# using public showers



## campingforfun

One thing that is really important when you are new to camping is to take precautions when using public facilites. While the rest areas may be kept clean, there is always bacteria. To combat this, you will see most campers wearing flipflops in the showers.

When the kids are in the restrooms, don't let them drink directly from the taps. If they are brushing their teeth, they should rinse with a paper cup that can be thrown away or a cup from your own household but never let them put their mouths on the taps.


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## camp219

*Reply:*

Yes, thank you very much campingforfun, i have seen many new campers getting serious diseases while they don't follow the precautions. You have described an important point.


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## grace

This reminds me of my bad experience in the public water at a park in the city. I splashed in the water and I got a really bad rash on my arms. If it's public anything you shouldn't use it. I would prefer a lake to that.


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## campfire

Thanks friend for very cautioned post . These tips are good to keep the camper away from the becterial diseases .


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## grace

This is truth about most of our bad experiences. We learn fro them. Never ever do that again !! I say that to my girls all time. They are tired of hearing it. Bacteria is just in too large of a supply in the public areas. So I stay away.


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## Dash D

we have seen some pretty bad public showers in our day. We actually had one place that someone had, well, done number 2 in the shower :shocked:. Needless to say, I didnt use it.


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## mailfire99

Are you serious?? :shocked::shocked::shocked:

I think I will be double checking the showers from now on, I always wear flip flops anyway, but that is plain disgusting.




Dash D said:


> we have seen some pretty bad public showers in our day. We actually had one place that someone had, well, done number 2 in the shower :shocked:. Needless to say, I didnt use it.


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## glfortner

That is definately nasty-yes we always use flip flops for the shower. It is very hard for my 5 year old to understand my germaphobia.. (it doesn't help I am a pediatric nurse).


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## grace

Gail - I had no idea that you were a pediatric nurse! All I can say is WOW!! Because most of us don't have all that germ information in our heads. You must excellent at keeping the children away from the obvious dangers from germs. What a great profession you have.:way-to-go:


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## l2l

Great advice!!!!!!
My wife introduced me to the CROCK fad this summer and I hated them UNTIL I needed to use the public shower..

Have loved them ever since!!!!!


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## guardianangel

another thing is that you can carry a little plastic container with lid that has bleach in it. Pour it on the shower floor and wait a few minutes then turn the water on to rinse and wear those crocs or flip flops!


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## ctfortner

Good idea, will have to get some crocs! Man I hate those shower floors.


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## antigua

Funny you bring this topic up. I'm a night time shower kind of guy. I like goin to bed clean. No bug spray and so on. Most campgrounds I go to we ask to be near the restrooms and I keep a good eye. I wait until the cleaning people go in and do their thing and leave, usually they clean at night around 11:00 pm. That's when I go in with my flip flops obviously and have a shower. All you can smell is bleach and other cleaning products. During the day, I won't step foot in the bathroom. Now that we have the trailer I don't worry about it so much as long as I have a sewer site.


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## mickey65

When we go camping we take a can of LYSOL and wipes spray down the whole shower, door knobs, any thing that might have germs we give the floor a good going over.When you spray you can step out till the air clears.every where we go we use the wipes to clean our hands.Hope this helps.


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## almanah

Wow! I think I'm going to like it here (I'm a newbie). Good to know how many others worry about this sort of thing.


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## eanddrice

Lysol.....BIG cans of Lysol!!!!!


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## mammafox

I can honestly say all of the NYS campgrounds that I have gone to have been very clean. I always have the kids where flip flops or sandals of some sort or water shoes. We even have waited till right after they clean the showers to go and shower. But so far no yucky experiences!


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## parkachirp

Yeah agreed, I never used the bleach while camping but from now on it's happening.


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## ctfortner

It still never ceases to amaze me how some of these public showers look. Why are some people so nasty


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## Acableguy06

ctfortner said:


> It still never ceases to amaze me how some of these public showers look. Why are some people so nasty


A lot of people just plain dont care, if it isnt theirs its even worse. :shrug:

Been in a truck stops where some one smeared crap all over the walls in a stall once. Not kidding!


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## thekamperman

Dash D said:


> we have seen some pretty bad public showers in our day. We actually had one place that someone had, well, done number 2 in the shower :shocked:. Needless to say, I didnt use it.


I've found this situation. :bang:

We need to use public facilities because don't have shower in the camper (except a portable one). I do the same that Antigua said: try to sync with the cleaning crew.


