Poll: Bathmats are there to absorb water vs. NOT

[Circe]

To avoid biasing the answers, I'm keeping this anonymous (for now - believe me, there's a rant coming).

So, one person in my household was raised to believe that the purpose of the bathmat was to absorb water when the just-showered person had to move across the bathroom for whatever reason (to get their robe, pee, whatever.)

The other person thinks that you should never get water on the bathmat, that it defeats its purpose, which is to have something nice to stand on aside from cold tile ... so after the shower, you towel off COMPLETELY before venturing out.

Who's right?

 

[JulieN]

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.

 

[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. The soles of my feet are the only wet thing that touches the bath rug. I do not share my bathroom with another household member, we each have our own. We do share the same philosophy, though.

 

[MissGotRocks]

I'm in between too. I usually towel off in the shower and then throw the towel out to step on! I HATE a wet old rug lying on the floor that will never completely dry. I just completely did away with mine! The floor is ceramic tile so it can be a touch cold but I don't care about that. I just don't want puddles of water in my floor either. Call me weird or call me anal but that's the truth!

 

[amc80]

Monarch and I are pretty much on the same page. Dry off in the shower. I actually dry the bottom of one foot off, then step out onto the mat with that foot, then dry the other, then step out with that one. The only time my bath mat every gets wet is when I am mid-shower and forgot something (face soap, out of conditioner, etc.). In that case, the bath mat gets two wet footprints and they continue across the floor.

 

[ForteKitty]

I towel dry from the thighs up, step out of the shower, then towel my calves dry. My bathmat does get a little damp, but not much. I shower in the mornings and am usually still half asleep, so if I raise my legs to dry them off completely, or if i bend over to dry my calves, then I sometimes fall over. Rather have slightly damp bathmats!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I dry off in the shower--and the mat helps to absorb some of the water from the door. But coming out of the tub, wet body on the mat, hence that mat gets wet/changed/laundered every two days or so.

cheers--Sharon

 

[vc10um]

I usually dry my face, torso, and arms in the shower, then step out onto the mat to dry my legs. My short hair doesn't hold too much water, so it just gets wrapped up in the towel at the end. So I'm somewhere in-between as well, but I voted for the first option because bath mats, IMO, were made to get wet, and that's why we use ones like you have at a hotel, and not fluffy rugs or things of that nature.

 

[House Cat]

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.

 

[VRBeauty]

A little of each. But in a single-person household like mine, it kinda doesn't matter so much.

 

[packrat]

I put a towel down. JD has a thick mat that my parents got, feels squishy like tempurpedic material. I couldn't handle it, it felt icky on my wet feet, so he has it now. I have the one towel on the floor, a towel I partially dry off w/in the shower and then wrap around my head, and a third towel I finish drying off w/standing on the first towel. Sometimes I forget a razor or something and have to get out while the shower is running, so I use the towel to shuffle across the floor. Luckily the bathroom is teeny tiny.

 

[PetitiePoire]

I hate when the bath mat is wet. Not so much when I do it, but when someone else has stepped out of the shower with soaked feet and then I have to step on the wet mat when it's my turn. It grosses me out. I dry myself before stepping out to prevent getting the mat soaked.

 

[JewelFreak]

Bathmat is one thing, rug another. In our bathrooms we have both -- throw rugs so you don't stand on cold tile, and a bathmat to step on when you get out of the shower; that hangs on a towel bar to dry after use. My mommy taught me to do it that way.

I think I can tell which side you're on, Circe. Isn't it weird how these little things become BIG things sometimes? Marriage is such a gas!

--- Laurie

 

[Laila619]

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.

 

[Circe]

Bathmat is one thing, rug another. In our bathrooms we have both -- throw rugs so you don't stand on cold tile, and a bathmat to step on when you get out of the shower; that hangs on a towel bar to dry after use. My mommy taught me to do it that way.

I think I can tell which side you're on, Circe. Isn't it weird how these little things become BIG things sometimes? Marriage is such a gas!

--- Laurie

Hee - Laurie, I'm curious, which side does it sound like I'm on? But, yes, no kidding. I count myself lucky this is one of the bigger "things" in my marriage, but ... contextually speaking, it still bugs!

 

[tyty333]

We have a rug and a bathmat in the bathroom. The mat is to get out
on and put wet feet on. The rugs are for not having to walk on cold tile.

