Office bathroom etiquette is necessary for both health and aesthetics

Nearly everyone would prefer to do their ‘business’ in the privacy of their home, but that’s not always possible. Long hours are spent at the office; people have to use the bathroom during that time. It’s unavoidable.

Some workers do the damnedest and most inconsiderate things in the office restroom. Do not be one of them.

What is office bathroom etiquette?

Consider these rules of decorum:

• In the men’s room, when using a urinal, keep your eyes ahead and up and do not check out the other guys taking a leak. If possible, use the urinal farthest away from the one being used.

• Before you shove on the stall door, look underneath, check for feet to see if it’s already occupied.

• Don’t shake hands in the after using the toilet.

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• For men, do not drop your pants to your ankles while standing at the urinal.

• Check to see if there is ample toilet paper before you sit down. Replenish the supple of TP or contact the person who is responsible for this.

• The office bathroom is not the place for socializing. If someone says ‘hello,’ say ‘hi’ back but keep it at that. Do not engage in business dealings. Do not talk on your cellphone. Take it elsewhere.

• If you practice nasty hygienic conduct in the restroom, word gets out and your coworkers will know. This reflects on how you are perceived professionally.

• Bathroom often smell hideously. Take your own deodorizer with you so you can freshen up after you are finished.

• Do not gossip in the restroom. Someone may be in a stall and overhear what you are saying.

• If there is only one commode, do not remain in the restroom, reading a novel for 30 minutes, while others are doing the best not to pee themselves. Be considerate and thoughtful.

• Do not take a stack of work documents into the loo with you. You will be passing these documents along to other people. These papers may have been on the bathroom floor or handled while someone was wiping themselves. This is gross and completely unhygienic.

• Don’t make phone calls in the office restroom. Talk about amplification! Everything you say is going to be twice as louse because of the bathroom acoustics.

• Dispose of feminine hygiene products in a proper and sanitary way. Wrap pads and tampons in toilet paper and put in the trash or into one of the wall-hung containers, specifically designed for this purpose. Do not flush these items.

• If you brush teeth at the sink clean up the wet sink area afterward. Don’t leave a mess.

• Keep the use of hairspray at a minimum. Some people find the smell highly offensive.

• After working with a group of people for a while, you get onto their bathroom schedule. If you know so and so is heading for the loo at precisely 2 p.m. after eating a lunch of cabbage and hard-boiled eggs, steer clear of the restroom. Get there before he does.

• Clean up after you are finished. if you have peed on the seat, wipe it up.

• Make sure you flush the toilet. It’s really nasty to walk into a stall and see the remains of someone else’s business.

• Wash your hands before you return to the office.

• Keep in mind the office restroom is not your private domain so do not treat it as if it were.