Going there: Bathroom Etiquette

Today, I am going there.

To the bathroom, that is. At my job, the upstairs bathroom is shared between 15+ people. One stall with a door that leads to our lounge. The hand sink is straight up in the lounge, so you're lathering up your hands for all the world to see. Don't hate my work for this; our school is over 60 years old and the upstairs teacher bathroom used to be part of a classroom.

However, when 15+ people are doing their business in the same place multiple times a day, some sort of etiquette must be in place. No, you're not at home and no, it's not okay to engage in the exact same behaviors that you would in your own home. I've constructed a few rules that I think would be useful for all those that share a bathroom with others in a professional setting.

1. Flush.  If need be, flush twice.  At home you may abide the "if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down" rule, but at work, you don't pay the water bill, so flush away.
2. Please wipe the seat off.  I don't know how ladies are able to drip, but there are splatters every day.
3. Make sure the door is locked.
4. Knock on the door to make sure no one is in there.  Some people don't lock the door.
5. If the sink is in public, wash your hands so no one can mutter about how you don't wash hands.
6. Don't steal tampons.  That goes against the rules of sisterhood.  I know a girl can be in a bad way from time to time but girl.  Try to ask.
7. At times, you will probably need to go twosies.  It's nature and I'm not going to get mad at you for that.  However, if you can't make it down to the more private but far away computer lab bathroom that no one ever uses, please! Courtesy flush AND use the air freshener.
8. Don't steal the air freshener.  That is a downright dirty deed right there.
9. If you do go twosies, for the love of all that is good and holy, close the door when you're finished!  If not, the smell can leak from the stall, into the lounge (where people eat and prepare food) and out into the hall, where the children wonder where the smell is coming from.  If you don't close the door after a twosie, yes, I will get mad at you.
10. Don't chat me up while I'm in there, okay?  It makes me crazy self conscious.

There you have it.  I went there and feel better for it.  I am now wondering if Ishould actually put this up in our bathroom (but I fear it would turn a lot of people into rule breakers).


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