Let's face it, no matter how good the upkeep, public restrooms are never a pleasant place to be. But we must make do with what we're given, because almost nothing is as painful as holding in our business when we've got to go.
So, we've got to suck it up and use the nearest public restroom. No big deal, right?
Actually, we may all be partaking in some behaviors that make the experience much more germy or unpleasant than it really has to be. We don't want to get dirtier than necessary, and we definitely don't want to have troublesome interactions with our fellow bathroom-goers, either.
These 13 habits are ones that you should never, ever fall victim to. Some are just proper restroom etiquette, while others will spare you from unwanted grime or bacteria!
Which of these will you stop doing immediately after reading this? Or, do you think you'll just try to hold it until you get home?
Please SHARE this surprising list with your family and friends on Facebook.
1. Rush The Handwashing
Just wash your hands. Just do it. Use soap; lather up; rinse thoroughly. Don't just run them under the water for a second and call it a day, lest you carry all the germs from the space with you.
2. Use The Blow Dryer
It may seem environmentally friendly, but if there are paper towels available, use them instead. The air dryers blow all kinds of germs around and spread them to other parts of your body. Eek.
3. Text Your Friends
Put your phone away. You probably don't want to look like the creep recording people in the bathroom, right? Plus, your phone is dirty enough already. You don't have to touch it with your bathroom hands, too.
4. "Forget" To Flush
Flushing is just common courtesy. Even if you have to use a wad of toilet paper to protect yourself from the germs, don't be the person who leaves a mess behind for someone else to be confronted with. And isn't using a public restroom already unpleasant enough?
5. Use Your Foot
Though you should flush, don't use your foot. Think about it; you walk around your house with those shoes. And, conversely, other people are going to have to touch the handle after you, and they'll get your foot germs on their hands. Just make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after you flush! Problem solved.
6. Hover Above The Seat
It's just better to sit down. Did you know that the average toilet seat has less germs than a cutting board? Yeah, think on that for a second, and then make your choice about whether or not you'd still prefer to hover.
7. Leave A Light Shower
If you absolutely must squat above the toilet, and you happen to leave a mess on the seat, please, please, please just wipe it down. If you don't, someone else is going to have to do it, and that's just plain rude.
8. Take Your Sweet Time
If there's a long line waiting for your stall, be courteous and get in and out as fast as possible. Plus, it probably smells weird in there and you should want to get to fresh air as soon as possible.
9. Make Small Talk
It's already a little awkward listening to everyone's pee splash into the toilet bowl, so don't make it worse by telling a joke about the weather. Crack jokes while in line for a sandwich, not the bathroom.
10. Hold The Stall Door
It may seem courteous to hold it for the next person, but this is an interaction that's best left for places that don't involve number two.
11. Leave A Lake
It's really beyond my knowledge how so much water gets on the counter, but I'm always the one to get a horizontal line of other people's used bathroom sink water on my shirt when I lean over to reach the towels. Keep the water in the sink where it belongs!
12. Toss Your Garbage Haphazardly
Everything has it's place, including your garbage. Sanitary products belong in one place, toilet paper in another, and gum in another. Don't try to flush your pad down the toilet, and don't leave your gum stuck to the sanitary napkin disposal flap. Yuck!
13. Park Next To An Occupied Stall
If there are enough working stalls to leave some space between you and someone already doing their business, just pick one where each of you will still have some semblance of privacy.
Did we miss anything on our list of bathroom no-nos? Let us know in the comments and please SHARE with your family and friends!
