Lavatory Inventory

Lavatory Inventory helps you find the cleanest, closest public washroom—ranked by real users. No more guessing. Just go confidently, wherever you go.

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Inspiration

Everyone’s been there—desperate for a restroom, only to find one that’s either closed, unsanitary, or impossible to locate. The idea for Lavatory Inventory was born out of those all-too-familiar moments of urgency. We asked ourselves: “What if public washroom access was as easy as opening an app?” From that need came the vision for a tool that combines real-time data with community-driven insights to make finding a clean, safe restroom effortless.

What it does

Lavatory Inventory is a crowd-sourced app that helps users locate, rate, and review public washrooms. Whether you're exploring the city or on a long road trip, the app delivers:

  • Location-based washroom suggestions
  • Cleanliness, accessibility & privacy ratings

How we built it

Bolt.new helped us get off the ground as we started with a responsive approach using Vue.js for fast and scalable development and integrated it with Leaflet for intuitive mapping / geolocation services. Express.js and Supabase powers our back-end, providing real-time updates and scalability. For crowd-sourced contributions, we designed a simple, gamified UI that encourages users to submit and verify listings.

Challenges we ran into

  • Data reliability: Sourcing trustworthy washroom data was tricky until we leaned into community validation.
  • Designing for urgency: UX had to be lightning-fast, intuitive, and usable with one hand in a hurry.
  • Moderation: Keeping reviews respectful and relevant required implementing a custom flag-and-review moderation system.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Built a fully functional MVP with geolocation, user reviews, and dynamic map integration
  • Designed a clean, intuitive UI that responds to real-world urgency and accessibility needs
  • Conducted successful closed beta testing with valuable feedback from over 50 early users
  • Established a community of early supporters ready to contribute and help shape the platform
  • Developed a robust moderation system to ensure high-quality, respectful crowd contributions

What we learned

  • Even small contributions (like updating a washroom’s hours) can be incredibly helpful
  • Designing for dignity is powerful—access to clean public facilities is a basic human right
  • Gamification and community recognition are powerful motivators for engagement

What's next for Lavatory Inventory

  • AR View: Use your phone's camera to visually locate nearby washrooms in real-time
  • Partnerships: Collaborate with municipalities to integrate official facilities and maintenance updates
  • AI-Powered Cleanliness Predictor: Estimate washroom conditions based on traffic, time, and past reviews
  • Emergency Access Mode: One-tap directions for urgent situations with filters like “wheelchair-friendly” or “baby change tables”

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