Poll: Bathmats are there to absorb water vs. NOT

[ForteKitty]

I decided to step out while I was completely drenched today, just to see how much water ended up on the bathmat. It wasn't even that wet. Only a little damp, and there were some drops from my hair but they were small drops. I don't think water sticks to my skin very much.

My SO likes to hang the bathmat up on the side of the tub to let it dry during the day. Having to move it before I shower bugs me more than a damp bathmat!

 

[chrono]

If I don't enforce the no drip rule, there will be puddles and a completely soaked bathmat everyday in the bathroom. I don't how it happens but the males in my family are apparently water magnets.

 

[Rhea]

I decided to step out while I was completely drenched today, just to see how much water ended up on the bathmat. It wasn't even that wet. Only a little damp, and there were some drops from my hair but they were small drops. I don't think water sticks to my skin very much.

My SO likes to hang the bathmat up on the side of the tub to let it dry during the day. Having to move it before I shower bugs me more than a damp bathmat!

Same here, did a test. I think I lied. I get the bathmat more wet than I thought I did. Oops! I must have a lot of loose drips that I didn't account for.

For silly things to argue about in a marriage, DH really hates how I eat apples. Apparently I'm a rather noisy apple eater? We've been known to argue over my apple eating before.

 

[minousbijoux]

Really interesting to see how many responses you have received in such a short time, Circe - clearly, you have touched a nerve! We do what I like to call "the sensible thing" which is to turn the shower off, mostly towel off and then step out to finish the job. Then the bathmat is hung to dry.

But every once in a while, when one of my boys (teenager, mind you) uses the shower, then all bets are off. I will walk in after the fact to find the bathmat drenched, bunched up and clear across the bathroom floor. I have to wonder what the heck he is doing. But then again, after almost 17 years, I have finally succeeded in my quest to have him hang his towel back up instead of dropped on any hard floor surface in the house, so I figure he'll be in college and gone before I successfully train this one out of him.

 

[gem_anemone]

IMO the intended purpose of the shower mat is to catch water drops from wet people before they step on the floor. The only place the mats exist in my bathrooms is by the tubs/showers. I wear slippers most of the time in the house, so I don't need extra rugs to keep my feet warm while using the toilet, brushing teeth, etc.

That said *I* completely dry off before I step onto the mat, but that is because I am typically cold and don't want to be at all wet when I leave the warm shower. My husband doesn't dry off before he steps on the mat, but he showers after I do, so by my next shower the mat is dry again. If he were to get the mat all wet in the morning before me it might irk me.

 

[April20]

I picked the second option but I'm in between really. I grab my towel and dry off before stepping out, but I'm not perfectly dry when I step on the mat. So I think it's to catch whatever little water is left over and to keep my feet warm.

 

[Snicklefritz]

I don't understand bathmats that don't absorb water. At Bed, Bath, and Beyond, there's a stained bamboo bath "mat", more like a very low footstool, with open slats and feet (conveniently allowing water to seep to the floor), and I just stared at it for a second when I saw it. Was a little stunned actually

 

[JewelFreak]

I love these responses!

--- Laurie

 

[ame]

I dry off in the shower, THEN I step onto the bath rug, turn around, flip my wet hair over the tub and then wrap it up in a towel.

This is what I do. I keep my towel on the shower rod door thing out of the way but next to the shower so I am not reaching outside to get my towel, it's right there.

 

[monarch64]

I dry off in the shower, THEN I step onto the bath rug, turn around, flip my wet hair over the tub and then wrap it up in a towel.

This is what I do. I keep my towel on the shower rod door thing out of the way but next to the shower so I am not reaching outside to get my towel, it's right there.

Yes, towel placement is key!

You know, it occurred to me that our house is really DRY. For those of you who have towels and mats that never seem to get dry, is it possible your homes are really humid? Humidity is a good thing, don't get me wrong, but maybe consider a dehumidifier (or making sure the one you have installed is actually working) if your stuff isn't getting dry after a few hours.

