Office bathroom etiquette

It's a part of our daily lives, using the restroom. However, when the need to use a public facility arises, it's become downright treacherous -- and that includes at work. What's happened to any sense of etiquette, pride in oneself, and courtesy for others? Your guess is as good as mine!

The problem has become so universal, some 13 years ago, the ICBE was formed. What's the ICBE? The International Center for Bathroom Etiquette!



Bathroom Etiquette Tips for Using the Workplace Ladies' Room
Secret Shame

By Pam Gaulin, published Feb 12, 2007



There is no more disgusting place in workplace than the bathroom. No, not the men's room, the women's room. Are you contributing to the mess, or are you part of the solution?

Most women won't talk about it. The shame, the horror, the nightmare that is the workplace ladies' room. Women are the first ones to complain about bathroom cleanliness in the workplace. It's surprising how many workplace bathrooms are so messy, especially when it's the women's bathroom. It's hard to imagine what the home bathrooms of your co-workers look like, when you see the mess they leave in the common women's bathroom at work. What's even sadder is when the workplace management has to put up signs reminiscent of kindergarten, reminding women of basic bathroom etiquette.

Ladies, feel free to print and post this for your co-workers who seem to think an hourly maid will be in to clean up after them in the workplace ladies room.

Bathroom Etiquette in the Workplace Ladies' Room Bathroom Etiquette

Tips for using the Workplace Ladies' Room: 1. Flush.

For some reason the times that women need to flush the most is when they don't. Or maybe they just should have done number two (number two below!).

Tips for Using the Workplace Ladies' Room: 2. Unclog the Toilet.

If the toilet becomes clogged, it needs to be unclogged. There is no magic button or official workplace bathroom unclogger. Use the plunger and fix the clog you created. Do not leave it for someone else. While it's not pretty, it is your responsibility to fix something that you "broke."

Tips for Using the Workplace Ladies' Room: 3. Use Proper Trash Receptacles.

It is astonishing how often women miss the trash. Use the trash receptacles in the stalls for certain personal items, so you don't have to deal with number two (again, see number two above). Also, do not leave used paper towels on the counter. This is so common, it boggles the mind. The trash is one step away from the bathroom door, just take the used paper towel with you and throw it out.

Tips for Using the Workplace Ladies' Room: 4. Wipe the Counter.

How often have you leaned up against the sink counter only to step away with a line of water across your clothes? It makes you wonder if the other women are pulling a Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan and using the bathroom sink for bathing. If the water splatters on the sink counter while you are washing your hands, use a paper towel and wipe it up. Do not just assume it will dry up before the next person needs the sink.

Tips for Using the Workplace Ladies' Room: 5. Replace Supplies.

When you use the last of the toilet paper, soap, or paper towels, replace them if they are accessible. If they are not, see number 8.

Tips for Using the Workplace Ladies' Room: 6. Save the Gossip.

One of the biggest mistakes women make in the bathroom at work is to gossip about co-workers, or complain about their bosses. You never know who is in a neighboring stall, or who has entered the bathroom after you. If you must gossip and complain about work, save it for when you are outside of the office building.

Tips for Using the Workplace Ladies' Room: 7. Hang up the Phone.

The other people in the bathroom do not really want to hear you talking to your doctor's office, your kids or your spouse while you go to the bathroom.

Tips for Using the Workplace Ladies' Room: 8. Tell Someone.

If there is a problem in the bathroom with a running toilet, toilet that cannot be unclogged, lack of heat, or no more supplies, take the leadership role and tell someone. Why let the next woman go in and experience the same thing. Why wait for someone else to take care of it? Tell someone in charge, who can fix the problem.Ladies, it's time to reclaim the women's room and make it a sanitary and clean place for all the women in the office.



Takeaways
Be nice and throw out your own used paper towels.
Wipe the wet sink when you're done.
Avoid complaining, gossiping and using the cell phone in the bathroom at work.