Would you share a towel or a toothbrush with a partner? Survey reveals our intimate bathroom habits
The most – and least – popular intimate bathroom habits of couples across the UK have been revealed.
From which items we would and wouldn't share, cleanliness traits we find most annoying in a partner and how long it takes us to reach certain hygiene-related 'milestones' in a relationship, it's all now out in the open.
And it seems some bathroom behaviours hardly bother us at all, while others could cause much more of a problem.
Read more: Great sex is less important than a clean bathroom, new research finds
Removing makeup in front of your partner is the habit Brits are most comfortable with, with 96% of us not caring about being seen without our 'face on', a new survey of 1,000 participants conducted by PlumbNation finds.
Taking a shower in front of each other is the second most at-ease habit for couples, with 91% comfortable with this. While only 9% admit they wouldn't want to wash in front of each other, this drops even lower to 5% after four to five years together.
And completing the top three is sharing bathroom towels, with 84% of partners willing to use one another's. However, despite the seemingly loving approach, this can actually be pretty unhygienic, and can risk spreading harmful bacteria like E.coli (just something to be aware of... ).
But although these bathroom habits are largely deemed acceptable, there are others we definitely avoid in relationships.
Sharing a toothbrush is the least popular ritual among the couples polled, with 53% reporting they would never dish out theirs, no matter how long they'd been together for. That said, some do become more likely to happily share germs in this way a few years into a relationship.
Read more: Over or under? Why hanging toilet roll 'the wrong way' is a health threat
Going to the toilet in front of your partner is the second-least popular habit, with nearly 40% admitting they would rather keep the door firmly shut. Interestingly, men are more prudish when it comes to this rule, with 43% locking the door, compared to only 23% of women.
Shaving is also pretty unpopular, with 19% revealing they would never do it in front of their partner, though 10% of men are comfortable using a razor with their other half around. Over time, both men and women become more open to seeing their loved one shave (though again only after four to five years).
When it comes to the bathroom items couples share the most, toiletries are number one at 89%. The rate is five percent higher for women than men, with the first group more at ease with lending products.
More than three-quarters (78%) of those in relationships also interchange towels and just over half (55%) steal each other's razors (with marginally more men doing this).
Read more: Couples reveal biggest grievances of living together: video games and wet towels
A slight cliché, but men's most annoying bathroom trait is leaving the toilet seat up (with an average score of 4.6 out of 10) and women's most irritating habit is leaving hair in the sink or drain (also 4.6).
Other general annoyances include not replacing the toilet roll, not washing hands after using the loo, leaving toiletries out after use, not cleaning the shower when finished, leaving wet towels on the floor and many more.
But while these make up the most unbearable, many of them are also on the most common bathroom habits list too...
So, would it take you a long time to even consider lending your toothbrush to a partner? Or do you believe sharing is a sign of true love...?
Watch: Women have better understanding of how to care for their hygiene than men
