Ester Marsh: Bathroom and locker room etiquette

Published 12:00 am Saturday, January 7, 2023

Last week’s fitness etiquette column was such success that as a follow-up, I would like to cover the “unwritten” bathroom and locker room rules.

Bathroom etiquette:

• Flush after you are done. When you are doing a No. 2, please give it a courtesy flush. (Unless it smells like roses…)

• After you wash your hands, turn off the faucet. Double check that it’s not trickling.

• Throw the paper towels in the trash. If you drop it by accident, pick it up and try again.

• Women, do not flush anything other than toilet paper down the toilet. It really will clog up the whole system.

• Please clean the lid if you “sprinkle.”

• Do not change clothes in the bathroom. We have locker rooms to change. It is very frustrating, when you really have to go, to find someone changing clothes in there.

• Do not change clothes outside the bathroom in front of the sink. We really like to wash our hands after we have done our business. Please use the locker rooms instead.

• Let us know when there is no toilet paper. In case it runs out, please do not use paper towels. If it is not dispensed in the stall it isn’t toilet paper!

On to the locker room:

• Lock your valuables. Because you are hiding them does not mean they can’t be found.

• When naked, put towel down before you sit down! That includes the sauna, steam room and benches. Would you want to sit down were someone else sat…naked?

• When bare, please be aware how you put on your lotion. Maybe it’s a good idea to put underwear on before you lotion your calves? Or at least turn the moon the other direction.

• Don’t shave in the steam room, ever.

• Don’t blow your nose without a tissue.

• Just because it’s moist in steam room please do not pee in there.

• Don’t spray cold water on the thermostat. Wonder why a steam room breaks? Thermostats are made to regulate temperatures, not be sprayed with cold water.

• When people are waiting to take a shower, please cut your shower short. And we shouldn’t be so wasteful anyway…

• Keep your time to color your hair for home or the beauty shop. Even with temporary hair color.

• Please do not leave any sanitary products around (used or unused!)

• Love your body but watch how you share it! Is it really necessary to walk around without anything on and have no purpose of where you are going?

Once again, it is all about respect isn’t it?

The New Year has started off great! I hope you continue to take care of your body, mind and spirit. Remember, it’s a change of lifestyle and it doesn’t happen in one month.

Ester Marsh is health and fitness director of the J.F. Hurley Family YMCA.