Public restrooms are scattered throughout towns and cities in the U.S. but the cleanliness varies. Right now, some apps show where public restrooms are in the area. Finding local, public restrooms isn’t always easy to do or accessible. An app launched at CES 2024 wants to open up the hundreds of bathrooms that are already in busy areas but for a fee.

Flush

Flush is an app that allows businesses in high-traffic areas, such as coffee shops, restaurants, or hotels, to rent out their bathrooms to the public. Business owners can price their restrooms at a maximum of $10 and people can go on the web-based app to find and reserve bathrooms.

Flush’s concept comes from the founder and USC computer science graduate Elle Szabo. Szabo came up with the idea after struggling to find public bathrooms in Pasadena.

Cleanliness is a main concern. There is a built-in rating system to make sure the best restrooms are available on the app. By reviewing local restrooms, businesses can make sure they have the best ratings, which means more renters and more profits. Szabo says it’s an interesting way for coffee shops and other restaurants to attract more customers. Not only that, they can also increase revenue with no additional overhead.

Depending on how common Flush is in certain areas, it could work. But people may be a little hesitant to pay for a bathroom. IBut in the situation of an emergency, people may be more inclined to pay for bathroom services. Diaper changes also bring up an interesting discussion.

How Does It Work?

When a customer goes to the web-based app, they choose an available toilet. It breaks down the cost with how long the bathroom is needed and adds additional fees. Once you fill that out, you check out and take care of business.

The app is still in the works but is launching in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Szabo is based.