In dorm bathrooms that are shared by a whole floor, people have to start doing a better job cleaning up after themselves. These are communal spaces, and basic hygiene keeps them usable for everyone.
Regarding the toilets: Nobody wants to sit down on a seat that’s covered in urine, stray pubic hair, or, occasionally, fecal matter. This isn’t just gross, it’s disrespectful to everyone who uses the bathroom. I know some of you might be thinking:
“Dylan, that’s why you gotta squat every time you need to take a shit, it’s not that hard—women do it literally every time they have to pee.”
“Look on the bright side, your quads will be jacked by the end of the year!”
But I absolutely will not be doing that, I refuse to. Obviously, one could just have disinfectant wipes handy every time they need to sit down (which I do anyway), but I don’t know why more people don’t seem to feel the responsibility to clean up their own mess in shared spaces. If you make a mess in any way on the toilet, just grab a piece of toilet paper to clean it up then wash your hands. It’s really easy and just basic consideration for others. Lastly, while not as big of a deal and might be just a “me” thing: do your best to not leave skid marks, all it takes is flushing once or twice more.
In the showers: No one wants to see hair everywhere, boogers on the walls and shower curtains, or be left wondering whether the grime spots in various places are fecal matter. All it takes is checking before you get out, to see that you left it as clean or cleaner than it was when you came in.
At the sink: Clean up your hair after shaving—don’t leave it stuck along the side of the bowl or faucet. If you blow your nose, make sure all the remains are washed away. These small actions keep things sanitary and make sure people don’t feel grossed out when they go to use the sink.
Ultimately, it’s not that hard, just treat the bathroom like a shared home. I know some of you might be thinking this is unrealistic, but I’ve literally seen it be done. Last year when I lived at High Street, two of the three bathrooms in our hall were clean all the time, despite us all being boys—I’m sure we all appreciated it. It can be done, it just takes everyone buying in and deciding to do their part.