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## happiestcamper

Was at a unique one this past week, an old state park in Florida. There were 3 showers (with walls between them), but only the middle one had a drain. The outer two drained under the wall to it. Needless to say, I always chose an outer one.
I went in one time, and someone had just gone into the middle shower (maybe he didn't know how they were setup). I was polite - I didn't pee in the shower that time.


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## papasmurff

most of the time when we have been camping it was the weekend (2 nights) and just used our bathroom in the camper. But this past week we stayed for 4 nights so our tanks we full and we had to use the bathhouse. Lesson learned: if no full hookups use their showers (wearing shoes) for the first 2 nights (with no one hardly camping) then use your camper bath the next 2. Some of the things I saw would make you sick.


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## papasmurff

happiestcamper said:


> Was at a unique one this past week, an old state park in Florida. There were 3 showers (with walls between them), but only the middle one had a drain. The outer two drained under the wall to it. Needless to say, I always chose an outer one.
> I went in one time, and someone had just gone into the middle shower (maybe he didn't know how they were setup). I was polite - I didn't pee in the shower that time.


:rotflmao1:


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## artmart

Ugh.... NEVER pee in the shower. You can't be sure the pee drains and doesn't stay in the trap instead. That's just NOT nice. In fact, it's disgusting. I hope you don't do this at home either. If you do, I hope I've explained why it's not a good idea.

You are done with the shower and come out and any urine festers in the drain trap. AGHHHH!!!

Now that you brought up this possibility I may never use a public shower again. At least I wear shower shoes but what's festering is still disgusting.


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## sheldonkv

Bacteria on feet would be quite normal, I wouldn't take any extra precautions unless the shower is obviously filthy and dirty. Perhaps it's better to play it safe though.


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## artmart

I forgot to mention that in all my years of traveling and public showers, I've seen it all... from smelling pee in the shower to seeing poop left in the shower, toilet (not flushed), a urinal, on the walls and even right on the floor in some corner of the bathroom. And these are just the men's rooms. I've heard similar stories in the ladies rooms from my wife (no urinal stories, though). Astounding!!!

Never go to public restrooms barefoot unless you have a real strong constitution and an amazing body immunity. I'm sure the cleaning crew did a fine job getting to these some time during the day, but just the thought is disgusting about the desperation of some people.


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## edwinjd

Dash D said:


> we have seen some pretty bad public showers in our day. We actually had one place that someone had, well, done number 2 in the shower :shocked:. Needless to say, I didnt use it.


What in the world?!?! :shocked::shocked::shocked:

You'd actually think that they'd know the difference between a toilet and a shower. Geez!!!

Apart from the flip flops, I think I better bring a can of Lysol along with me...just in case.


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## artmart

I don't think it's about education.

Picture this true story. I went camping at a Boy Scout camp as one of the adult leaders in our group where several troop camps were sharing the same bathroom (about 2 stalls and 1 or 2 urinals). Over the week's time and as a leader trained to observe, I would always notice 6-10 of the inner-city Boy Scout Troop members going to the distant toilet. I imagine it was because they were afraid of the wild animals in the area especially bears and since most of these kids had probably never seen a forest they always looked scared and the rule of traveling in pairs was just not enough for them. But every time they were done using the restroom and boys would go use the thing, they would report the toilet was filthy.

I finally went down myself one day and found TWO piles of poop in different corners (no paper) and the toilet clogged with poop and paper, so much that it couldn't be flushed. When I reported it to the staff they mentioned "it's been happening all week". They had unfortunate staff members have to clean it up every time.

Again, true story!


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## campopup

what do you teach your girls about using public toilets??


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## Wags

Having worked in campgrounds for a number of years I can attest to the disturbing things people do in restrooms. For the record the women's is much worse than the mens. When it is brought to our attention it is immediately cleaned and sanitized. I would always wear shower shoes when in any public restroom. Sadly it's not uncommon to see little kids in PJ's with feet in them walking around the rest rooms, then crawling into bed...yuck.... Most campgrounds I have been either working or visiting cleaned about 10 to 2...when campers are leaving and new arriving, the usage is lowest during those hours. I have camped for decades and never saw or had a problem with showers causing problems. Never had anyone report they got rashes etc, it may happen, but it's rare not the norm. 
I should add I have worked maintenance in a large box store for several christmas season's. It is the same there, in fact, it's a typical day to find in a women's bath to find poop all over the toilet, or on the floor. Seems many females are afraid to actually sit on the toilet, even with the paper rings. So they stand on the seat and hover, missing the opening...it's not uncommon at all. That being said, if the campground is clean as a whole, most likely the restrooms are also. With normal caution no one should worry about using them.


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## Draco0601

It reminds me of my experience in the public water. It really disturbs me.


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