Wondering where to take your next bathroom break? The DTH has an answer!

It is a well-known fact that campus is home to some shitty bathrooms (no pun intended). Long study sessions in Davis Library are not made any easier by bathrooms with missing or broken stall doors, faucets that blast you with jets of water and overflowing trash cans. 

That said, there are some great bathrooms on campus. This guide should help you find them by pointing out a few of the best. Just a reminder that these views are my own and do not represent those of The Daily Tar Heel. 

The Buildings

Some buildings are just complete standouts with every bathroom being up to par. Here are a few of those.

Gardner Hall

From the outside, Gardner looks just like any other building in Polk Place, and when you walk through its doors, it still seems rather plain. But push through a door into the bathroom, and you are in for a treat. 

Bathrooms in Gardner are tiled with a nice grey color scheme that really lends itself to a clean and calm ambiance. The lighting is great. At no point in your most vulnerable moment are you scared something will jump out of the shadows because there are no shadows. 

Also, the stalls are spacious. They have so much space you might think you were walking down a hallway to your toilet. 

The one place I would knock points for would be the faucets. They are the kind where you press down a lever and the faucet runs until the lever rises back up. These faucets are annoying. They either run for too long or not long enough, never in between.

The FedEx Global Education Center

Unlike Gardner, the Global Center looks impressive wherever you are. The large glass windows and open floor plan make for a very modern building. Walk into one of the bathrooms and it is more of the same. Very spacious and clean, and there are more than enough toilets available so even during the busiest of times everything should flow smoothly. 

But don't drink from these toilets. The Global Center has earned bonus sustainability points by using recycled rainwater in the toilets. 

And all the stalls latch securely and firmly to ensure your privacy. 

Once again though, the only problem comes when it’s time to wash your hands. The paper towel dispenser is located away from the sinks. In an attempt to alleviate this, a pile of paper towels are placed in a basket next to the sink. However, picking up only a few paper towels with wet hands is not an easy task and can lead to a mess.

The McColl Building

It should not be surprising that the home to the business school shows up on this list. That extra $1,000 a semester has to go somewhere. 

With fancy sinks and faucets, the bathrooms are fit for the high earners the school aims to cultivate. Select bathrooms in McColl are the only locations on campus I have encountered the Dyson Airblade hand dryer. 

Of the buildings on this list, McColl bathrooms are the smallest with a limited number of toilets.

The Hidden Gems

There are a few bathrooms that are stand out regardless of the building that contains them. These are two of my favorites.

Top floor of Chase Dining Hall

Not many people notice the stairs to the small area on the second floor of Chase Dining Hall, which is what makes the bathrooms up there so nice. Rarely used, they are clean, and if you are someone who struggles with using public bathrooms, this is one of the more private locations on campus. 

It is also one of the few bathrooms around Rams Head Plaza that do not require One Card or residential hall access.  

Carmichael Makerspace

Over the summer, a brand new Makerspace was installed in Carmichael Residence Hall. A new bathroom was installed at the same time. It is obvious that the bathroom is only a few months old. Everything is clear and fresh. The lighting is bright and is as close to natural light as you can get in a bathroom.

In addition, the tile pattern is cool and looks similar to granite countertops. Take advantage of this bathroom while it still maintains its new and fresh appearance.

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