Bad Manners and Brimstone

General Etiquette => Life in General => Topic started by: TootsNYC on July 09, 2020, 09:46:26 am


Title: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: TootsNYC on July 09, 2020, 09:46:26 am
So on a decluttering thread on Reddit, I mentioned that it's my dream, should I ever get to remodel my bathroom, to make a sink cabinet with a tilt-out side so I can stash the plunger and the toilet brush (I want to take advantage of the deep back corner of the cabinet, which is hard to access, and also the extra vertical height you get behind the sink there, since the plunger is tall).

A couple of people got really, really insistent that it was rude ("my worst nightmare," one of them said) to not have the plunger immediately apparent in case a guest had a problem and needed to use it on your toilet. (They didn't say this, but obviously someone with IBS or Crohn's might really want a toilet brush without having a conversation about it.)

OK, so I figured I'd make sure to put some sort of label (this is all a pipe dream at the moment, mind you), so if someone was going, "doesn't she have a plunger?" there would be a little plunger icon on the side of the cabinet by the cabinet knob for that compartment.

But no, that wasn't good enough. So now I'm wondering--would I be rude to hide the plunger and the toilet brush? It is important to have them out and easily findable?

(The biggest reason I want them inside the cabinet is that I don't want to have to clean around them, nor do I want to have to clean them, or any decorative holder they might be in, every week. Everything in the bathroom gets dusty with skin cells, etc., since 3 people shower and towel off in there, plus the area around the toilet gets splatter, so it's not an easy-to-wipe-off area.      And, of course, it's ugly and I don't think there are attractive holders for decent plungers, and then the whole area looks really cluttered--a plunger the toilet-brush holder, and a trash can all in the same area. A guest is far more likely to need to use a trash can than the other two, and I'd personally rather look at a trash can.)
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: Luci on July 09, 2020, 10:29:12 am
How would they dry and air off in an enclosed cabinet?

I don’t know about rudeness or not. That’s an interesting thought. We so rarely use ours.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: Lilipons on July 09, 2020, 10:39:16 am
Good grief!  These people must lead very odd lives if the presence or absence of a plunger is their ‘worst nightmare’.

I think it’s perfectly fine to put the plunger away in a closet.  We keep ours in the little machine room that also houses the furnace and the hot water heater.  Of course, we have two bathrooms so two plungers wouldn’t make sense.  I like to see the toilet brush in a hotel bathroom but don’t really notice if it’s in someone’s home or not. 

If they want plumbing equipment in plain view, how about hanging a toilet snake on the back of the door like Indiana Jones’ bullwhip.  That would certainly be a conversation piece.

Oh well, in the thread on old posts people are bringing up the  shoes/no shoes debate.  I hope this isn’t quite as vituperative as that became.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: penguinladi on July 09, 2020, 10:46:53 am
In my own home with 3 toilet rooms, I like to have an easily accessible plunger and toilet brush in each bathroom.  But I do not notice the presence or absence of these items when I am a guest in other people's homes.  If I have a problem with the toilet, I would want to notify the owner because there may be another issue that needs repair.  I don't find it rude not to have it readily available for guests.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: Hmmm on July 09, 2020, 11:06:40 am
I have a toilet brush in each of our bathrooms but only in one is it set out where anyone could see it and that is in the master bathroom where guests seldom go. In the other two, they are stored in a cabinet. I have 2 plungers, one upstairs that is in a cabinet and one downstairs that is also in a bathroom cabinet.

If someone needs a plunger in my home, then I'd much rather they came and told me so that I could deal with it appropriately.

Do these people also expect you to leave the toilet cleaner out? And should the mop and floor cleaner be sitting out in case they spilled something and felt the need to clean it up?

I think these are trolls.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: Wanaca on July 09, 2020, 11:31:32 am
I've never really thought about the etiquette of this, but we only have one small bathroom and we leave the brush and the plunger out near the toilet.  We do it solely for our convenience rather than for guests.

I know that I've never used a brush or plunger in another person's toilet so I don't look for them.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: sandisadie on July 09, 2020, 11:34:45 am
I keep my toilet brush and cleaner in a container next to the toilet.  I have a plunger in the bathroom cabinet under the sink.  I've never thought about whether people routinely keep such items available for guests to use.  In my house I'd rather be told the toilet has a problem instead of a guest trying to fix it before I find out about it.  I don't see this as having anything to do with being rude, or not.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: oogyda on July 09, 2020, 11:45:14 am
I'm going to go with .... No, it's not rude to hide the plunger or toilet brush.

