Surviving Community Bathrooms

In college, some of us don't get the opportunity to attend a school that gives you your own bathroom. Some of us have to learn to live with other people, and share a bathroom with them.

Tips for peeing in an all girl's dorm:

• If you aren't used to hover-peeing, practice! Practicing will help you find a hover position that's comfortable and safe as you go about your business. It may feel like a strain on your muscles at first but, with practice, you'll get used to it.
• As a beginner in hover-peeing always hover over the cleanest looking toilet seat only in case you fail to hold balance.
• A really disgusting bath/shower room should be discussed with your RA or whoever is in charge of facilities for your floor or building. A meeting of fellow users may be necessary to discuss proper etiquette when sharing facilities.
• If the problem persists, you should contact someone higher up in authority. A filthy facility is a health hazard. The cleaning crew may be neglecting their duties or may need additional support or cleaning products to keep a high volume facility clean.
• If you're drunk, it may be challenging for you to hover. Find something to hold onto, such as a handle, the latch, the bottom of the stall door, the toilet paper dispenser, or even a caring friend's hand. Don't try hovering too low; you may lose balance and end up sitting in (hopefully your own) pee.
• When hovering, it can happen that you accidentally pee on the seat. Depending on the state of the toilet please wipe it off with some toilet paper. If you forget to look for mistakes, this is also not a big deal.
• When leaving signs it is effective to use fun quotes so people don't retaliate against the signs. A good example for a promising sign is: "If you sprinkle when you tinkle, please be neat and wipe the seat."
• A toilet seat which looks clean at a first glance is often sprinkled with little pee droplets. If sharing a bathroom with (other) guys, always wipe and line the seat before you sit down. For girls who have to pee, it's a good idea to use the hover method.
• Apply anti-bacterial hand gel to a tissue and wipe the seat before using it. Allow it to air dry a few moments.
• If you have female guests, warn them of them of dirty toilets and recommend hovering.