Who’s Sloppier in the Bathroom, Men or Women?

Who’s Sloppier in the Bathroom, Men or Women?

The answers to these and many other bathroom behavior questions are revealed in a recent consumer survey conducted on behalf of Moen Incorporated by Harris Interactive. The poll of more than 2,000 adults nationwide opens the bathroom door and pulls back the shower curtain to uncover how our friends and neighbors really behave in the privacy of their own homes.

Bathroom Pet Peeves

The answers might surprise you. According to the survey, men and women are united in citing their number one pet peeve. Not replacing the toilet paper when it runs out, (42 percent of women and 31 percent of men) is the single biggest bathroom-related “pet peeve” Americans report having with the person, or persons, with whom they share the bath, whether male or female.

Women can’t seem to decide on the next biggest annoyance in the bathroom, with a tie between leaving the toilet seat up and leaving globs of toothpaste in the sink (both at 28 percent). Men think wasting valuable counter space by leaving toiletries and cosmetics scattered about is the second most annoying thing in their bathrooms (20 percent).

Other top responses among all respondents, and especially women, include leaving globs of toothpaste in the sink (20 percent, 28 percent of females), leaving spots on the mirror (20 percent, 27 percent of females), and leaving dirty clothes on the bathroom floor (19 percent, 22 percent of females).

For men, the number one shower pet peeve is having too many items cluttering up the shower (21 percent), followed by leaving hair in the drain or on the soap (17 percent), and leaving wet towels on the floor (15 percent). Women feel their partners’ not wiping out the shower is their biggest annoyance (26 percent), followed by leaving hair in the drain (23 percent) and leaving wet towels on the floor (22 percent). For households with children, leaving towels and dirty clothes on the bathroom floor are the two top responses (33 percent each).

Overall, the number one pet peeve in the shower is leaving hair in the drain or on the soap (20 percent), followed by leaving wet towels on the bathroom floor (19 percent). Other pet peeves include not wiping out the shower (18 percent), leaving dirty clothes on the floor (17 percent) and following closely behind, moving the showerhead to a different height or not resetting it (17 percent).

Showering Habits

The Moen survey also reveals some interesting facts about showering habits. Sixty-three percent of Americans shower at least once a day, and 11 percent say they shower more than once a day. On the other end of the spectrum, one percent of respondents indicate showering less than once a week. The region of the country that showers the most is the northeast and men tend to shower more often than women. In fact, 70 percent of men report showering at least once a day compared to only 57 percent of women. Also, those 55 and older tend to shower less often than their younger counterparts.

What time of day do Americans typically shower? Sixty-three percent of all respondents shower in the morning and only 28 percent choose the evening hours for their cleaning ritual. For those with household incomes of less than $35,000, the numbers gap was closer with 49 percent showering in the morning and 39 percent at night, while those with incomes of $75,000 or more report 81 percent showering in the morning and only 13 percent in the evening.

And just how many people share the same shower space? Sixty percent of Americans share a shower area with a spouse or significant other, 25 percent share space with children, and 17 percent allow guests to use their shower.

Bathroom Makeovers

More than 85 percent of Americans surveyed would change something about their bathroom. According to the survey, when respondents were asked “what would you change about your bathroom,” almost half (45 percent) would choose to make their bathroom larger. Other changes mentioned by respondents include creating more storage space (36 percent), adding new bath cabinetry (31 percent), installing a jetted bathtub (30 percent), and enhancing an existing shower with additional features such as multiple showerheads or body sprays (29 percent).

Surprisingly, some of the latest bathroom technologies ranked lower than expected overall in the survey with only 16 percent saying they would install a heated tile floor and 11 percent indicating they would add a heated towel bar or warmer.

For those reporting household income levels of $75,000 or more, enhancing the shower (37 percent) followed closely behind creating a larger room (41 percent). For these higher income levels, 20 percent would install a heated tile floor and 17 percent would opt for heated towel bars or warmers.

“Everybody wants to know if they fit the norm of bathroom behavior,” says Jack Suvak, Director of Consumer/Trade Research for Moen Incorporated. “This survey gives us a glimpse into how people use their bathrooms and provides one more piece of information that we can use in the product development process.”

Courtesy of ARA Content
For more information about Moen, contact Moen Incorporated at 25300 Al Moen Drive, North Olmsted, Ohio 44070-8022, call toll free (800) BUY MOEN -- (800) 289-6636 -- or visit its Web site at www.moen.com.