Mexican Cultural Norms: 3 Shocking Things About Using the Bathroom in Mexico

No matter where you travel in the world, there is one thing you’re definitely going to need to do at some point: use the bathroom.

While it’s always helpful to learn a few bathroom-related phrases before you go somewhere (¿Dónde está el baño?), going to the bathroom in Mexico (and Latin America in general) is actually quite different from going to the bathroom in America.

Here are 3 things travelers will want to be aware of before they use the facilities in Mexico and its Latin American neighbors: 

1. Paying to use the bathroom.

The first (and biggest) difference between using the bathroom in America and Mexico is that sometimes you have to actually pay to use a restroom in Mexico. 

This is usually in public areas, such as at bus stations before you get your ticket (i.e. before you cross over to the other side to wait for your bus). Sometimes, you’ll find that on the other side of the station (the part accessible once you have a ticket), there are bathrooms that you can use for free. But if you’re just walking into the bus station, usually the bathrooms on that side charge five or ten pesos. 

If you’re not used to converting Mexican pesos to dollars, that’s like fifty cents to use the bathroom! The worst part is the bathroom is usually not all that clean, which makes me wonder where the money goes. To be fair, in most bus stations, the bathrooms are not that bad. But if you go to other public places, like a public park, you have to pay to use the bathroom…and the bathrooms are just horrible. 

While many places in the world charge you to use the bathroom (this is very common in Europe, for example), the bathrooms are usually well maintained. But here, sometimes there’s not even water for you to wash your hands! 

Long story short, make sure you have some money on you when you need to use the bathroom because sometimes it won’t be free. Additionally, carrying some hand sanitizer is always a good idea just incase there isn’t any soap or water. It’s not ideal, of course, but it’s always better to be prepared!

2. You put the TP where? To Flush or Not to Flush

So, you’ve paid to do your business and have some toilet paper to throw away. What next? Well, you throw your toilet paper in the garbage — not the toilet.

If you’re visiting from the U.S., this may come as a culture shock.

The custom in Mexico is to throw your toilet paper in the garbage when using the bathroom. That’s what everyone does. However, if I’m being honest, most of the time when I use the restroom, I just throw the toilet paper in the toilet. For me, it makes no sense to put it in the garbage bin.

In my thirty years of being Mexican and living in Mexico, I have never heard of any toilet collapsing or exploding for putting toilet paper in it. Like, I don’t know what’s the deal with people telling you, “Oh, put it in the garbage.” It makes no sense.

That said, there are some places where you’ll want to make sure you throw your paper in the trash so that it doesn’t clog the older plumbing.

For example, when Tulum first became a more developed city, we heard many people talk about how it was not ready to receive the amount of tourism that it got and so the local plumbing systems were struggling to keep up. This also happened in Sayulita, one of those little towns where the place just blew up and everybody was visiting and so the plumbing system got all messed up and they didn’t know what to do with all of the waste.

But in every other place in Mexico, I just put toilet paper in the toilet. Nothing bad will happen!

3. Always have extra toilet paper.

Most public bathrooms don’t have toilet paper. That means that you always want to make sure you have some toilet paper on you when you’re traveling. In fact, traveling with out TP is one of our top things not to do in Mexico.

This is especially true if you’re on a road trip and stopping in lots of public places. I can’t count how many times we’ve stopped at a gas station and Jim was like, “Ugh! I really want to use the restroom.” He goes in, sees that there is no toilet paper, and then has to drive dozens more kilometers until we find a toilet with toilet paper.

So, save yourself the hassle and always have toilet paper with you. As a Mexican woman, I always have toilet paper in my purse or backpack when I’m in Mexico. My mom always does, my friends, my sister, every woman in Mexico carries toilet paper in her purse. If you get caught somewhere and desperately need some TP, ask a local Mexican woman. She will be able to help if you’re desperate.

I remember Jim’s dad when he first visited Mexico, and I think he got into a room where the bathroom had no toilet paper…but also no toilet seat. He lost his mind with that!

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Going to the bathroom in a new country is always an eye-opening experience. It can also be intimidating or confusing too if you don’t know what to expect. While your guidebook or language app can help you ask questions to find a bathroom, knowing what to expect when you get there will help you fit in and have a better, smoother experience.

What has been your experience with bathroom customs in Mexico? What shocked you the most?

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