Happy almost New Year!

As a follow up on last week’s column, I would like to cover the “unwritten” bathroom and locker room etiquettes!

Bathroom etiquettes:

• Flush after you are done. When you are “doing a number 2,” please give it a courtesy flush. (Unless it smells like roses…)

• After you wash your hands, turn off the faucet.

• Throw the paper towels in the trash. If you drop it by accident, try again.

• Women, do not flush anything besides toilet paper down the toilet. It really will clog the whole system.

• Please clean the lid when you “sprinkle.”

• Do not change clothes in the bathroom. We have locker rooms to change. It is very frustrating (especially when you really have to go) to find someone changing clothes in there.

• Do not change clothes outside the bathroom in front of the sink. We really like to wash our hands after we have done our “business” and remember … locker rooms?

• Let us know when there is no toilet paper please. In case of no toilet paper, please do not use the “brown” paper. If it is not dispensed in the stall, it isn’t toilet paper. I know, I don’t like to drip dry either.

On to the locker room;

• Lock your valuables. Just because you are hiding them does not mean they can’t be found.

• When naked, put a towel down before you sit down. That includes the sauna and steam room and benches. Would you want to sit down were someone else sat naked?

• When bare, please be aware how you put on your lotion. Maybe it’s a good idea to put underwear on before you lotion your calves?

• Don’t shave in the steam room — ever.

• Don’t blow your nose without a tissue in it either.

• Don’t spray cold water on the thermostat. Wonder why a steam room breaks? Thermostats are made to regulate temperatures, not be sprayed with cold water.

• When people are waiting to take a shower, please cut your shower short. We shouldn’t be wasteful anyway.

• Keep your time to color your hair for home or the beauty shop. Even with temporary hair color.

• Please do not leave any sanitary products around (used or unused)!

• Love your body but watch how you share it. Is it really necessary to walk around without anything on and have no purpose of where you are going?

All in all, it is all about respect isn’t it?

I am wishing all of you a healthy and happy New Year!

Ester Marsh, ACSM Cpt