Close the bathroom door?

[Farrar]

When no one is inside, that is. Is it "standard" etiquette to close the bathroom door behind you? Or all but close it?

A certain kid and I are in an argument about this. I say, no. No it's not. Just leave the door open so we don't constantly have people thinking there's someone in the bathroom or having to knock. Not to mention, um, closing the smell all in inside a bathroom that doesn't have a fan (it has windows instead). Kid says I'm asking him to retrain all of civilization because everyone knows that you close a bathroom door behind you. 

Edited January 22, 2022 by Farrar

[KSera]

Lol. I’m guessing it’s based on family culture, but that’s funny in your case since you’re the same family. Like you, I think it should be open so people know it’s not occupied. My sister’s family always keeps theirs closed though, which I assumed she got from her dh. It makes it awkward when visiting though, because I don’t know if someone is in there. 

[Pawz4me]

I'm with you. Our bathroom doors have always been left wide open when not in use. I can't see any reason to close them. Who wants to tap on the door every single time to make sure it's not occupied? I can't recall ever being in a home where the bathroom doors were kept closed.

[1234]

I’ve never really thought of it but I don’t think it was routine for us to close them until we got a cat. She likes to drink out of the toilets so now it’s definitely all doors closed (because not everyone puts the lid down all the time).

ETA: In thinking about homes we visit, it seems most people we see keep the doors closed. Not all of them, but it’s not an unusual thing. 

Edited January 22, 2022 by Joker2

[wendyroo]

I've never known anybody who keeps their bathroom doors closed when not in use. We certainly don't.

[kristin0713]

Hmm. We all tend to leave it open, except if we will be out for awhile because the dog likes to get into the trash can. 

[catz]

LOL, we never close bathroom doors unless someone is in there.  If it's steamy or smelly, I do close the door a bit but leave it a crack open and turn on the fan.  

This actually seems like a European thing to me?  I have been into some homes in Europe and it seemed like they would just generally keep all the doors shut to the  different rooms.  Although historically I suspect this had to do with heating (or keeping cooler) different areas and older homes?  

We do keep the toilet lids down because of the cats!  I don't know anyone who regularly keeps their bathroom doors closed.

[Tap]

I leave them open. But I will say, none of ours are viewable from seating areas. In my xh's house, the bathroom entry is in the wall of the Livingroom.  I think I would keep that one closed. I wouldn't want to see the bathroom all the time when I am relaxing. 

[maize]

I prefer open, so people know it's available.

[1234]

Just now, Tap said:

I leave them open. But I will say, none of ours are viewable from seating areas. In my xh's house, the bathroom entry is in the wall of the Livingroom.  I think I would keep that one closed. I wouldn't want to see the bathroom all the time when I am relaxing. 

Yes, our downstairs half bath is viewable from the dining room. I can’t imagine leaving it open all the time. The others are upstairs and it doesn’t matter because guests don’t use them, but they do stay closed. 

[Selkie]

We keep them closed because one of our cats loves to murder the roll of tp.

[theelfqueen]

We leave unoccupied bathrooms open. If the door is closed, people (including people who don't live here) assume there is someone in there. 

[athena1277]

We leave it open when not in use.  People knocking all day would drive me batty.  We also keep the toilet lids down when not in use.  When we had toddlers, it made it much less enticing as a play space 🤢.  It also solves the problem of males leaving the seat up.

[Arcadia]

Closing the door partially leaving a slight gap when having guests is not uncommon depending on where the bathroom is situated. Ours face the living room so we have to close the door if taking photos at certain areas of the living room or we would get the bathroom mirror reflection in the photos.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Only time I keep is closed is when my kids or animals are in the toddler stage. Otherwise open. 

[Tanaqui]

We generally keep it open nearly all the time, precisely to avoid people knocking constantly to see if they could come in and pee. But I've occasionally gone to people's homes where they seem to keep it closed all the time. I wonder if this is regional in the US? Or maybe related to certain immigration patterns, like "shoes outside" is.

Also = You should ask him which way to hang the toilet paper next time.

[MerryAtHope]

Lol, open! I don’t know of any friends or family members who close it either!

[Katy]

Everyone knows they should be open.

I did have a realtor once who went in a long rant about closing toilet lids. She thought it was rude to leave them open. I shrugged and said I used to be more careful but ever since the airflow studies showed closing the lid spread bacteria further I no longer cared unless I had little kids in the house. 

[Katy]

You should make this a poll. 

[Farrar]

Whew. I'm so glad the hive is on my side in this.

Exceptions definitely made for houses with pets or small children prone to getting into bathroom trouble.

[Farrar]

Okay, as requested, poll added. Yes, no, or other. I mean, basically.

[kbutton]

Open, barring something weird like a door that swings into a narrow walkway or a half bath that opens directly onto a kitchen (in which case, I've seen partially closed). 

For the fan-less bathrooms (or even with if it's not enough), before you go poop spray is real, and it does work. 🙂 One kind is Poo-pourri, but there are other unscented/less expensive brands. 

[Murphy101]

We close all bathrooms and closet doors that no one is using except for the one that has the liter box in its cabinet. 

