When the urge to use the bathroom strikes in public, encountering dirty toilets, touching public doors, pressing down on soap dispensers, or even tapping an air-dryer can upset germaphobes who face anxiety. A name has been coined for a person who is particular about the condition of public bathrooms.
“I like to say a ‘Potty Snob’ is someone who’s super nit-picky about bathrooms, but in reality, a ‘Potty Snob’ is just someone who expects public restrooms to meet certain standards,” Ashley Graham, creator of the Potty Snob app said.
The busy mother of three from Calvert County, Maryland now juggles five businesses: Lift Bridge Publishing; Generation Write Now; Sweetie’s Coffee; Graham Media Group; and Potty Snob, her latest endeavor.
“The idea for Potty Snob came to me shortly after the pandemic. I became really particular about using public restrooms, especially with my kids in tow. I’m an avid Yelp review reader before visiting any restaurant, but I noticed a trend—places with 5-star ratings often had 2-star restrooms. After experiencing this repeatedly, I’d joke with my husband, ‘I wish I could rate their restroom!’ Whenever we were out eating or shopping, I’d ask whoever went to the restroom first, ‘What’s the rating from one to five?’ That’s when I realized this idea needed to be built through community input,” Graham said.
Potty Snob’s creator stated that sharing restroom cleanliness experiences could help others before they visit a location.
The National Association for Incontinence provides a list of bathroom apps (https://nafc.org/bhealth-blog/the-best-bathroom-locator-apps/) “that make finding a bathroom a little easier, and give you more confidence when traveling, running errands, or socializing with friends and family,” according to the blog page. However, Graham’s Potty Snob focuses on bathroom cleanliness.
Encountering nasty pathogens can be another concern when visiting public restrooms. Add toting children to the mix, and bathroom hygiene becomes more important.
“As a mom of three girls, I’ve encountered more than my fair share of unclean public bathrooms. Being a nursing mom made bathrooms an even bigger deal,” Graham explained.
She believes that Potty Snob is an innovative platform that is changing the game for restroom hygiene and comfort. She tells people to think of Potty Snob as the Yelp for bathrooms.
“Once you register for the app, it integrates with Google Maps. When you’re out in a public place, the map will prompt you about your location, allowing you to add the specific name of the place. From there, you can go through a series of optional questions, like rating the overall condition of the restroom (1-5 stars), whether the toilets were flushed, if toilet seat covers are available, whether you’re using the men’s, women’s, or family restroom, if a nursing room is available, if it’s handicap accessible, whether there was hand soap and a hand-drying station, and if you’d recommend the restroom to someone else. The last question lets you leave a comment, and once you submit your review, the place receives an overall bathroom rating and a yellow pin on the map.”
Users can rate the restroom and provide additional feedback for others to review, especially if they want to check out a yellow pin before heading somewhere.
“I want the app to be informative without being intrusive, relying on text instead. However, as the app evolves, there may be enhancements to add a photo option. All restroom reviews are submitted directly through the app, and users can explore the map to view all the ‘yellow pins,’ indicating a Potty Snob review for that location,” Graham explained.
Review locations have included churches, ballparks, amusement parks, restaurants, and beaches.
Graham added, “Anyone with a mobile phone can use the app. It works worldwide—not just in the US. We already have international Potty Snob reviews, and I encourage people of all ages to contribute to the Potty Snob community by submitting their reviews.”
Since its release, the app has been downloaded by over 90 users, including Trish Rector.
“It’s also an awesome way to report restrooms that are in poor condition, or to report ones that are in GREAT condition so users can run to those ones with confidence that they’ll feel clean and comfortable! Such a great idea for an app and I am super grateful for it. Thank you, Ashley Graham,” Rector wrote on the app’s iPhone page.
Links for iPhone and Android users to download the Potty Snob app are available via https://www.pottysnobapp.com.