I rarely leave cleaning supplies such as brushes (including toilet brushes), rags and cleaning solutions out after I use them anywhere and I most definitely do not leave my tools (which is what a plunger is) out all over.

My master bathroom door is 6 paces from our main bath.  The main bath is pretty small with very little storage space so I keep the plunger and toilet brush in the master bathroom linen closet.  I agree with whoever it was that said if a guest needs a plunger, I'd rather they let me know and I or DH will deal with it. 



Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: Rose Red on July 09, 2020, 11:59:56 am
It's your house so do what makes you feel comfortable for having a pleasant bathroom. A label is a nice compromise. A guest should be able to figure out labels, but I can understand if they feel weird about opening drawers even if it's just for a plunger. Maybe when you have guests over, you can say "Here's the restroom. If you need anything, it's all labeled or feel free to ask." (That may make them feel like they have free rein though, so I don't know.)
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: lowspark on July 09, 2020, 01:26:54 pm
Ok, wut??

Is it actually a thing to keep the plunger in plain view? I've never ever heard of that before. And I will say that probably 99% of the bathrooms I've visited in other people's houses do not have one hanging about for the use of their guests. In fact, I think it's the opposite. I don't want to see miscellaneous plumbing apparatus on display, either in my own bathroom or in others'.

So... I vote not rude.

Good grief!  These people must lead very odd lives if the presence or absence of a plunger is their ‘worst nightmare’.
LOL!
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: gramma dishes on July 09, 2020, 01:32:20 pm
I've never seen a plunger exposed in any bathroom I've ever visited!   We keep ours down on the third level in the room where our furnace and water heater live.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: TootsNYC on July 09, 2020, 02:18:31 pm
How would they dry and air off in an enclosed cabinet?


Well, the cabinet wouldn't be airtight; if I thought it was a problem, I could drill ventilation holes. Or I could swoosh it around the bowl with some toilet cleaner (once I had plunged the clog) and let it sit in the tub to dry off.

(the person who was objecting to my plans was all, "I would never put a plunger in the tub!" and "you can't believe it's a good thing to put a wet plunger in a wooden cabinet"--I'm like, there is plastic, metal, epoxy, and even these commercial plunger holders you keep telling me to buy, which could sit inside the tilt-out)
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: Hmmm on July 09, 2020, 02:58:20 pm
I've never seen a plunger exposed in any bathroom I've ever visited!   We keep ours down on the third level in the room where our furnace and water heater live.

Agreeing with you and lowspark. I think the only time I've seen a plunger out in a bathroom was at a cabin where they were frequently needing it to be used... and they warned us of the issue. I mean, I'm sure there are many people who's bathrooms or homes have limited storage and that is the only option. But I can't remember the last time I saw one out accept at that cabin. 
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: Hanna on July 09, 2020, 03:09:00 pm
I agree with Oogyda. I kept mine in the basement at my old house! It’s in the closet at my DH’s house.

I think this is a really neat idea!
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: TootsNYC on July 09, 2020, 03:23:03 pm
Especially because I live in an apartment with very limited closets, I think it's a PITA for me to try to store it anywhere else. But that little corner of my sink cabinet is completely useless for most other things.

And I use it probably once every 4 years or something.

This is all pipe-dream stage anyway.

And if this person hadn't said anything, I might not thought of putting a label on it (I went googling "plunger icon" and "toilet brush icon," thinking I could have that shape carved into a plastic label, or something--when you're dreaming, you can spend any amount of money you want)

Ooh, I could have it engraved onto one of those "tab" drawer/door pulls. There are people who do custom engraving.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: Pandorica on July 09, 2020, 08:12:37 pm
I think plungers are kinda gross and I don't think they need to be "immediately apparent" unless your toilet is one that gets clogged easily.  It's probably good if it's easy to find if there's an emergency, though.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: shadowfox79 on July 10, 2020, 01:06:36 am
I can understand, as a person with IBS, why having them visible might be easier. I can still remember having a very awkward conversation with a hotel cleaner who simply could not grasp why I might want a toilet brush.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: DaDancingPsych on July 10, 2020, 06:59:56 am
I don't know that it's rude to hide these, but I can see where it might be kind. Not to be crass, but I was taught that it was rude to go number 2 outside of the home. (I am now not convinced that this is true, especially for those with medical issues.) But if something happened in the bathroom, I would want the opportunity to clean-up and correct things. It avoids the awkward conversation of having to ask a host for such things.