[Tanaqui]

13 minutes ago, Katy said:

Everyone knows they should be open.

I did have a realtor once who went in a long rant about closing toilet lids. She thought it was rude to leave them open. I shrugged and said I used to be more careful but ever since the airflow studies showed closing the lid spread bacteria further I no longer cared unless I had little kids in the house. 

Do you have a link to this?

[dirty ethel rackham]

Closed bathroom door means it is in use.  Open door means it is available.  At work, someone closed the door of the bathroom after they left and, for hours, people believed it was in use and walked 5 minutes to another bathroom.  5 extra minutes we don't have.  

In a perfect world, all our closet doors would be closed.  But I don't live in that perfect world/house.  (Or, I could just be lazy.) 

The only reason I would have a closed bathroom is if I had to keep a pet or toddler out.  But I would hope that if I visit someone who does this, they would tell me so I wouldn't feel like I had to go home to use the washroom.  

Edited January 22, 2022 by dirty ethel rackham

[Carrie12345]

I’ve never really thought about it for the kids/main bathroom. I just knock or see if there’s light at the bottom of the door.  It is usually kept open after showers because the fan isn’t the greatest.

I do close *my bathroom door for multiple reasons. The sunset can be blinding through the bathroom window into my room, the sunrise can reflect off my bathroom mirror, which is also blinding, my tub faucet currently drips and would drive me insane in bed, and I just don’t want to see in my bathroom from my bed.

Also, one of my now-adult kids (but none claim it) wrote “I ❤️ MY MOM” in glitter glue on the outside of my bathroom door over a decade ago, and I need to see that as much as humanly possible. 😉 

 

[regentrude]

Our bathroom doors are closed when not in use. The half bath is off the kitchen - no, I don't want that door open when I cook or have party guests. The bathroom off our unheated bedroom stays closed to it stays warm.
Only the upstairs bathroom door is open because of the way our heating vents are located; I need the warm air from that bathroom to circulate into the upstairs bedrooms which otherwise stay too cold. And since the kids have moved out, that bathroom is rarely used.

We are not a giant family where it is difficult to keep track of who is in the bathroom. I can see that it might be different if you have ten children and only one bathroom.

In my childhood home, doors to any rooms were always kept closed because it was more energy efficient with radiators.

Edited January 22, 2022 by regentrude

[Loowit]

We keep them closed so the dog doesn't get into them.  Before dog, we kept them closed or mostly closed especially the main one in the living area because it was in full view of the family room, and no one wants to see the bathroom in a living area.

We can tell if someone is using it by if the light is on or not.  None of our bathrooms have windows (except master bathroom in our bedroom) so they are dark when no one is in there and light when someone is using it.

[Corraleno]

Open. In addition to the issue of needing to knock every time if the door is closed, the bathrooms here would be like saunas if we kept the doors closed while the heat was on because they have the same size heating vents as much larger rooms. So we'd have to close the vents every time we closed the door. And in the case of the downstairs half bath, the thermostat for the whole house is in the hallway right outside that bathroom, so if the door is closed for an extended period, the furnace will keep running because the thermostat isn't getting the heat that's trapped in the bathroom.

[Tree Frog]

39 minutes ago, Joker2 said:

I’ve never really thought of it but I don’t think it was routine for us to close them until we got a cat.

When our dd's dog visits, we just keep the lid closed, but leave the door open. Our downstairs bathroom is a powderroom in the middle of the house with its own vent. It gets way too hot in there if the door is closed.

[Melissa Louise]

Closed. I don't need to see the loo at all times. Small house though. You knock if you want to see if it's free. Window open though. 

[Melissa Louise]

Haha, we live in poor house. No need to worry about heating vents etc. 

[Tree Frog]

5 minutes ago, Loowit said:

We can tell if someone is using it by if the light is on or not. 

I don't always use a light to use the bathroom. The toilet faces the sink and I literally can stand up from the toilet to use the sink. I surprised my son doing that, though. He thought the bathroom was empty because there wasn't a light on.

[SounderChick]

Open except when we have toddler/puppies.  

[Tree Frog]

30 minutes ago, Katy said:

Everyone knows they should be open.

I did have a realtor once who went in a long rant about closing toilet lids. She thought it was rude to leave them open. I shrugged and said I used to be more careful but ever since the airflow studies showed closing the lid spread bacteria further I no longer cared unless I had little kids in the house. 

 

17 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

Do you have a link to this?

I'm curious, too. I was always a lid up kind of woman until Covid when I understood the spray in the toilet water from flushing could spread bacteria in the air. Now I always close the lid before flushing.

[JustEm]

Closed. It keeps the smell of a fresh trip in, it keeps the heat in, and that way I don't have to see the mess if there are things on the floor. No one knocks on the door because if the light is off that would mean no one was in there

[chocolate-chip chooky]

40 minutes ago, Selkie said:

We keep them closed because one of our cats loves to murder the roll of tp.

Indeed

[kristin0713]

36 minutes ago, Katy said:

ever since the airflow studies showed closing the lid spread bacteria further

What?! This is why I close it. Can you provide more info? 

