Monday 8, January
Germany launches disgusting school toilet competition
Starting on January 10, the German Toilet Organisation (yes, you read that correctly) is launching a competition aimed at finding new ways to improve the state of school toilets across the country. The project titled “Toilets Make Schools” is offering more than €50,000 in cash and non-cash prizes to any school who comes up with new hygiene concepts for the toilets – and the competition guidelines cover the topic with typical German thoroughness.
The specifications for how to improve school toilets are broken down into 13 categories: Furnishing, Exterior view, Lighting, Floors and walls, Hygienic bins, Hand drying, Cabins, Clothes hooks, Toilet brushes, Rubbish bins, Soap dispensers, Mirrors and shelves, and Toilet paper. A typical line of advice reads: “Floor tiles are one of the main reasons for the smell of urine, as the urine gets stuck in them and cleaning can no longer do much. A seamless floor coating that is non-slip makes cleaning much easier. Moisture can no longer penetrate and stench is avoided.”
Other suggested measures include adding semi-transparent glass to the walls so that toilet users feel more observed, decorating mirror frames and fixing toilet brushes to the wall with a chain.