I think that there is a compromise here. You could have a hidden storage spot, but pull the items out (more so the brush than the plunger) for gatherings. That would avoid the brush getting messy from daily use, but allow it to be available for guests. Or print a little sign that notes what that hidden door is. If you had an overnight guest, you could make it part of the house tour. I don't know that it would be rude to not do these, though.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: Hanna on July 10, 2020, 07:59:06 am
I can understand, as a person with IBS, why having them visible might be easier. I can still remember having a very awkward conversation with a hotel cleaner who simply could not grasp why I might want a toilet brush.

As an aside; if you are worried about this consider dropping a few strips of TP in the bowl before you go. Prevents the problem. 

I offices I visit in EU always have toilet brushes and sometimes have funny little signs in the bathroom telling people to use them!  I will try to find a picture I took of one and post it.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: Kimpossible on July 10, 2020, 08:00:05 am
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=sixmHMkE&id=2E21A3F723A69B0049E3D02C5D29B146A2F093B2&thid=OIP.-U4EWkBoVvEp3iaGww_e5AAAAA&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2f4.bp.blogspot.com%2f-6Jr3Fj3O5xo%2fT_z2d1Rm4uI%2fAAAAAAAAOEg%2fCAMYO_p1xsE%2fs1600%2fPlungees-birdhouse-plunger-boxes.png&exph=295&expw=417&q=plunger+hider&simid=608021889887242269&ck=F00AEEA634D60185E6DB375098EF0FAB&selectedIndex=77&ajaxhist=0
You could always hide it in plain sight.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: TootsNYC on July 10, 2020, 09:48:49 am
It's not about looking at it so much as it is about cleaning it and cleaning around it, so "in plain sight" is not helpful for that goal. That's just something else to get dusty and pee-splattered.

I figure a label of some kind will probably work for the incredibly rare someone in my home. It's not an office with lots of strangers coming through. The sink cabinet is rightnextto the toilet, so they'd be looking in that area for the brush or plunger anyway.

Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: DaDancingPsych on July 10, 2020, 09:56:41 am
I figure a label of some kind will probably work for the incredibly rare someone in my home. It's not an office with lots of strangers coming through. The sink cabinet is rightnextto the toilet, so they'd be looking in that area for the brush or plunger anyway.

I think that this is a solid consideration. The only people who visit me are close family and friends. They would have no problem asking for whatever they need. I would probably be so proud of my hiding spot, that I would have told them a long time before they need it!
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: TootsNYC on July 10, 2020, 10:33:05 am
I would probably be so proud of my hiding spot, that I would have told them a long time before they need it!

I was talking about this whole issue at the dinner table last night, and this is the point my daughter made: I'd be showing it off to everyone, so they'd all know about it anyway.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: bopper on July 10, 2020, 12:04:53 pm
I would take into account how often your toilet overflows and how often you have guests.  It may be your problem to clean up if the toilet overflows

Although people can keep in mind if the toilet is about to overflow, they can take off the top of the toilet and pull up the plunger so the bowl won't keep filling
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: TootsNYC on July 10, 2020, 12:38:53 pm
I have a feeling that nobody I know would think of that solution, LOL!

I've done it once in the past, but even I might forget nowadays.
At least the lid to my toilet tank is curved, so you can't set anything on it. That means you can always lift it up ina  hurry.

I should probably walk my kids through that kind of thing, prepare them for the real world.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: oogyda on July 10, 2020, 01:55:33 pm
I have a feeling that nobody I know would think of that solution, LOL!

I've done it once in the past, but even I might forget nowadays.
At least the lid to my toilet tank is curved, so you can't set anything on it. That means you can always lift it up ina  hurry.

I should probably walk my kids through that kind of thing, prepare them for the real world.

