Saline District Library Wins Vote for Best Public Bathroom

People are selective about everything. Their eggs need to be cooked a certain way, their toilet paper needs to unroll in a particular direction and they can't use just any bathroom. 

So Patch went on the hunt for the best public bathroom in Saline. The results: a fresh, clean public toilet that you can use without any fee or purchase.

The won the for the best public bathroom in Saline.

"We’re really thrilled with it, because I know there was a lot of competition," said Debbie Johnson, head of adult services at the Saline District Library. "We’re really happy people selected us."

The Saline District Library's porcelain thrones won 45 percent of 79 total votes, beating by 10 votes.

"I thought it was really amusing that we were nominated," said Kim Kaster, owner of Brewed Awakenings. "We do spend a lot of extra time making sure our bathrooms are really nice and clean."

Brewed Awakenings already won the . 

"Well, of course, winning best coffee is incredibly important to us. Winning second for bathroom is important, too," Kaster said. "Cleanliness in a business, especially a restaurant, is incredibly important."

Kaster said Brewed Awakenings does not have plans to flush the Saline District Library next year for best bathroom. She said they already get a lot of compliments on their water closet from customers and will continue to keep it sparkling.

The Saline District Library expanded in 2008, Johnson said. "That (the bathroom) was one of the things we really wanted to improve," she said.

She said the building's interior designer came up with the scheme, which included more pleasing colors and tiles instead of painted walls. The new design also allowed for more bathrooms so there are two sets ― in the front and back.

The library is a popular destination in Saline. About 256,000 people visited last year, Johnson said.

During your pit-stop at the bathroom, notice the automatic faucets and the automatic towel dispensers. 

"It's kind of funny in a way," said Leslee Niethammer, director of the library. "So many bathrooms have these now."

She said what attracts people to their bathrooms is probably the library's long hours and that they are cleaned every night.

"They're just regular potties," Niethammer said.