How to Share a Bathroom

A major way to save money or to make money in a down economy is by renting out a room or sharing your space with roommates.

But when it gets right down to it, we just don't want to. 

Today's lifestyles are not really in sync with living in close quarters.  Sometimes it is not really about the extra bedroom (after all, there is a door on it) but about the unwillingness to share a communal space, such as a bathroom. Perhaps a person in that extra bedroom would have to share a bathroom with you. Perhaps you have an older home with several rentable bedrooms but not a lot of bathrooms. Perhaps you'd like to rent a room in someone else's house, but are concerned about losing your personal bath space. Or maybe you have a large family and realize you could save a lot on rent if you chose a place with fewer bathrooms. At any rate, our reasons for not doing so are not so much financial as practical. But what is practical but an adjustment of expectations? 

In college, I rented an apartment with three other girls. We insisted upon having at least two bathrooms. (Person/Bathroom ration: 2:1)But when I was a kid, I shared a bathroom with the rest of my family easily. (Person/Bathroom ration: 4:1) And as a college freshman, I put up with even more crowding. (Person/Bathroom ratio: 13:1)   

What is your person/bathroom ratio? And is your fear of raising it preventing you from saving or earning a lot of money in rent? 

Remember, when you spend money, it is mostly on intangibles. When you need your own bathroom, you are buying privacy, ownership, organization, hygiene, and peace of mind. The appliances are the same regardless of the number of people using them.

Here are a few tips for regaining these intangibles even if you are sharing a bathroom with more people than you'd like:

1. Separate tasks.

Any standard three-piece bath exists to serve two distinct functions: washing and waste removal. As these are rituals that we prefer to perform in private, a third function, that of providing privacy, might be added to the list.

However, the room is used for many other things, namely: 

• Changing
  
• Preparation
  
• Storage
  
• Laundry
  
• Self- Adoration
  
• Science Experiments
  

Most of these functions can be relegated to another room. Removing unneccessary tasks from the bathroom frees up a lot of available bathing time.

2. Pack it Up: Use a Shower Caddy

One of the things that makes bathrooms seem exceptionally small (and crowded!) is the endless plethora of small bottles that overtakes every bathroom infested with females.  There are two solutions to this problem. 1) Rid the bathroom of females (this is usually impractical and causes other problems) or 2) Rid the bathroom of plastic bottles.  Suppose there are four females using one bathroom. If every girl were to have the full complement of products, there would be no room for more important items, such as bathers, bathmats, or bathroom appliances. You can keep your busy bathroom functional by encouraging bathers to consolidate their own supplies in a shower caddy, reminiscent of college days.  This keeps all pertinent necessities convenient and allows everyone to be responsible for their own stuff; a must in a crowded household in any economy. 

3. Hang it up: Use Towel Hooks

One of the drawbacks of shared bathrooms is that there are often not enough towel rods to go around.  However, towels can also look nice on hooks, and you can hang several removable hooks on the back of the door or encourage each resident to hang their own towel in their room. A double-hook can hold both a towel and a wash cloth. Removing towels from the bathroom can hang up space, or you could all agree on certain towel ettiquette. (towel image courtesy of http://ckinteriors.blogspot.com/)

4. Wrap it up: Use Bathrobes

If you don't like the idea of tromping from the bathroom to your room in a towel, wear a bathrobe, which offers more privacy. 

5. Smell it up: Invest in a fan and some nice-smelling room spray

I've known people who are big fans of the lit match for counteracting the smell of methane in an oft-used bathroom.  According to MythBusters, matches do actually counteract methane effectively, but unfortunately they have their own unpleasant smell.  If lit matches aren't your thing (or if you'd prefer that your children or roommates not get too near them), it would make everyone's life easier if there is a discreet room spray available, as well as nice fan.  Your bathroom may have a room fan installed already; if not, you can install one yourself. Otherwise, the room spray will have to suffice.  The added benefit of a fan is that it can offer sound privacy as well, especially if your living quarters are espec

ially tight or if you and your roommates are particularly noisy on the commode.

6. Dress it up: Set up an in-room vanity area

You might currently use your bathroom space as a staging area for makeup, hair-drying, and other personal preparation. You can move these functions into your own room and gain privacy and time when you live in a busy house. If your bedroom can accommodate it, there are pretty vanities available to organize all your makeup and preparation needs, but a simple wall mirror, decent lighting, a shelf or caddy for accessories, and electricity for any hair dryers will do.  

7. Clean it up: Organize what's left

The remaining functions in the bathroom can be organized to make it easier for multiple users. Everyone can agree on a few simple rules, such as deciding whose job or turn it is to take out the bathroom trash, insistance that everyone clean their own hair out of the tub, and possibly arranging a cleaning schedule.  Even small measures, such as wiping down the seat when finished, can really make the communal bathroom a more hygenic and relaxing room.

Are there more tips to share that haven't been mentioned here? Stories about sharing with roommates? The comments section is open!