Keep in mind that with all the new and improved technology, there are a few different kinds of "ball **** (floats)" nowadays.  In fact, it's been almost 20 years since we've had that kind.  Now we have the ones where the float is on the fill tube. 

You're better off showing them how to turn off water at the inlet valve.  It's pretty much the same no matter how new the toilet is. 

I'm editing to say....Never mind.  Show them both ways and expose them to different kinds of floats.  Let them learn about the inner workings of a very basic item that most of us have in our homes.  You can teach them (or they can learn on youtube) to change out the little $5 flapper themselves instead of spending $XXX to have a plumber come do it. 
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: Aleko on July 10, 2020, 01:59:31 pm
I'm baffled by the notion that the plunger and the toilet brush are in any sense a pair that need to be placed together, like say salt and pepper grinders. They absolutely aren't.

The toilet brush is something that anyone who uses the toilet, whether resident or guest, may need in order to leave the bowl as they found it; which I think we're all agreed is a basic social duty. So it needs to be placed close to the toilet in plain sight; no guest should be obliged to hunt through cupboards or ask their hosts for it, both of which are embarrassing.

The plunger is a tool that would only be required if the toilet should malfunction. In most households this is thankfully a rare occurrence, so that it no more needs to be left out for the use of guests than a spanner, screwdriver or hammer! Anyone whose toilet does often get blocked needs to make up their minds whether they would rather have their guests try to unblock it themselves or come to them to report the problem. Having decided, put up a sign saying that unfortunately blocks do randomly happen (makes them feel it wasn't necessarily their fault, so they don't have to be embarrassed) and what they should do if one does, e.g. 'Try flushing twice more. If that doesn't clear it,  let us know / use the plunger below this notice'.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: jpcher on July 10, 2020, 02:56:16 pm
A tiny bit off topic . . . my DD#1 hides her toilet paper. Why? Because her cat is fond of unrolling it from the holder.

When I visited her I went to the bathroom and saw the TP holder empty. I went back out and asked "Where do you keep your TP? It seems that you are out."

She laughed and brought me into the bathroom and showed me the sticker that she had on the side of the cabinet (next to the toilet) with an arrow pointing to a drawer saying "TP is in here."

I told her that "I actually like to check for TP before I sit down." She said "Oh, right. I didn't think of that." Then she put a sticker on the TP holder telling people where to look for the TP.


Toots -- I see absolutely nothing wrong with your dream bathroom. My plunger and toilet brush sit in the utility closet and I would prefer that guests quietly mention something to me instead of trying to take care of it themselves.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: Aleko on July 10, 2020, 04:39:12 pm
Quote
My plunger and toilet brush sit in the utility closet and I would prefer that guests quietly mention something to me instead of trying to take care of it themselves.

Dealing with a blockage - yes, I totally get that you wouldn't want visitors trying to wrangle that. But if there's just a smear or two on the toilet bowl, you really don't trust them to brush it off, and prefer to force them to mutter shamefacedly in your ear that they've had to leave a mess on the bowl because they couldn't find the appropriate implement to remove it? That's just cruel. I mean that. It forces conscientious people into an embarrassing situation.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: OnyxBird on July 10, 2020, 10:29:53 pm
Quote
My plunger and toilet brush sit in the utility closet and I would prefer that guests quietly mention something to me instead of trying to take care of it themselves.

Dealing with a blockage - yes, I totally get that you wouldn't want visitors trying to wrangle that. But if there's just a smear or two on the toilet bowl, you really don't trust them to brush it off, and prefer to force them to mutter shamefacedly in your ear that they've had to leave a mess on the bowl because they couldn't find the appropriate implement to remove it? That's just cruel. I mean that. It forces conscientious people into an embarrassing situation.

Um, I wonder if there's a difference in toilets at play here. I know that I encountered toilets in Germany (in private homes rather than public facilities) that had a very different shape to the bowl compared to American toilets that made them much more prone to retaining smears that needed to be brushed away. (This is not just my perception, either. A host family I stayed with noted the difference and pointed out the toilet brush kept handy.) I suspect that the average flush volume of American toilets may be higher as well. I don't know how English toilets compare.

