Cultural Differences in the Bathroom, HELP!

[Lisa367]

Does anyone have any experience with bathroom etiquette of people from Asian countries?  The entire bathroom is always completely flooded whenever they take a shower and it's definitely a cultural thing because it's specifically only happening with guests from Asian countries.   I thought perhaps they don't close the shower curtain, but I'm not sure that's it.  Basically I just need to know why so I can tell them not to do whatever it is they are doing. (Note:  This post is in NO way meant to be racist. It's a serious question regarding cultural differences that I'm trying to learn how to tackle.)

[Nakayama0]

What we know about these countries next to ours:

1. These people use 2000 liter of hot water for shower in a single night.

2. They bring wash bowl and wash something in the bathroom not using wash machine on the next room.

3. Also they bring it in a toilet, wash something, then spread the water on the floor 😞

If you avoid the people who have these culture, how about writing '[NO SMOKING]' or '[SMOKE-FREE]' on top of your listing. Smoking is likely to be also the culture of these country. We did it and no guest like these country has come at present.

[Mona126]

I have had this problem with all my asian guests, now I made a sign and put on the shower:

« Please use the shower only inside the tub area! Showering on the floor can cause leakage!»

hope it will help🙏🏼

[Dimitar27]

There are different types of bathrooms around the world.

No matter, that I am in Europe, the primary type of bathroom here is the "Asian" type-completely tiled, drain on the floor. The "shower curtain" just separates the shower from the toilet. And curtains are not so common. At home, I don't have a curtain.

Even when there is a bathtub, there is a floor drain.

The other popular thing is the "shower cabin". Drains are again the same- central floor drain and additional-for the cabin.

Larger bathrooms can have more drains. If it's renovated in the past 4-5 years, the floor drain can be "hidden" type. They are expensive, but really good piece of new technology. They can be built in the floor or in the wall. The most luxury types are really hidden-almost unnoticeable.

[Jessica1552]

Yes I've been quite a few places in Asia where the shower isn't separate from the rest of the bathroom; it's just right there over the toilet and/or sink. As a Westerner, I find it realllly annoying and a mess; there's no need (to my way of thinking) to get the entire bathroom wet! I truly don't understand the logic behind this design, at all. But, I just use lots of towels to dry everything, and figure the laundry is the landlord's problem. 

[G-C-R-M0]

LOL. I am laughing because I am from one of those countries.

FYI, you don't need to dry up the whole bathroom floor. This is how it was designed, for whatever reason.

I supposed one of them is there was no bathtub concept.

In some newer homes (in Indonesia at least), they do manage to create an "area" with some sort of "curb" and curtain, so that water stays in that small area.

[Dimitar27]

You don't need to dry anything. The water will flow in to the drain itself. If the bathroom is well build and maintained (i mean clean), when you turn the fan on or open the window, it will be completely dry very soon.

[G-C-R-M0]

It is true that in Asian countries there are no shower "area". The whole bathroom is enclosed and it has drainage, so you use the whole bathroom to shower.

But I've even experienced this wet bathroom floor with Americans...  in America.

I have had guests who showered and the whole bathroom floor had water. Not flooded, obviously because that would flow out of the bathroom and damage other flooring, but some small puddle of water. 
You tell me...

[Annette76]

This post just convinced me to put a glass door (frosted) instead of a curtain in my bathroom remodel. Especially as my bathroom has hardwood floors! (Not my design choice) 

[Rich-and-Yan0]

@Annette76 That's exactly what we did with ours when we redesigned the bathrooms and took the bathtubs out. Now we have two designated shower areas, with two fixed shower heads each, behind glass doors. So this is not an issue for us. Funny, though, we did it for other reasons: the new design takes up less space and allowed us to put a bigger vanity in there. Now we realise, after reading this post and these threads, that there is a second benefit to designing it that way if you're planning to rent it out to people from around the world. 

[JY-and-Shane0]

I grow up in China in a typical Chinese family and now live in Australia. I’ve been doing Airbnb for 2 years. Every Asian guest we’ve had has left the bathroom messy always flooded I’m really frustrated..

as they are mostly very lovely people but what is it with the bathroom I don’t get it...

And doesn’t matter there are other types of bathroom ours has only 1 bathtub with shower and shower curtain so I don’t know how can it get so wrong.

[Yulianna0]

What about Brasilian habits? I can not find the way to explain guests from that country what does short shower mean and how not to waste water. Upcoming guest already told me that they are used to have 3 showers per day... 

[Patricia1741]

A lot of the Asians seem to be the younger generation. That have lived or born In the USA that we’ve had that issue with.We are by no means racist. Wonder if they leave excess water on the bathroom floor . We had this problem with our last guests it was awful.

[Regina52]

I've been hosting for 7 years and can confirm no amount of signs or explaination makes any difference. This cultural difference is too ingrained, especially the younger generation who tend to use an Airbnb room, in a private residence.

If Airbnb continue to prevent hosts from excluding an area of significant cultural differences who trash our homes, perhaps they should start reconpensing us for the damage for every booking?

[MaryBeth7]

I've just had guests from Korea. I have 4 polite signs in the bathroom saying that the room isnt a wet room and that the water must stay in the bath. Two of these notices were in Korean. They flooded the bathroom so much that water was dripping into the kitchen below. I then covered the shower attachment of the bath and asked them not to use it. They still did use it causing spray on the walls but not any flooding. Such a mess and damage they haven't even said sorry.