No Soap in school bathrooms

[rparmfamily]

My children's school does not have soap at all in the bathrooms either. The entire bathroom is old ceramic tile and I guess the soap was making a mess, and an unsafe one at that (very slick!)

BUT our school has sinks in every classroom, and some of them have them outside the classroom, so the kids wash up there after bathroom trips.

No purell was on our school list this year.

 

[PlainJane]

Eeeww

My elementary school always had soap and paper towels.

When I went to public high school for all of 5 seconds (one semester), they also had soap.

Considering schools are a prime location to spread viruses, it baffles me that they would forgo giving out soap.

 

[Ariel Mae]

You mean...school bathrooms are SUPPOSED to have soap?

What about toilet paper? Paper towels? Those too?

 

[Ariel Mae]

Heck, I'm in college, and I hardly find soap in the restrooms. Sometimes, there's no toilet paper, and you'll find me sitting there, all scrunched up, wondering, "Crap, what now?".

 

[C.Ann]

I'm not understanding "throwing soap".. In the school that I worked in, they had the dispensers attached to the wall above the sink - filled with liquid soap - much the same as you would find in restaurant rest rooms; Walmart; etc.. How can kids "throw" that kind of soap?

 

[PlainJane]

I'm not understanding "throwing soap".. In the school that I worked in, they had the dispensers attached to the wall above the sink - filled with liquid soap - much the same as you would find in restaurant rest rooms; Walmart; etc.. How can kids "throw" that kind of soap?

I'm assuming they fill their hands with a lot of it, and then launch it at each other, so their just throwing soap, not the container itself.

 

[laurie31]

Yep, and if they aren't throwing it, then they're getting ten times more than they need and dripping it all over the floor.

I remember a boy I babysat for (back when I was still in high school) telling me how he and his friends liked to wet the paper towels and then toss them up so they stuck to the ceiling. When they later dried, they would fall on some unsuspecting person. They called it "flying bad job." LOL

There should be a way to keep kids from doing things like that without taking away the soap and paper towels, though. They should be able to wash their hands properly. (I guess I don't know what that way is, though. Having adult "bathroom monitors" seems pretty impossible in most schools).

 

[C.Ann]

I just can't get over the fact that there is no soap in the rest rooms!

I guess now I know why so many have posted that teachers request wipes..

 

[Cinders]

This thread kills me!! And teachers and principals wonder why when a few kids get sick it spreads so fast!! Your best defense is throughly washing your hands for 20 seconds. Thankfully our school uses soap.

 

[Califgirl]

I would think that no soap in restrooms would be a Health hazard. And not just to the students and teachers in the schools. What about those germs that have then been spread to the clothes, hair, food, etc? They can then spread it on at home to the parents and any younger children in the home. Possibly putting their lives in danger.

I would not be just contacting the school or just the school board. I'd be contacting the local or even state Health Department.

I agree, I'd be contacting the Health Department!

 

[npmommie]

Exactly. The problem with using Purell or any antibacterial product is that they A)weaken our immunity to the bacteria and B) the bacteria eventually become resistant and develop into superbugs such as MRSA.

People need to strengthen their own immune systems. Soap and water is the way to go. Occasional use of a Purell when nothing else is available is OK.

And as you stated...ask any Physician.

I agree soap and water is the best thing for handwashing, and purell is fine if there is no other option.

but i want to point out that purell or any other alcohol hand sanitizer will not weaken immunity to bacteria and will not cause resistant bacteria.
the alcohol kills the germ on contact and then the alcohol dries and the effect is gone, it is not the same as antimicrobial soaps, they will cause bacteria resistance, just the same as using too many antibiotics will period ( one reason for mrsa)
but alcohol hand sanitizer is different

 

[Caropooh]

I checked with both girls and they both said that there is soap in their bathrooms in the elementary school and high school

 

[Judy from Boise]

I agree that there is nothing wrong with alcohol based hand sanitizer ! In fact the CDC has changed their language to "Hand Hygiene" to include it as perfectly acceptable way (and in some ways preferred since it does not need good technique to be effective) method of hand hygiene.
At my hospital it is an option in every restroom, and what I personally use unless my hands are ever visably soiled.My hands dry out much more quickly with soap and water.

 

[mickeyboat]

We have foamy soap in our school bathrooms. There are signs in the bathrooms explaining proper hand-washing techniques.

When the kids act up in the bathrooms, there are consequences - like no solo bathroom trips - they don't take away the soap!

Denae

 

[tzolkin]

I'll have to check with my DD about the soap in her school. I volunteered when she was in K, but they had a bathroom in the classroom and a sink at the back table where everyone washed their hands. I have been to the HS for performances and used the bathrooms and they did have soap, but I've never used the elem. bathrooms. I know they have a big bottle of purell and everyone gets a squirt before lunch, but I assumed that was so they didn't all have to stop at the bathroom.

When I was in HS we always had soap, but they would routinely lock all the bathrooms. It was a large school and two floors. Usually there was only one bathroom open, but you didn't know which one it was. So if you had to leave class to go to the bathroom you would have to run all over the school hoping you would make it there (several times I vomited in the bushes--fortunately we had outside hallways). Then the teacher would be annoyed because you were gone for so long-- there might be a bathroom two doors down, but it was locked so you spent 15 minutes searching for an open one. It's unfortunate that the health of the children is overlooked because a few kids are misbehaving.

 

[Talking Hands]

I'm not understanding "throwing soap".. In the school that I worked in, they had the dispensers attached to the wall above the sink - filled with liquid soap - much the same as you would find in restaurant rest rooms; Walmart; etc.. How can kids "throw" that kind of soap?

Cup it in your hands and throw. Trust me kids can find a way to do almost anything you do not want them to.

 

[angelat]

Well, I placed 2 calls yesterday. The first time I wasn't sure who was calling me back. Second time I called after dismissal and the secretary said the Principal was with another parent but she would have her call me back as soon as she was finished. Well...I'm still waiting. I just called the Superintendents office and complained to them asking who I talk to in order to get an answer about this.
I'm getting more and more outraged!

 

[PaulaSue]

So, my DH and I went to our DS open house at his school last night. (This is a brand new school btw-built in 2008) My DH had to use the bathroom and when he came out he asked our son if all the bathrooms were like that. I said, "like what?" He informed me that there was not only no soap, but no soap dispensers either!! Our DS told us only the cafeteria bathroom had soap in it. I placed a call to the school this morning and am awaiting a return call after they speak with the CUSTODIAN. I imagine this will have to be escalated to the school board.

Until I see an solution, I am going to BJs and getting a large bottle of Purell for my DS classroom!

I googled this and found this problem is across the country. No wonder MRSA is breaking out in all the schools! Does anyone else see a major problem here??

 

[RUDisney]

Well, I got good news from both of my kids. Evidently new principals in both the elementary and middle schools have brought with them soap and paper towels in all of the bathrooms. Yipee!!!

 

[Kath2003]

We didn't have soap in the staff bathrooms when school started back last week Luckily some kind soul brought in some hand soap but the dispenser is still empty.