I'm honestly not even sure if we have a toilet brush in our house. It's not a tool we use to actually scrub our toilets, and needing it for "smears" has just never seemed to be an issue. We're not out to cruelly doom our guests to embarrassment by not displaying a toilet brush--it's just not an item we use and thus we don't keep one around. (We do have a plunger, but it's not kept in the bathroom.)
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: Hanna on July 11, 2020, 06:21:00 am
I keep a brush like this in every bathroom

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Home-Basics-Stainless-Steel-Toilet-Brush-TB41027/303975852

Onyxbird What do you clean with? My DH had those wand things for years and no brush. I confess I had questions that I never have asked.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: gramma dishes on July 11, 2020, 07:50:52 am
...

I'm honestly not even sure if we have a toilet brush in our house. It's not a tool we use to actually scrub our toilets, and needing it for "smears" has just never seemed to be an issue. We're not out to cruelly doom our guests to embarrassment by not displaying a toilet brush--it's just not an item we use and thus we don't keep one around. (We do have a plunger, but it's not kept in the bathroom.)

Are you saying you never need to clean any of your toilets or are you saying you use something other than a toilet brush?  If the latter, what do you use instead?

Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: oogyda on July 11, 2020, 08:39:23 am
...

I'm honestly not even sure if we have a toilet brush in our house. It's not a tool we use to actually scrub our toilets, and needing it for "smears" has just never seemed to be an issue. We're not out to cruelly doom our guests to embarrassment by not displaying a toilet brush--it's just not an item we use and thus we don't keep one around. (We do have a plunger, but it's not kept in the bathroom.)

Are you saying you never need to clean any of your toilets or are you saying you use something other than a toilet brush?  If the latter, what do you use instead?

A quick wipe with some toilet paper will easily clean a smear.   A more thorough cleaning can be done with a rag or a sponge along with some sort of cleaning solution.  I understand that there are people who will not put their bare hand in a toilet, but that's what rubber gloves are for. 

Personally, I think toilet brushes are gross.  Unless you bleach it after every use, it's more unsanitary than the toilet bowl itself! 
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: Hanna on July 11, 2020, 09:54:04 am
...

I'm honestly not even sure if we have a toilet brush in our house. It's not a tool we use to actually scrub our toilets, and needing it for "smears" has just never seemed to be an issue. We're not out to cruelly doom our guests to embarrassment by not displaying a toilet brush--it's just not an item we use and thus we don't keep one around. (We do have a plunger, but it's not kept in the bathroom.)
Are you saying you never need to clean any of your toilets or are you saying you use something other than a toilet brush?  If the latter, what do you use instead?

A quick wipe with some toilet paper will easily clean a smear.   A more thorough cleaning can be done with a rag or a sponge along with some sort of cleaning solution.  I understand that there are people who will not put their bare hand in a toilet, but that's what rubber gloves are for. 

Personally, I think toilet brushes are gross.  Unless you bleach it after every use, it's more unsanitary than the toilet bowl itself!

I get what you are saying. But then the rubber gloves are gross, too.

My house and all of the houses in our neighborhood had basement toilets. The one in my old house was removed and sealed long before I bought it but still had an outhouse-like structure that I had dismantled and removed.

That made me wonder; when people first began having indoor toilets installed did some people think it was weird/gross to routinely use the bathroom inside their house when they usually went outdoors?  Is that why these were in the basement? Or did they install the others at the same time?
I keep a bit of cleaning solution in the base of the brush container. I also clean it inside the toilet anytime I use it.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: cymbaline246 on July 11, 2020, 02:42:30 pm
Downstairs bath has a brush in the cabinet under the sink, upstairs it's next to the john.

If someone needed the plunger at our house - I'd have to hunt it down. I know we have one, maybe two, but it or they aren't in either bathroom at the moment.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: OnyxBird on July 11, 2020, 03:19:13 pm
...

I'm honestly not even sure if we have a toilet brush in our house. It's not a tool we use to actually scrub our toilets, and needing it for "smears" has just never seemed to be an issue. We're not out to cruelly doom our guests to embarrassment by not displaying a toilet brush--it's just not an item we use and thus we don't keep one around. (We do have a plunger, but it's not kept in the bathroom.)

Are you saying you never need to clean any of your toilets or are you saying you use something other than a toilet brush?  If the latter, what do you use instead?