 

[Christina...]

I didn't vote. DH and I have separate bathrooms for this a other reasons! DH is a clean freak, bathroom must be scrubbed top to bottom each and everyday. He toilet papers his own seat. It's annoyingly ridiculous and I refuse to scrub the flush and shower each. and. every. day!! However, I'm with the camp that mostly dries off in the shower and then steps onto the mat to dry off my legs and wrap my hair in a towel. DH on the other hand, dries completely off in the shower but also places a folded towel on top of the bath mat so that his feet only touch the towel. The towel then moves about the bathroom, staying, under his feet until such time that he is able to put on his socks and shoes. THIS is why we have separate bathrooms and I encourage every couple to do so!

 

[Smith1942]

I wring my hair out in the shower and then step onto the bathmat. It wouldn't really occur to me to dry off in the shower because there's still a lot of water around - the towel would scrape the wet walls, and I wouldn't be able to dry my feet properly because when you put them back down they just get wet again! And I have more freedom of movement to dry off outside the shower stall without banging my elbows or something. I also thought the bath mat was there to stop wet feet slipping on a shiny surface.

Possibly I am overthinking this!

 

[momhappy]

I wring my hair out in the shower and then step onto the bathmat. It wouldn't really occur to me to dry off in the shower because there's still a lot of water around - the towel would scrape the wet walls, and I wouldn't be able to dry my feet properly because when you put them back down they just get wet again! And I have more freedom of movement to dry off outside the shower stall without banging my elbows or something. I also thought the bath mat was there to stop wet feet slipping on a shiny surface.

Possibly I am overthinking this!

I've never even given a bath mat a second thought. I purchase one at the store, use it for a while and don't think a thing about it, and then buy a new one. I've never even thought about the "intended purpose" of a bath mat , so any thought about it is over thinking it in my opinion

 

[Dreamer_D]

I have two bathmats for this very reason: one bathmat immediately outside the shower, for water absorption. Then the one in front of the sink is more to keep your feet from standing on cold tile.

This is what we have too. And our bathmat gets very wet! Mostly from my husband and kids.

 

[Dreamer_D]

PS I also think I know which side YOU are on Circe, from your post and also from what I know of your personality. Let's see if I am right! I will be honest if I am not!

We don't argue about much in my house because neither of us much cares for confrontation, but there are DEFINITELY things we are super annoyed by and will say AARGH!!

DH hates that I never refill the water jug in the fridge.

I hate that he leave ONE teaspoon of food in any containiner of any item in the fridge, and puts said tiny dollop back in the fridge for me to... what, eat on a cracker??

And on and on. Marriage is ridiculous.

 

[Skippy123]

I picked the second option, but I'm actually halfway in between the two. I roughly towel off while still in the tub, then step out and finish toweling.

this is what I do too. My husband towels off outside the shower on the mat, which is annoying. lol

 

[sonnyjane]

I have 2 words for you. Separate bathrooms. If you can. Best marriage move one can make lol.

Indeed. If we can afford it, I'll even try to book a hotel that has two bathrooms when we travel (Vegas has great options for this). I have a blissfully delightful marriage in part because I've never had to venture into his bathroom

 

[Gypsy]

Since we wouldn't own a bathmat if it weren't for me, I do whatever I feel like.

Seriously. Sometimes that means using it as towel and just letting it get all wet. Sometimes that means drying off and using it as a rug.

I'm all over the place. It's CHAOS!


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

(It's been long month at work and I'm losing it).

 

[canuk-gal]

And on and on. Marriage is ridiculous.

This!

We have separate bathrooms but that doesn't solve the tidying up issue...which apparently becomes "my" issue which is why there has to be mat/floor/towel/drying/ hand towel parameters....

