Seven in 10 British couples are engaging in ‘bathroom wars’ – arguing about the state the room is left in.
A study of 2,000 adults found men are left incensed by their partner not clearing their hair out of the plug hole – and women are horrified by the mess or the ghastly smell left behind by men in the toilet.
Over a third of adults think their partner hogs the shower for too long, while failing to clean the taps and leaving wet towels everywhere enrages one in six.
A spokeswoman for Triton Showers, which commissioned the study, said: “Bathroom nightmares – we can all relate to them.
“The most we can hope for is a bit of peace and quiet when we’re actually in the shower.
“From the research it’s clear to see how passionate Brits are about this room of the house, and how important it is to be clean.
“While the habits of many can’t be controlled, it’s still seen as a place you go to relax and spend some time getting away from the stresses of daily life.”
Over half of adults argue up to three times a week over the state the bathroom has been left in.
Common arguments centre around the floor being left soaking wet, and the toilet seat being left up.
One in 10 adults surveyed via OnePoll claim to have had another bathroom installed in their home as a result of finding their partner’s habits so annoying.
This alleviates bugbears such as the toilet roll being hung the wrong way, someone walking in while you’re on the toilet, and bathroom hoggers.
A further one in 10 have insisted when they last moved, they looked for a new home with two bathrooms – to avoid their partner’s irritating habits, which also include failing to replace the toilet roll or leaving toothpaste all over the mirror.
Four in 10 claim their other half do the most annoying things in the toilet – but a similar number say they’re just as bad as each other.
Nearly one in five have said they have split up with someone because they were so infuriated by their bathroom antics.
Over half admit to having to pull horrible clumps of wet hair out of the plug hole every couple of weeks, with nearly one in five doing it every week, and one in 20 having to do it daily.
Many are left trying to bite their lip over such issues, with 54 per cent doing so to avoid further bickering.
One thing that one in four adults do agree on, is the way their partner treats the bathroom is the single worst thing about them.
Surprisingly, men tend to spend longer in the bathroom trying to get away from daily stresses, averaging 13 minutes compared to women spending 11 minutes in ‘time out’.
To get some peace and quiet, to get away from the kids and to avoid a nagging other half were the top reasons many ‘hide away’ in the bathroom.
Despite 30 per cent having a house rule about bathroom privacy, 80 per cent of those say they still get disturbed anyway.
Triton Showers’ spokeswoman, which also created an online quiz for users to see if they are annoying in the bathroom, added: “As difficult as it is to agree with others on the acceptable state of the bathroom, once it’s right, it’s right – and it’s seen as a place of refuge by many from life’s daily grind.
“The importance of a good shower cannot be underestimated, whether it’s starting the day right, or relaxing once you get home from work after the end of a long, hard day.
“Hopefully Brits can be a little more accommodating to each other so everyone can enjoy the bathroom.”
BRITS’ TOP 20 BATHROOM BUGBEARS
1. Leaves an empty toilet roll and doesn’t replace it
2. Never cleans the toilet after making a mess in it
3. Never cleans their hair out of the plughole
4. Leaves a ghastly smell behind after them
5. Never cleans the taps properly
6. Leaving wet towels around
7. Leaving the floor soaking wet
8. Always leaves the loo seat up
9. Leaves hairs in the sink or shower tray after shaving
10. Hangs the toilet roll the ‘wrong’ way
11. Doesn’t wipe away excess water after showering
12. Walks in on you when you’re using the loo
13. Always leaves the shower temperature at skin-scalding levels
14. Leaves clothes all over the floor
15. Tries to talk to you when you’re on the toilet
16. Hogs the bathroom
17. Sprays toothpaste all over the mirror
18. Leaving the top of the toothpaste tube covered in toothpaste
19. Always turns taps on elsewhere when you’re trying to shower, messing with the temperature
20. Not picking the bath mat up after using it