We use a sponge (in the hand, to scrub it down with a toilet cleaner, e.g., Comet or something, just to be very clear, since my previous statement was apparently vague enough to confuse multiple people  ;))

I admit, it never occurred to me that anyone would read that sentence and guess that maybe we just don't clean our toilets!  ;D Or perhaps to imagine that we have somehow acquired miracle toilets that need no cleaning (I wish!).

I take it that some of you only clean toilet bowls with a toilet brush? Do you not also need a sponge or something for the rim and outer surfaces? A brush doesn't seem like it would be very useful/neat for cleaning outside the bowl, and whatever other implement is used for the rim/seat/etc. would have to be assumed to be as potentially germy as whatever you stick in the bowl itself. (In our sponge-only method, the cleaning starts at the least waste-exposed outer surfaces and ends with the inside of the bowl, so germs aren't carried from inside the bowl to other spots.)

Personally, I agree with oogyda that I'd much rather stick my hand in with a (washable) sponge, since I'm gonna be washing my hands thoroughly afterwards anyway, than a toilet brush that seems harder to clean well. And having the brush sit out with the expectation that people will use it on "smears" just exacerbates the potential cleaning issues--everyone who uses it touches the same handle even if your holder is set up to sanitize the brush itself. I've lived in places that needed it, but it's not a tool I care for since we don't seem to have a "smearing" problem in out toilets.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: oogyda on July 11, 2020, 04:30:15 pm
...

I'm honestly not even sure if we have a toilet brush in our house. It's not a tool we use to actually scrub our toilets, and needing it for "smears" has just never seemed to be an issue. We're not out to cruelly doom our guests to embarrassment by not displaying a toilet brush--it's just not an item we use and thus we don't keep one around. (We do have a plunger, but it's not kept in the bathroom.)

Are you saying you never need to clean any of your toilets or are you saying you use something other than a toilet brush?  If the latter, what do you use instead?

We use a sponge (in the hand, to scrub it down with a toilet cleaner, e.g., Comet or something, just to be very clear, since my previous statement was apparently vague enough to confuse multiple people  ;))

I admit, it never occurred to me that anyone would read that sentence and guess that maybe we just don't clean our toilets!  ;D Or perhaps to imagine that we have somehow acquired miracle toilets that need no cleaning (I wish!).

I take it that some of you only clean toilet bowls with a toilet brush? Do you not also need a sponge or something for the rim and outer surfaces? A brush doesn't seem like it would be very useful/neat for cleaning outside the bowl, and whatever other implement is used for the rim/seat/etc. would have to be assumed to be as potentially germy as whatever you stick in the bowl itself. (In our sponge-only method, the cleaning starts at the least waste-exposed outer surfaces and ends with the inside of the bowl, so germs aren't carried from inside the bowl to other spots.)

Personally, I agree with oogyda that I'd much rather stick my hand in with a (washable) sponge, since I'm gonna be washing my hands thoroughly afterwards anyway, than a toilet brush that seems harder to clean well. And having the brush sit out with the expectation that people will use it on "smears" just exacerbates the potential cleaning issues--everyone who uses it touches the same handle even if your holder is set up to sanitize the brush itself. I've lived in places that needed it, but it's not a tool I care for since we don't seem to have a "smearing" problem in out toilets.

Well, now you've done it!!!  Prepare for multiple lectures (many with links) on how much bacteria there is on any surface of a toilet!  There will be references to a TV show years ago that demonstrated how far fecal coliform  particulates can travel when you flush. 

I'm all for digging in and getting dirty to get the dirty jobs done.  I'm washable. 
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: Hanna on July 11, 2020, 05:14:56 pm
Meh, to each his/her own.

The handles of my brushes get cleaned ever other week and probably are only very rarely used. I’m not running a bus station and have faith in the hygiene of any friends and loved ones that might have occasion to use the brush so I’m comfortable with the way I personally do things.


Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: peony on July 13, 2020, 02:11:00 pm
...

I'm honestly not even sure if we have a toilet brush in our house. It's not a tool we use to actually scrub our toilets, and needing it for "smears" has just never seemed to be an issue. We're not out to cruelly doom our guests to embarrassment by not displaying a toilet brush--it's just not an item we use and thus we don't keep one around. (We do have a plunger, but it's not kept in the bathroom.)

