Woman sparks debate over whether carpeted bathrooms are hygienic
![Carpeted bathrooms were very popular in years gone by, but now people think they are unhygienic. [Photo: Getty]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/LyIqod637c0bACyzzF5qtA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com/creatr-uploaded-images/2019-07/51b55580-aae2-11e9-bd76-b4fa11205a9d)
A woman who was surprised to discover carpet in her husband’s grandmother’s bathroom, has asked the internet for advice of whether it is hygienic.
She posted on Reddit to say she had trouble keeping the floor dry and felt “awkward” mentioning the hygiene aspects of the room.
Within minutes responses poured in, weighing in on carpeted bathrooms.
As it turns out, people are very divided on this subject.
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In the early ‘90s, a carpeted bathroom was a sign of opulence and luxury.
Now they’re not on trend anymore, some people are shocked to discover that there are still some houses with carpeted bathrooms.
Several people on the woman’s thread said that they had seen carpet in older homes and homes that “belong to elderly people”.
One user wrote: “My old townhouse I rented years ago had a carpeted bathroom. It was a berber carpet, but still. Soggy would be the best way to describe that bathroom. I’d even say it was perpetually moist.”
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Not everybody was so creeped out about the idea of a carpeted bathroom, though. One user said they had always assumed that elderly people have carpets “because their feet get cold or they’re afraid of slipping.”
“It’s not a big deal.” Another said, “my parents’ house has carpet in the bathroom.”
Author of Declutter Your Life: From Chaos To Calm, Tania O’Donnell, agrees that cold tiles are unpleasant on our bare feet, but “carpets in high moisture areas - whether that moisture is from the shower or less sanitary places - can get mildew, start to smell, or generally give the impression of lurking germs.”
O’Donnell suggests a rug, if you really would like something warm on your feet but warns: “Make sure it is as far away from the toilet and shower as possible or you will again suffer from liquid contamination.”
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Cleanipedia cleaning expert, Anne Le Romancer, says that carpeted bathrooms are a “very British thing” that she has yet to see in other countries.
“I have traumatic memories of my son being potty trained in my very first house in the UK. The bathroom was carpeted and there were loads of accidents resulting in a horrid smell.”
“As much as you try to clean it afterwards, urine just sinks into it.”
