state of both will help you prepare for any surprises. 
• Use your hands but wash again: Your hands are washed and dried but the hand towel has to be disposed of at that moment. You can open the bin with your hands to get rid of the used paper towel. Then wash your hands again and shake to dry.
• Use a different bin: We are usually reminded when one door closes another opens. There is nothing you can do about the faulty bin pedals. Your other option is to use a different bin in the hallway, reception or lobby.
• Tell the staff or management about the faulty pedals: It is always a good thing to remind those who manage the facility about the faulty toilet pedals. Bringing this to their knowledge will ensure this issue is resolved and the toilet experience of others can be enhanced. 

The pedal bin finds its home in a private or public toilet. When those pedals are no longer in a working state, flushing the hand towel is not a good idea. The above tips will help you handle this sanitary challenge in a good way.