Are you saying you never need to clean any of your toilets or are you saying you use something other than a toilet brush?  If the latter, what do you use instead?

We use a sponge (in the hand, to scrub it down with a toilet cleaner, e.g., Comet or something, just to be very clear, since my previous statement was apparently vague enough to confuse multiple people  ;))

I admit, it never occurred to me that anyone would read that sentence and guess that maybe we just don't clean our toilets!  ;D Or perhaps to imagine that we have somehow acquired miracle toilets that need no cleaning (I wish!).

I take it that some of you only clean toilet bowls with a toilet brush? Do you not also need a sponge or something for the rim and outer surfaces? A brush doesn't seem like it would be very useful/neat for cleaning outside the bowl, and whatever other implement is used for the rim/seat/etc. would have to be assumed to be as potentially germy as whatever you stick in the bowl itself. (In our sponge-only method, the cleaning starts at the least waste-exposed outer surfaces and ends with the inside of the bowl, so germs aren't carried from inside the bowl to other spots.)

Personally, I agree with oogyda that I'd much rather stick my hand in with a (washable) sponge, since I'm gonna be washing my hands thoroughly afterwards anyway, than a toilet brush that seems harder to clean well. And having the brush sit out with the expectation that people will use it on "smears" just exacerbates the potential cleaning issues--everyone who uses it touches the same handle even if your holder is set up to sanitize the brush itself. I've lived in places that needed it, but it's not a tool I care for since we don't seem to have a "smearing" problem in out toilets.

Well, now you've done it!!!  Prepare for multiple lectures (many with links) on how much bacteria there is on any surface of a toilet!  There will be references to a TV show years ago that demonstrated how far fecal coliform  particulates can travel when you flush. 

I'm all for digging in and getting dirty to get the dirty jobs done.  I'm washable.

Mythbusters had a show years ago where they hung toothbrushes in a bathroom, used the toilet x many times a day, and flushed it without closing the lid first. There was another bathroom setup where they did close the lid after each use. After one week they tested the toothbrushes in both rooms and yep...fecal coliforms. (I believe the closed-lid room's toothbrushes had fewer though.)
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: Morticia on July 26, 2020, 12:26:05 pm
Maybe I've been in lockdown too long, but when I read the subject, all I could think was it's okay as long as you're not hiding it in the toilet.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: TootsNYC on July 26, 2020, 05:01:41 pm
Well, I did it. I didn't remake the cabinet; I just took everything out and put it all back in differently.With the plunger in the back corner.

And I put the toilet brush smack in the middle, just in front of the drainpipe, where there is only a tiny little area anyway. But it'll be easy to get it in and out without maneuvering it up and over the stacks of toilet paper.

Then I also took the whisk broom and the kitty-little scoop out of the corner by the toilet, where they'd been sitting since our kitty passed away. I just kept looking past them, I guess. And I moved the trash can in the corner opposite (where the litter box normally went).

It's all very blank. Which is both refreshing and unsettling.

I realized my MIL keeps her plunger and brush tucked behind the toilet, but she also has a counter thing that goes over the area, and so you just don't really see them.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: Chez Miriam on July 29, 2020, 06:49:19 am
I don't think I've ever used a plunger on a loo...

Our lives in with tools we rarely use in a storage basket; the last time it was used was 2011 when we moved into a rental property, and the kitchen sink didn't drain properly.  That [once we'd dismantled the U-bend] blockage turned out to have been caused by some moron the diy man pouring wet cement down the sink; odd that a plunger didn't fix it. </sarcasm>

Whereas the loo brush is a necessity [those of you with 'explosive' gastric issues will know what I mean, I'm sure], so is stored by the loo in a decorative holder [think sturdy ceramic bowl, rather than crappy plastic holder].

Toots: I'm glad you found a solution that works for you, but sorry about you no longer needing the pussycat stuff.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: TootsNYC on July 29, 2020, 09:23:47 am
as toilet brush holders go, I much prefer my "crappy plastic holder." It's smooth and easy to clean; you don't actually look at the bristles, you can get the brush in and out easily (it tips to facilitate that), etc.

I'm pretty sure I will mourn it when it goes.