 

[TooPatient]

Monarch and I are pretty much on the same page. Dry off in the shower. I actually dry the bottom of one foot off, then step out onto the mat with that foot, then dry the other, then step out with that one. The only time my bath mat every gets wet is when I am mid-shower and forgot something (face soap, out of conditioner, etc.). In that case, the bath mat gets two wet footprints and they continue across the floor.

This.

I HATE wet floor towel.
Unfortunately I share a bathroom with two people who leave it soaking

 

[Karl_K]

I'm in between also.
Mostly dry off in the shower, step out and dry feet and legs by putting one foot at a time up on the tub.
I do not think it is safe to stand on one leg in a tub. Slipped too many times.
Walk in shower, dry off totally in the shower and dry one foot step out dry other.

 

[aljdewey]

Step out onto the bathmat semi-wet, but it's big enough that we each take a side.

Dry off more completely on bathmat, and then step into slippers.

 

[movie zombie]

I hate when the bath mat is wet. Not so much when I do it, but when someone else has stepped out of the shower with soaked feet and then I have to step on the wet mat when it's my turn. It grosses me out. I dry myself before stepping out to prevent getting the mat soaked.

as should all!

 

[madelise]

I agree with everyone else who has said they dry off mostly in the shower, then step out to continue drying off. I hate a soaked wet bath mat, but I also can never stand on one foot without teetering over or dropping my towel. I prefer to be seated on the top of my toilet's closed lid while I dry my feet and toes.

As far as purpose goes, though, is for it to soak up water. It's not there to keep my feet warm. I live in LA, where it doesn't get too cold to begin with... plus I like my feet cold. I hate wet floor. *Shudders*

 

[Rhea]

I'm half-way between. I reach for my towel across the bathroom getting the bathmat slightly wet. We can't move the towel rail closer, rented flat. Dry myself off and then step out on the bathmat. It gets damp, but not so damp that someone else couldn't immediately use it. I use it to skate around the bathroom as I get ready so that it catches drips and so that my feet aren't cold.

I'd be bothered if it were so wet from the first person showering that I didn't want to stand on it. A bit damp is fine.

 

[missy]

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

 

[hippi_pixi]

up until recently hubs and i had seperate bathrooms. i would get out of the shower stand on the bath mat and reach for my towel, wrap it around me and move on. but my bathmat was still dry and clean most of the time. I would very very rarely step on it and find it already wet

whenever i check dh's bathmat its drenched. I'm talking 24/7. his towels too. even after being hung up they are damp and heavy. which has always mystified me. wtf is he doing?

 

[chrono]

There is no middle ground option so I could not vote. We encourage drying all body parts whilst in the shower except the feet, then stepping out to dry the feet on the bathmat and hang up the towel. The only exception is when one needs to grab something or run out of the shower unexpectedly dripping wet.

 

[momhappy]

How strange. There is no right or wrong answer here. People use bath mats for different reasons and it's certainly not something that I would argue about (not worth it). I didn't vote in the poll because either one is appropriate depending on who you ask.

 

[TooPatient]

up until recently hubs and i had seperate bathrooms. i would get out of the shower stand on the bath mat and reach for my towel, wrap it around me and move on. but my bathmat was still dry and clean most of the time. I would very very rarely step on it and find it already wet

whenever i check dh's bathmat its drenched. I'm talking 24/7. his towels too. even after being hung up they are damp and heavy. which has always mystified me. wtf is he doing?

Same in our house!

DH and "A" both do the drenching thing. I don't know how you could get a towel so wet without dipping it in the bath or something!

 

[JewelFreak]

I think you're on the bathmat-to-absorb-water side, Circe. Yes?

I count myself lucky this is one of the bigger "things" in my marriage, but ... contextually speaking, it still bugs!

Well, things like this DO get under one's skin! (Mine is when DH makes loud gulping sounds w/his coffee. Drives me cray-cray. ) We have had separate bathrooms most of our marriage; probably kept the peace around here!

--- Laurie

 

[kefira]

I'm kind of in the middle, as well. I mostly dry off in the shower, then step out, so the mat gets only a little wet. BUT, we hang our mat to dry after showers, and it would drive me mad to have a soggy thing left on the floor, so I voted option 2.

 

[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