Bathroom Etiquette or Lack Thereof

Nasty, dirty bathrooms are a pet peeve of mine.  It's disgusting!  I can't stand the grossness of public bathrooms.  I don't understand how people can be so rude and inconsiderate.  Pee and toilet paper on the floor.  Unflushed toilets.  Gross, gross, gross!  Do their bathrooms at home look like this? 

I have a feeling their bathrooms are not quite so bad.  But, there's got to be a connection there somewhere.  And their laziness and inconsideration seeps over into public restrooms but in a much bigger way.  I get the heebee geebees going into most public bathrooms.

I've taught my kids well on bathroom etiquette.  They know to always put the toilet paper in the toilet.  They flush and put the seat down at home.  When out in public they know to quickly do their business without touching anything, flush with their foot and wash their hands thoroughly.  All without causing any mess they'd have to clean up.

Believe it or not all this is just a set up for the real meaty part of my post.  If you'd like to read a great post about public restrooms head over to Bees With Honey.  She tells it like it is.  We all know public restrooms are gross.  Hopefully, we have all taught our children proper bathroom usage and hold them accountable.  This post is about behind the scenes in MY home, when follow through doesn't happen.  Watch where you walk, it could get dangerous!

Let me first start by saying it's not just the young that are sometimes oblivious to the rules of the bathroom.  Some of the biggest offenders are daddies and teenagers.  Let's be honest.  The hubbies are always running out the door early in the morning and don't pay attention to their surroundings through blurry eyes.  Mine works long hours, 2 jobs and is usually up by 3:30 a.m. and home sometime between 5 and 10:30 p.m.  His nighttime rituals can be just as chaotic as his morning ones.  The teenager is oblivious to others.  Ironic that if someone else has the same bathroom etiquette it grosses them out but they don't see the wake they leave behind. I have to admit that while gross, I bet there are worse scenarios out there than mine.  For that I am truly grateful, but I'm still grossed out.

I try hard to give the hubby a pass in the morning and on the nights he comes home really late.  I try not to let it drive me nuts.  But honestly...it does!  I'm the one left (most times) to clean up in his wake.  Sometimes I want to cry.  Other times scream.  And many times both, while jumping up and down.  Come on, get with the program!  They're are little eyes that monitor everything you do.  They mimic you in so many more ways than you realize or comprehend.

His transgressions:

• Toothpaste in the sink
• Toothpaste on the counter and on the mirror.
• Drenched Wet towels left on the floor (or put wet in our bedroom laundry hamper)
• Clothes left on the floor after shower (He does always pick them up, eventually.)
• Flooded Wet floor from not making sure the curtain is tucked in.
• Flooded Wet floor from taking a bath (yes he does) and sloshing water onto the floor
• Shower curtain untucked or half open.  (Yes, I'm particular with this one.)
• Leftover shaving "remnants" in the sink...hair stubble, shaving creams (Gross!)
• Not emptying an obviously overflowing garbage can and adding more to it.
• Peeing on the seat or floor in the middle of the night.

The teenager is here for the month of August.  Love her!  But in true teenage fashion she is careless and oblivious to how her actions effect others.  Normally not an issue because she's only her one night every other week.  Now it's a bit gross.  Not horribly gross.  I'm sure it might be worse if she was a boy.  But then again, I could be wrong.  I fear as she gets more comfortable it could get worse.  So far, she cleans up her hair products and cosmetics.  That gives her huge bonus points.

Her transgressions:

• Leaving wet towel from hair on bedroom floor (Better than bathroom floor?  Maybe.)
• Hair and soap scum in the shower drain. (This is by far the most gross thing...even worse than pee, I think.)
• Hair on the floor and in the sink

The kids seem to pattern after the older residents in the house.  But they do listen well and go back and clean up when I point it out to them.  I try to keep it positive.  When the bathroom looks good I try to tell them.  Positive reinforcement can go a long way to fixing problems.  They're hit and miss right now.  Overall, the boy is worse than the girl on follow through.  We'll keep working on it.

Their transgressions:

• Toothpaste in the sink.
• Toothpaste splatter on mirror and counter top.
• Toothbrushes not fully rinsed off.
• Soap "bubbles" left in tub (Way too much body wash and/or shampoo).
• Clothes left on bathroom floor.
• Wash cloth on tub floor.
• Towel not hung up (I just ask them to remember to have an adult help them).
• Peeing on the toilet seat or floor.
• Body wash/shampoo not put away or left upside down to drip over tub.
• Shower curtain not tucked in.

The good news...they don't do this disgusting stuff out in public or while visiting friends.  I'm trying to concrete the point that I'm not a maid.  It's their responsibility to clean up after themselves.  The toothpaste things drives me CRAZY!  It's not hard to rinse it out of the sink.  And if you pay attention you can avoid getting it on counter and/or mirror.  The pee on the floor thing is beyond gross.  I understand at night aim is off and it's dark because you don't want to turn on the light.  You need to check in the morning and wipe up area with the Lysol Wipes under the cabinet.  It's not hard to do.  And, you need to listen to your bladder.  If it tells you to go, Go!  Don't wait.  That's when you tinkle on the floor because you can't get your pants down quick enough.  You're old enough to know better.  Clean up after yourself please.  And the most disgusting thing is the hair in the drain.  I clean up mine.  God, there are days I swear I'm going bald because there's so much in there!  But once I'm all dried off, I use a tissue and clean it out.  Gross, but it's my responsibility.  I now have to delicately brooch this subject with the teenager.  I hope she doesn't get sensitive about it.  I cleaned it up at least twice this week.  I won't be doing it again.  It makes me want to hurl.  *Gag* Ick!

I have to admit, it's getting better.  Towels are hung up, less water on the floor, sinks occasionally wiped clean.  I'm going to focus my efforts on dry floors, hairless tub drain and rinsed sink for now.  I hope my efforts pay off.  Pray that I don't lose my ever loving mind in the process!


Do you have bathroom pet peeves?  What rules do you have for bathroom etiquette in your house?



***This post was inspired after the whole hair in the drain thing.  I find "blog therapy" to be both calming, inspirational and insightful before I tackle issues head on with delicacy and aplomb.  Also, I love when others can relate so I know it's not just me with these crazy feelings.