[Katy]

43 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

Do you have a link to this?

 

24 minutes ago, Tree Frog said:

 

I'm curious, too. I was always a lid up kind of woman until Covid when I understood the spray in the toilet water from flushing could spread bacteria in the air. Now I always close the lid before flushing.

No, I’m sure it was 15-20 years ago. It was a blip on every morning news show for two days. 
 

ETA: I can’t find it and everything currently on the internet seems to be about a 1975 study. One of my siblings used to be very OCD about germs and had a fit when anyone didn’t close the lid. When that study came out that showed the equation had changed (I think it had something to do with higher flush power low-flow toilets that are dramatically different than 1975 toilets), my sibling stopped having fits about it. But then when everyone had little kids for quite a while we were all more concerned about water safety than germs. 

Edited January 22, 2022 by Katy

[KSera]

27 minutes ago, regentrude said:

In my childhood home, doors to any rooms were always kept closed because it was more energy efficient with radiators.

I can see this being one of those things where kids grow up with it being done a certain way for a certain reason (more energy efficient with radiators, for example), but don't actually know the reason, so it remains a custom when they grow up and have their own houses, even if the reason no longer applies. The comments on warm bathrooms reminds me of my childhood suddenly. It must have been a custom at some point in my house growing up, because I now recall the downstairs bathroom (powder room) was always toasty warm due to being a small room with its own vent. Probably would have been better to leave it open to the house to share all that heat.

[plaidpants]

we leave it halfway especially at night. it keeps the heat/cold even and we can still see the nightlight. but never closed all the way, it'll be stinky/stuffy.

[KSera]

23 minutes ago, kristin0713 said:

What?! This is why I close it. Can you provide more info? 

I went looking as well, because I've always been careful to close it anytime there are any stomach issues in the house and then again with covid. So far, everything I'm seeing is saying that it's best to keep the lid down to contain the toilet plume. Here's one blip from a review:

Quote

Recently, Best et al13 flushed a toilet seeded with fecal suspensions of Clostridium difficile. Settle plates were placed near the toilet and air was sampled at seat height, flush handle height, and midway in-between, with the toilet lid both up and down. Settle plates showed widespread dissemination of large droplets with the lid up but not with the lid down. C difficile was recovered from air sampled at heights up to 25 cm above the toilet seat and up to 90 minutes after flushing, at concentrations 12-fold greater with the lid up than with the lid down. They concluded that lidless conventional toilets increase the risk of C difficile environmental contamination and thus discouraged their use.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4692156/

I'm keeping the lid down for now!

[Farrar]

If only I could show my kid this thread without him judging me for asking this. And not trusting his word. Omg, teenagers.

[Wishes]

18 minutes ago, KSera said:

I went looking as well, because I've always been careful to close it anytime there are any stomach issues in the house and then again with covid. So far, everything I'm seeing is saying that it's best to keep the lid down to contain the toilet plume. Here's one blip from a review:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4692156/

I'm keeping the lid down for now!

Okay so this is something I have been wondering. My family always  closes the lid when flushing after using the toilet. However, there is some disagreements about closing the lid after cleaning then flushing it. I think that even though you have just scrubbed, the germs and bacteria are still in the water so it should be closed. Others leave it open.

[barnwife]

I grew up with bathroom doors open. I'd say some friends houses growing up kept it closed; others did not.  We always left them open. But that was for practical reasons solely. The location of the bathrooms in the house were at the end of hallways. So the only reason to go that direction was to go the the bathroom. Why head all that way if it's occupied? So the door was only closed if someone was in there.

Therefore, it has driven my mom nuts since we started having kids. They have all loved to play with the TP in the main bathroom there (in their defense, it's easy to see from the living room), so when we visit, one of the first things I do is close the bathroom door. And then my mom gets irritated, I explain (once again) why it's closed while we are there, she gets upset, opens the door, toddler plays with TP, she gets angry with me, I laugh/shrug as I say something like "this mess is on you/keep the door closed" (yes, I clean up), and the circle continues. It's like she literally can't handle having the door closed. It short circuits her brain completely. 

We do both around here. But currently we keep them closed, so the toddler doesn't play in them (read: in the toilet). Without a toddler, I don't care about/police the state of the door. 

[Shoeless]

We keep the door closed so the dog can't get into the bathroom trash. I guess we could just get a trash can with a lid and keep the door open. 

It's really a household preference type of thing. 

Story time! One of my in-laws has very firm rules about door open vs closed. DS chose the wrong option one time when we were visiting and we got an earful about it.

Stuff like this is why I don't stay over at anyone's home. I don't want to deal with everyone's nitpicky rules and drama if I accidentally break a rule. 

[fairfarmhand]

Open. Otherwise mold grows in there. We need the damp air to circulate out. 
 

)it doesn’t open directly into a living space. It’s in a hallway

[elegantlion]

We keep ours open. 

[bibiche]

Cracked, but never open here.

[Lecka]

I prefer closed but leave them open, because I think it is more hygienic.  I think some bathrooms are hygienic enough to be closed but mine usually aren’t.  Mine need to air out.