Melissa in Australia Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 (edited) When you are staying at another person's house for a few days, And they have placed a towel and a bar of soap on the guest bed for you to use while you are there. Are you meant to take the soap home with you at the end of the visit or leave it in the bathroom? The bathroom already has new bars of soap everywhere soap is needed Basically I am staying at a relative's house at the moment and am not sure of the polite thing to do with the soap when I leave tomorrow. Take it with me or leave it as extra in the bathroom Thank you Edited March 28 by Melissa in Australia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 I think either is fine. I wouldn't think either way of it as the host. 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 2 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said: The bathroom already has new bars of soap everywhere soap is needed I’ll keep the one on the guest bed as a souvenir. I have only encountered new soap on a guest bed when it is hand soap in the guest bathroom, so as an optional choice. However, you could just leave the unopened bar soap in the guest bathroom if you don’t wish to bring it home. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted March 28 Author Share Posted March 28 I have opened and used the soap. Does that make a difference? The bathroom is the house general bathroom. Maybe I have been unintentionally rude to my guests forever cause I have never thought to leave soap on the bed for them.😕 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 4 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said: Maybe I have been unintentionally rude to my guests forever cause I have never thought to leave soap on the bed for them I think it was left on the bed because the bathroom is a general use one. I think your relative is very polite since the person already put new bars of soap in the general bathroom. I don’t think you are rude. As for the opened bar soap, I would say it depends. If you like the soap, take it home in a ziplock or container. If not, leave it at the soap dish/holder in the bathroom. For hygiene purposes, my husband doesn’t like bar soaps and prefers the soap dispensers. So he would be all too happy if guests take any used bar soap home. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted March 28 Author Share Posted March 28 Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 (edited) 9 minutes ago, Arcadia said: I think it was left on the bed because the bathroom is a general use one. I think your relative is very polite since the person already put new bars of soap in the general bathroom. I don’t think you are rude. As for the opened bar soap, I would say it depends. If you like the soap, take it home in a ziplock or container. If not, leave it at the soap dish/holder in the bathroom. For hygiene purposes, my husband doesn’t like bar soaps and prefers the soap dispensers. So he would be all too happy if guests take any used bar soap home. I don't think @Melissa in Australiais rude either. I always provide soap bar/shampoo/conditioner/body wash in the shower as well as a guest basket filled with travel sizes/samples of those items plus a couple of toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, lotion, etc. If someone opened a bar of soap and left a partially used bar I'd prefer to throw it out for hygiene issues like your DH, but my DH would prefer to keep it and use it because he's more frugal than concerned about shared germs or whatever. So that's why I think it could go either way. If you know it will be tossed and want it, I'd take it if it's not too messy. Otherwise, I think it doesn't matter either way. ETA - the guest basket is in the bathroom Edited March 28 by Kassia 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 I say take it if you like it! I always leave travel size bars of soap for my guests with the expectation of them to use it and then take/discard/whatever. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 Take it with you or throw it out. It doesn’t matter. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaelAldrich Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 Agreeing with everyone else. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 Totally up to you! And of course you’re not rude to not leave soap out, most people travel with their preferred personal hygiene products anyway. It’s probably just a nice touch that made the host feel like she was doing something special. I used to love doing that or choccies or something when we were first married and kid free and I had a guest room! 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate-chip chooky Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 @Melissa in Australia I have absolutely no idea what the etiquette is in your situation. I would just ask your host what they prefer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 Oh my gosh, I haven't been leaving guest soap for my guests ever! I didn't know I was supposed to! Egads. 1 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSera Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 44 minutes ago, Amethyst said: Oh my gosh, I haven't been leaving guest soap for my guests ever! I didn't know I was supposed to! Egads. Same! I didn’t know some people consider soap that’s been used by someone else unsanitary. I mean, I guess it’s true I wouldn’t use it if it were an old bar left behind in a hotel room or some thing, but I wouldn’t think twice at my family member’s house. I give it a rinse before using and figure it’s clean after that. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted March 29 Author Share Posted March 29 23 minutes ago, KSera said: Same! I didn’t know some people consider soap that’s been used by someone else unsanitary. I mean, I guess it’s true I wouldn’t use it if it were an old bar left behind in a hotel room or some thing, but I wouldn’t think twice at my family member’s house. I give it a rinse before using and figure it’s clean after that. This Cause it is SOAP ,therefore clean in my mind 🤣 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted March 29 Author Share Posted March 29 (edited) Thank you for all the advice. I took the soap Edited March 29 by Melissa in Australia 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 1 hour ago, Melissa in Australia said: This Cause it is SOAP ,therefore clean in my mind 🤣 My husband doesn’t like the soap scum on the soap dish 🤦♀️ For me, I am more concerned about whether I am sensitive to soap (bar or liquid) that I have not used before than whether the bar soap is “clean”. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 (edited) 25 minutes ago, Arcadia said: My husband doesn’t like the soap scum on the soap dish 🤦♀️ I don't either. I always scrub them before/after guests. I bought a bunch of really cheap plastic soap holders a long time ago and still have a lot of new ones ready to use when the current ones don't look so fresh and new anymore. Just like these (but mine aren't clear), but I think I paid even less than this years ago and bought a dozen probably. I'm sure I sent my sons to college with them too (dd uses body wash). https://www.amazon.com/Plastic-Soap-Holder-Bathroom-Shower/dp/B000DZFA66/ref=pd_bxgy_d_sccl_1/144-7814077-4894468?pd_rd_w=xRbs6&content-id=amzn1.sym.9713b09e-9eac-42a7-88bb-ecfe516a6b92&pf_rd_p=9713b09e-9eac-42a7-88bb-ecfe516a6b92&pf_rd_r=SKQNZNF052295G7QWMQ9&pd_rd_wg=WMuCc&pd_rd_r=1d0a833f-b8a0-4928-9d11-8d1ce2dd574f&pd_rd_i=B000DZFA66&th=1 Edited March 30 by Kassia 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSera Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 2 hours ago, Arcadia said: My husband doesn’t like the soap scum on the soap dish 🤦♀️ I don’t either, and we don’t use much bar soap for largely that reason. But when we do and we have a guest coming over, I clean the soap dish so there’s no soap stuck to it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 This was part of a Friends episode once. I think the girls might have used (their own) body wash. Chandler argued soap is soap and it is clean, and that's why he & Joey could share a bar. Joey countered that with something like, "Think about the first place you wash and the last place I wash." 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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