Bathrooms are one of the most visited rooms in the house. The doors on the bathroom get more use than the kitchen from the sheer traffic in and out.

 

But you have to remember some rules when you share a bathroom.

 

Whether you live with family, housemates or partners, you’ll have many chances to really upset or annoy others. So here’s a conclusive list of all the things you need to think about when using the room of bathing!

 

Toilet seats and lids stay down!

Ok, let’s start with a big one. The toilet seat is designed to keep germs in the toilet and not in the bathroom. Put the seat AND the lid down before you flush and then leave it down. That’s just manners and hygiene.

 

Loo roll should never be empty

And whilst we’re talking toilets, let’s talk paper. There’s nothing more frustrating to your successor to the throne than when you leave a cardboard cutout of what they could’ve won. Used all the toilet roll? Replace it, or ask where the spare is. Otherwise, next time it could be you!

 

Soap lives in the soap dispenser

Ok, so you need to wash your hands and you find the soap dispenser. You push down and some goes onto your hands but some goes onto the basin’s edge. That’s ok… just wipe it off. Do not leave to dry and turn into something out of a horror film or leave it as a plaster cast impression of a worm on his morning walk. You make the mess, you clean it up.

 

Towels dry better hung

Hand towels are often shared in a large bathroom. When you’ve washed your hands (you’d better) you need to dry your hands on the hand towel. Please leave it as you found it – hung and dry!

 

Windows  – you can open them, you know

There are times in a bathroom when you might need to let in some fresh air. Like when you have too much steam after your bath or when… well, you know. Be a poppet and open the window and let some air out and some new air in, would you? Not only will it feel fresher for the next person in there, but you’ll be taking care of the room by preventing mould build-ups.

 

Toothbrushes – it’s a personal thing

Here’s the rule: you have your own toothbrush. There’s never a time it’s ok to use someone else’s. Never. If you’re staying over unexpectedly, the corner shop is your friend. 24 hour garages sell cheap toothbrushes, or at the least a packet of chewing gum.

 

Clothes on the floor? It’s not the movies!

When you leave the bathroom have a sweep of the room with your eyes. Have a good look around and see what you’ve done. If you’ve left your clothes on the floor after your bath, then pick them up (yes, even if you’re a teenager!). No one else needs to deal with yesterday’s socks lying in the corner.

 

Knock, knock

Even though a bathroom door usually has a lock it’s always best to knock. You can’t rely on everyone to lock the door and there will always be a risk of THAT awkward moment. Don’t be that guy or girl… just don’t!

 

Time’s ticking…

Be fair. Don’t take hours in the bathroom when you share the bathroom unless you’ve asked for prior consent from the rest of the household. When everyone is out then by all means make the most of it though. Enjoy a long soak in the tub with bubbles and a glass of something cold.

 

In hot water?

Some houses have a hot water tank that needs heating up. Make sure you know the deal before you have a long sock a filled-to-the brim bath. There’s just something selfish about stealing all the hot water (and you’ll have smelly family and housemates!).

 

Create a schedule

Why not plan to never have a queue or an issue with your bathroom? If you have a large family who all need to get out of the house on time, create a diary or bathroom schedule so that everyone knows when they can use the bathroom and how long they have to use it.

 

… or of course you could solve all these issues with a second bathroom – one all to yourself!

 

An ensuite bathroom or a second bathroom means that you’ll have more time, less hassle and maybe you’ll have one clean bathroom and one very messy and disruptive bathroom that you don’t need to go into!

 

The bathroom and the time you spend in there are important. Think about yours and the people who share it with you.