Really? You need to go potty AGAIN? You just forced 8 drops out 10 minutes ago.
Newly potty trained kids everywhere are testing their mothers’ patience by insisting on using every single public bathroom in the city of Birmingham. If there’s a bathroom, my kid wants to try it out. I find it alarming how he doesn’t care at all about scary fecal matter as he grabs the toilet and tries to climb on top of it. I cringe when he pokes at the sanitary napkin disposal can. I practice the words “dirty” and “NO touch” to no avail. Hello, my name is BirminghamMommy, and my son is a Germ Addict. As the mother of a Germ Addict, I’ve tested every sanitizing product out there. If it promises to kill salmonella and E. coli, I’ve sprayed it on my hands, and most likely on the seat of every Mexican restaurant bano in town.
Here’s my breakdown of the essential potty on the go supplies:
1. Toilet seat covers- If you’re not in a huge hurry (everything is a hurry for toddlers) and you have time to unfold the seat and peel the little stickies off the back, then this cover is GREAT! Normal seat covers don’t have the stickies, so the second you put the kid on the potty, the cover slides and exposes gross seat parts.
Pros: really stays in place, covers the whole potty- even the front part where undies might touch.
Cons: $5 for 10… so save these for the grossest toilets, takes a minute to get into place.
2. Clorox Anywhere Spray- Moms everywhere rave about this product. Now it comes in a great purse size bottle too. This has been helpful for the emergency situation… where there’s no time for seat covers. I just spray the toilet and do a quick wipe. I know it doesn’t clean the whole thing, but every little bit helps! And this stuff is safe for high chair use, so if a drop gets on my kiddo’s skin, I don’t worry.
Pros: quick and easy
Cons: requires us to clean a public toilet… YUCK! Like we don’t clean enough toilets already…
3. Lysol Disinfectant Spray- Much like the Clorox Spray, but in aerosol form…
Pros: aerosol form means less wiping
Cons: scented like fresh linen, which doesn’t combine well with public-bathroom-poop-smell… actually made me sick to my stomach
4.Purell – Good ole trusty Purell. Once you get the seat clean, you can’t forget to get your kid clean too!
I’ve heard too many stories about toddlers chewing on the bottle and causing a call to Poison Control. I’m using only the tiny bottle.
Pros: come in nice scents, although… like I said before… flowers + public poop = GROSS
Cons: alcohol content makes me cautious, but still an essential
4. Germ-X Wipes- my personal favorite and most essential item… I can’t figure out why Purell hasn’t come out with something similar. This one is alcohol-free and safe for use on kids’ delicate skin. I use them to wipe the seat, then wipe my kiddo’s legs and hands. (With a fresh one of course)
Pros: easy, alcohol-free, safe on skin, all-in-one item with dual purposes
Cons: easy means you go through them much faster, but really, can you put a price on avoiding other peoples’ filth and germs?
This post originally appeared in 8/2008 on BirminghamMommy.com. It is timeless, so we thought we’d rehash it!
