Why Do Men’s Restrooms Stink? A Reflection on Privilege

    So far in my life, almost every public restroom I have used had a distinct, unpleasant stench—except for a few in high-end places. One day, I casually brought this up in conversation with a female friend, and to my surprise, she mentioned that women’s restrooms don’t smell as bad as men’s restrooms do. This got me thinking.

    One particular instance stood out to me. My friend and I were at a library where the men’s and women’s restrooms were right across from each other. When we both came out, I complained about how awful the men's room smelled. She, on the other hand, said the women's room was fine. This seemed like such a minor observation at first, but as I thought more about it, I realized it might be a reflection of something much deeper—an ugly consequence of patriarchy. 

    The one thing I noticed in that men’s restroom was that most of the men using the urinals weren’t flushing after use. There was a small knob that one had to turn or a button to press to let the water flow and clean the urinal, yet most of them simply walked away without bothering. Why?

The Entitlement of Patriarchy

    Men, under patriarchy, grow up feeling entitled to everything around them, including labor that they don’t even realize exists. This entitlement is clearly reflected in the condition of men’s restrooms across the country. Many men feel that cleaning up after themselves is not their responsibility. They assume someone else—a janitor, a cleaner—will take care of it. The idea of maintaining sanitary conditions doesn’t even cross their minds.

    This attitude stems from their upbringing. In most households, especially in patriarchal societies, boys grow up without ever having to clean the bathrooms they use. The cleaning and maintenance are typically done by women—mothers, sisters, or hired help. As a result, they never develop the habit of caring about hygiene beyond their own personal needs. They have never had to clean up after someone else, so they don’t even think about what it means to leave a space clean for the next person.

The Small Things That Reflect Larger Problems

    Some might think this issue is trivial. But the small, everyday behaviors of men in a patriarchal society often reveal much larger systemic problems. The lack of responsibility in something as basic as flushing a urinal mirrors the same attitude that leads men to assume household chores, childcare, or even emotional labor are someone else’s responsibility.

    This problem isn’t just about restrooms—it’s about a mindset that extends into every aspect of life. The same men who don’t flush urinals without a second thought often grow up to be men who leave household responsibilities to their wives, who assume their mothers will continue to take care of domestic chores, and who never feel the need to contribute equally in shared spaces. This reflects a broader cultural issue where men are not held accountable for the basic upkeep of their surroundings.

Breaking the Cycle

    If we want to change this behavior, we need to address it at its root. Parents should encourage boys to clean their own spaces from a young age, including bathrooms, kitchens, and shared living areas. Schools should incorporate lessons on hygiene and collective responsibility, emphasizing that maintaining cleanliness is not a gendered duty but a basic human responsibility.

    Workplaces should also take this into account. Offices, universities, and public institutions can implement signs and campaigns that remind users to maintain hygiene in shared spaces. More importantly, men must start holding each other accountable. If you see a friend or colleague neglecting basic hygiene, call them out. Encourage conversations around these issues, no matter how insignificant they may seem.

    Patriarchy conditions men to take certain privileges for granted, including the labor of others. If we want to change society, we need to start noticing these patterns in our daily lives. Something as simple as flushing after using a urinal is a small act of accountability—but accountability, once practiced, can extend to larger aspects of life.

Let’s bring these unnoticed behaviors to light and start holding ourselves accountable, one flush at a time.