But my guests (who are seldom, even in non-COVID times) don't really need a toilet brush; if they're worried about leaving a smear, I'm hopeful they'll open the cabinet door. And it'll be right in front.
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: Chez Miriam on July 29, 2020, 12:43:37 pm
as toilet brush holders go, I much prefer my "crappy plastic holder." It's smooth and easy to clean; you don't actually look at the bristles, you can get the brush in and out easily (it tips to facilitate that), etc.

I'm pretty sure I will mourn it when it goes.

But my guests (who are seldom, even in non-COVID times) don't really need a toilet brush; if they're worried about leaving a smear, I'm hopeful they'll open the cabinet door. And it'll be right in front.

Sorry, Toots, I posted without thinking it through... :-[

I didn't mean to imply yours was a crappy plastic holder.  What I meant was my ceramic [smooth, hides the bristles] item replaced my original loo brush - which really was a crappy plastic affair.  I think I bought it for 69 pence, which shouts volumes about the quality.  We were still renting after we bought this [then uninhabitable] house, so I needed a cheap extra brush, and wouldn't splash out on Poundland quality! ;) ;D
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: TootsNYC on July 29, 2020, 01:22:41 pm
Oh, no worries, I took it to mean "most plastic holders are kind of crappy," and I actually sort of agree that they kind of are. Mine in particular was very cheap, very low-end. Maybe it was made by Rubbermaid decades ago, but who knows?

But it's so functional that I adore it.

And now that I store it in the cabinet, I really need the tilting functionality. So I'll be sad when it eventually gets really brittle and cracks.

This is the closest I could find to what mine is. Though mine isn't as modern looking and it doesn't have the vents for drying (those would be a nightmare to clean).

https://www.wayfair.com/bed-bath/pdp/libman-premium-angled-17in-h-free-standing-toilet-brush-and-holder-quj1183.html
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: TootsNYC on July 29, 2020, 01:25:04 pm
Downstairs bath has a brush in the cabinet under the sink, upstairs it's next to the john.

If someone needed the plunger at our house - I'd have to hunt it down. I know we have one, maybe two, but it or they aren't in either bathroom at the moment.

I feel vindicated
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: Chez Miriam on July 29, 2020, 01:35:36 pm
Oh, no worries, I took it to mean "most plastic holders are kind of crappy," and I actually sort of agree that they kind of are. Mine in particular was very cheap, very low-end. Maybe it was made by Rubbermaid decades ago, but who knows?

But it's so functional that I adore it.

And now that I store it in the cabinet, I really need the tilting functionality. So I'll be sad when it eventually gets really brittle and cracks.

This is the closest I could find to what mine is. Though mine isn't as modern looking and it doesn't have the vents for drying (those would be a nightmare to clean).

https://www.wayfair.com/bed-bath/pdp/libman-premium-angled-17in-h-free-standing-toilet-brush-and-holder-quj1183.html

Thank you for being gracious!

Those vents?  Perfect for trapping germs and 'residue'.  Sometimes I wonder who designs these things...

But then I decide it's a person who has never had a cleaning job in their entire life!
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: TootsNYC on July 29, 2020, 02:16:53 pm
They're thinking they need to provide ventilation so it can dry out.

I think industrial designers should be required to live with the product they've designed for two months of regular use, maybe more, before they submit it for production.

And it is true that mine, which is solid (though there are certainly ways for air to get in there) does sometimes still have a little puddle of cleaning solution in the bottom by the next time I use it, because the brush holds onto a lot).

But I never worry about that cleaning solution being there; I'd rather have that than have to wash the holder. Inside the cabinet, it wouldn't be as bad because it wouldn't get dust (skin cells, terry cloth fibers and cells, toilet paper residue and cells...) landing on it. But...
Title: Re: Is it rude to guests if you hide the plunger in your bathroom?
Post by: TootsNYC on July 29, 2020, 02:20:23 pm
Quote
I don't think I've ever used a plunger on a loo...

Our lives in with tools we rarely use in a storage basket; the last time it was used was 2011 when we moved into a rental property, and the kitchen sink didn't drain properly.

We actually have two plungers, because the one that's the best shape for the toilet isn't a good shape for the kitchen sink.

Which reminds me that as I get my kitchen sink cabinet fully functional, I need to investigate whether that plunger can fit in the deep back there. There might not be room, but I want to try.