This is a great thread to wrap up 2013!

cheers--Sharon

 

[House Cat]

HI:

I love this thread....soaking hand towels are an (unfortunate) daily occurrence in our master bathroom. And I don't understand. How does one soak a hand towel???? Sorry, thread hijack.

cheers--Sharon

We WOULD have soaking hand towels if my son would use the hand towel to dry the bathroom counter after he washes his hands, which is a task that apparently requires such vigor that he must use a tidal wave of water and soap! But no, instead we have dry hand towels and soaking bathroom counters!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I love this thread....soaking hand towels are an (unfortunate) daily occurrence in our master bathroom. And I don't understand. How does one soak a hand towel???? Sorry, thread hijack.

cheers--Sharon

We WOULD have soaking hand towels if my son would use the hand towel to dry the bathroom counter after he washes his hands, which is a task that apparently requires such vigor that he must use a tidal wave of water and soap! But no, instead we have dry hand towels and soaking bathroom counters!

Ahhhhh. So it is one of those.....be careful what you wish for scenarios!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Skippy123]

I don't understand bathmats that don't absorb water. At Bed, Bath, and Beyond, there's a stained bamboo bath "mat", more like a very low footstool, with open slats and feet (conveniently allowing water to seep to the floor), and I just stared at it for a second when I saw it. Was a little stunned actually

lol, I have seen some of those and wondered the same!

 

[Indylady]

Hahaha I think we're on opposite sides of the camp, Circe--we usually agree on so many things!

I usually wrap myself in a towel and then walk out of the shower--limited or no drying. I don't think the mat gets that wet, because I'm only on it for a second before walking to my room. I do live with roommates, so I wonder what they think. They must pick their battles if they care, because no one has ever said anything!

 

[ruby59]

Considering the OP put the word "NOT" in all Caps, I guess I know what her preference is also.

In my home, we are a little older, and my mother in law who is in her mid 80s stays with us part of the week. As long as everyone gets out of the shower in one piece without falling, the state of the bath mat is not a priority. When it starts to get musty, I just replace it.

 

[monarch64]

Impatiently waiting for Circe's rant.

Ruby59, had NO idea you were a male til you mentioned it on another thread recently!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I have both types of bathmats. One that gets wet and is hung after using. One that is to keep feet warm from the cold surface of the floor and stays on the floor.

Same here. I have a terry bath mat just outside the shower for wet feet which gets laundered with the towels, and then I have bath rugs in front of each sink area to keep from standing on cold tile. I also mostly dry off inside the shower because it is warmer. Just the wet bottoms of my feet touch the terry mat.

I think that is your solution, Circe!

 

[nkarma]

I have both types of bathmats. One that gets wet and is hung after using. One that is to keep feet warm from the cold surface of the floor and stays on the floor.

Same here. I have a terry bath mat just outside the shower for wet feet which gets laundered with the towels, and then I have bath rugs in front of each sink area to keep from standing on cold tile. I also mostly dry off inside the shower because it is warmer. Just the wet bottoms of my feet touch the terry mat.

I think that is your solution, Circe!

Potentially. My husband and I do the exact opposite coming out of the shower. He dries everything to perfection but his face and I dry my face and nothing else. I also don't dry all the way when I leave the shower...I walk around and air dry for about 10 minutes. If hubby asked me not to do that then there would be an issue. I LOVE to air dry...feels good!

 

[Stephny691]

OH and I both step out of the shower soaking wet, then grab a towel and get dry. Well I wrap my hair up first then dry the rest of me. Bath mat gets soaked, but it's always dry when we come back from work. I just stick it in the wash when I wash the towels.

 

[mayerling]

I'm not sure I understand the logic of having something to stand on instead of having to stand on the cold tile. If you've already dried off, why would you need to stand on the tile anyway? Presumably you just walk out of the bathroom.

 

[amc80]

I'm not sure I understand the logic of having something to stand on instead of having to stand on the cold tile. If you've already dried off, why would you need to stand on the tile anyway? Presumably you just walk out of the bathroom.

My shower is in the main bathroom which is all tile, so if I'm going to brush my teeth, do makeup, etc., it will all be on tile.