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Communal bathrooms can be a big change when moving into a dorm or staying at a hostel.
The key is to respect the privacy of others and maintain your own boundaries so everyone can use the bathroom in peace.
Gear Up
You'll need:
1. A Shower Caddy
Keep your personal care products away from communal spaces if you can.
A shower caddy will keep your grooming products organized and ready to go.
Pro tip: Get one with hooks so you can latch it onto the shower door.
2. A Towel or Bathrobe
You'll likely need to cover up when going from your room to the shower to your, so a bathrobe or towel will be essential.
Pro tip: Use your bathrobe's pockets as a caddy if you don't use a lot of products in the shower.
3. Shower Shoes
It is impossible to know how hygienic the people who used the bathroom before you were.
Shower shoes will limit your risk of contracting athlete's foot or a bacterial infection.
Pro tip: Wear your shower shoes from your room to the shower and back, then clean them after each use.
Schedule Your Time Wisely
Avoid a situation where you need to take a shower and all the stalls are occupied or the bathroom is being cleaned.
Do some reconnaissance and plan your shower schedule around when the bathroom is most used or scheduled for cleaning.
Quiz
Every morning, when Lisa takes showers at 6 a.m., her floor mate obnoxiously sings "scrub scrub scrub scrubity scrub" in stall next to her. This drives her crazy. What should Lisa do?
It's best to resolve conflicts by respectfully talking them out with your floormates.
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Be Courteous
Remember that you're using a shared space. With that in mind:
Don't:
Take long showers
Use up all the hot water
Leave a mess
Do:
Be cordial but not chatty with others
Clean up after yourself
Quiz
Larry used up the last roll of toilet paper. What should they do next?
Replace anything you use up. It's common courtesy.
Take Action
Using a communal bathroom is just like using a private bathroom but with a few extra steps.
Be sure to:
This Byte has been authored by
Paul Borkowski
Helping to make learning easy, accessible, and fun
This Byte has been reviewed by
Lana Do
MD, MPH, BCMAS