A delicate question

[Pat271]

Hello fellow hosts, question for you:

Do you have clean plungers and toilet brushes behind the toilet in your bathrooms?

I’ve always had these where I’ve lived, and they come in handy in ways I know I don’t need to describe to you. 🙂 

However, I had 1 guest who relocated these under the sink, and another who actually put them outside on the lanai. Neither one mentioned any discomfort with them, and I got 5-star reviews from both.

Still, I don’t want anyone to be uncomfortable, so maybe I should lock them in the owner’s closet, in which case they will be SOL if they find they need to use either one at any point.

What is your preference, and/or the custom where you live?

[Pablo629]

Dear @Pat271  it's the same custom on my house and maybe all around the world . But having to handle those elements on another property it's so disgusting. 

As host we have to think as visitors or guest.

Sincerely I used to leave it in the same place (till today), but I will hide it or be sure to sanitize and  put a sanitize label on it.

Everyday learning

Warm Regards from Bolivia 

[Pat271]

@Pablo629  I’ve had these thoughts as well. Even though these items are cleaned between each guest, guests won’t know 100% that they are clean. A sanitation label won’t prove they are clean either, although at least in that case the guest knows the host has made some kind of effort.

[Pablo629]

@Pat271 you are right. maybe into a transparent plastic bag.

Regards from Bolivia 

[Mark116]

@Pat271  I keep toilet brush in the bathroom.  The plunger is in a closet sitting in a bucket.  The former are usually designed to be in the bathroom and come in nicer packaging, the latter is for that one thing....:)

[Amanda660]

I have a loo brush in each bathroom - but replace them quite often.  I also

leave a bottle of loo cleaner next to it.  

[John2406]

@Pat271 What an interesting question! and @Pablo629, a fascinating answer, whilst @Mark116 and @Amanda660 - those are some good answers.

Thank you one and all for what you've all said, suggested and do!

I'm not al all certain exactly why some Guests' would want to remove the items, at all, but then again, some of our own Guests' have moved all sorts of items over the years, but we've never been advised "why"!

For some items that Guests' might have concerns/reservations about, maybe providing a pair of disposable gloves attached to the "offending" items (for Guests' use),  with a little courtesy note alongside requesting that the item remains where it is, might be sufficient to ensure that the items remain in place?!

[Lenore22]

I wonder if those guests had small children or pets that they worried about getting to them.

[Normen0]

So I’ve learned, some people are just weird.  Pretty much sums up most conclusions I have when I’ve questioned why someone has moved something so obviously.  Interesting answers here on the subject. I have a nice looking brunch plunger set behind the toilet. Mostly not visible and as far as I can tell no one has had concerns about it yet. 

[Marie6762]

@Normen0 

What is a “brunch” plunger?  Should I have one for “afternoon tea” as well?

[Normen0]

Haha, Brush/Plunger. And please don’t!! 

[Sarah977]

@Normen0  Predictive text?  I get the most garbled messages from people who use it, without checking what they wrote before sending. 🙂

[Sarah977]

@Pat271  Yes, I have a toilet brush tucked on the side of the toilet. No plunger. I've never needed to plunge a toilet, although I do have a plunger somewhere in my storage shed.

[Gordon0]

Thankfully, British plumbing is pretty good, so plungers aren't the norm here, and I don't know anyone who'd have one anywhere but tucked away in the shed. Loo cleaners are of course ubiquitous, but I've found the silicon ones are a) much nicer on the eye and b) easier to keep spotless.  

[Pat271]

@Gordon0  I have a vacation condo here in the States, so there isn’t any kind of shed or outside storage area. Currently, I keep the plunger in the cabinet under the bathroom sink, with plastic wrapped around the rubber cup.

Although unlike @Sarah977, I can’t say that I’ve never plunged a toilet, it’s not something I’ve needed to do very often. However, because guests sometimes attempt to flush all manner of silly items down there, a simple plunge beats the $140 minimum service fee plumbers around here charge just to come out.

I have also tried the silicon “loo cleaner”, but the one I have doesn’t clean as well as a brush.

These concerns are pretty far down the list of guest issues I’ve had.  I like @Normen0‘s comment “Some people are just weird”, and I’ve found the weirdness extends far beyond toilet brush and plunger phobias.😏