Ideas for Bathroom Etiquette for a Female College

Female colleges and residence halls often have unwritten rules of conduct when it comes to bathroom etiquette, but it never hurts to lay down a few rules. Community hallway bathrooms, suite and double-occupancy bathrooms can get dirty and cluttered without some practical guidelines. In a female college, at least, you don't have to worry about guys adding to the messiness.

No one wants to go into a bathroom only to find a toilet bowl full of toilet paper or waste. The No. 1 rule of etiquette is to remember to flush the toilet. Flushing reduces odor. Sometimes water from the flush results in a light spray or water droplets on the seat, so be sure to wipe the area before you leave the stall. Some female students don't want to sit on the toilet seat, due to potential germs, so they hover above the seat. This also results in wetness and splatter on the seat, so be sure to wipe the surface before leaving, according to HerCampus.com.

Female residence hall bathrooms are magnets for loose hair. Brushing, styling and washing result in loose strands clogging the sink and shower drains and cluttering areas in front of mirrors. Bathroom etiquette requires students to clean up their hair every time they shower or use the sink, so they don't leave strands behind. If you don't like to touch shower drains, you might press your own loose strands against the shower walls after you wash or condition and clean them off the wall once you leave the shower area, as suggested on HerCampus.com.

You might be tempted to use the new bottle of shampoo or shower gel on the shelf or shower ledge, especially if yours is running low, but it's impolite to do so. Some girls carry their products in and out of the bathroom every time they use them, but others prefer to leave them in the bathroom. Unless it's an emergency and you forgot your products in another room and are already soaking wet in the shower, don't use someone else's products. In that type of emergency situation, apologize to your hall mate afterwards and offer to let her use your products when she runs low. Even though it's not usually a big deal, you don't want to get the reputation of being a cheapskate.

Unless your community bathroom or suite-style bathroom has a rack for hanging wet towels, don't leave them there. Female students often use a towel for their hair, another for their body and possibly a third for their face and hands, so imagine the mess if every student left multiple towels draped all over the bathroom. It would be difficult to get in and out of the stalls and many would wind up on the floor. Hang wet towels on a hook in your room, possibly on the back of your door or closet, to avoid leaving a mess in the bathroom.

Wrap and dispose of feminine products in appropriate trash cans or flush those that are biodegradable. Bathrooms in a female college will get messy, stinky and dirty if feminine products aren't disposed of appropriately. As with shower products, it's polite and courteous not to use another girl's packaged feminine products. In an emergency, most girls don't mind sharing, but you don't want to make a habit of it. You might also use a room deodorizing spray after disposing of feminine products or if you leave any odor behind.