Brushing your teeth (even flossing) in a public restroom: ok?
October 1, 2014 6:43 AM   Subscribe

I never see anyone do it. Being a guy though, I only see men's restrooms. Maybe it's different in women's. I can't even remember seeing a guy brush his teeth in the restroom, let alone floss. Also, I imagine an office restroom has different oral hygiene etiquette than a restroom at say, the mall -- true?
posted by early one morning to Human Relations (60 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
I've brushed my teeth in an office restroom, after receiving orders from my dentist to brush my teeth thrice a day (not just twice). I don't remember getting particularly strange looks, and I imagine other people must be getting similar advice.
posted by peacheater at 6:46 AM on October 1, 2014 [6 favorites]


My workplace has a set of bathrooms which are "singles" (in other words, the rooms are made for just one person at a time, and you lock the door when you're in there). I would consider brushing my teeth and flossing in that bathroom. I would not do it in the regular, communal men's bathroom.
posted by alex1965 at 6:46 AM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]


Yes, it's fine. Obviously don't go dropping your toothbrush on the floor.

I see people do it at the office all the time. I used to work at a truck stop and the truckers would brush their teeth (and basically bathe all over) in the sinks.

I might not do it at, say, the bathroom at Riley's Roast Beef after the bars close, but in general it's fine.

Bathrooms are for more than just pooping.
posted by bondcliff at 6:46 AM on October 1, 2014 [2 favorites]


I brush my teeth in the bathroom in my office every day. I'm not the only one. This is in the ladies room though. But why shouldn't men brush their teeth.
posted by interplanetjanet at 6:50 AM on October 1, 2014 [3 favorites]


I have seen people brushing their teeth in office restrooms (male) everyplace I've ever worked.
posted by penguinicity at 6:51 AM on October 1, 2014 [4 favorites]


Yeah, it was fairly common in my last office (male bathroom) and infinitely preferable to the days when one of the owners forgot he had a meeting and used an electric razor then dumped the remains on the sink.
posted by yerfatma at 6:52 AM on October 1, 2014 [2 favorites]


I see women brushing their teeth in the bathroom all the time, both in an office setting and not. There are also a handful of guys in my office who I see coming back from the bathroom toothbrush in hand, so I assume dudes do this, too. It is completely ok. If it's a small bathroom, try to do it at a low traffic time. Observe etiquette rules about finishing quickly and gtfo if it's clear someone is in there to poop. Don't leave a big, spitty mess all over the sink and mirror. Etc.

Of course, I once had a woman give me a dirty look for brushing my teeth in an airport bathroom which, I think we can all agree, is like the #1 most appropriate bathroom in which to brush your teeth, so YMMV on people's individual reactions.
posted by phunniemee at 6:53 AM on October 1, 2014 [17 favorites]


Sometimes I see people brushing in my office's men's room. If it's unusual, maybe it's because people feel it's a hassle, since it requires equipment and logistics, rather than being embarrassing or inappropriate.

As for flossing, I do it anywhere.

I don't feel either brushing or flossing is a matter of etiquette.
posted by JimN2TAW at 6:54 AM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]


I really have only done this at the airport and stuff, but yeah totally fine. You never see anyone do it because it's just not a common thing to do, but there is nothing wrong with it.
posted by signondiego at 6:54 AM on October 1, 2014


Please rinse the sink so that it is completely clean when you're done. That's all I ask. (And make sure you haven't gotten anything on the mirror or counter). Otherwise, thank you for taking care of your teeth! You'll be a more independent senior citizen, which is good for everybody.
posted by amtho at 6:57 AM on October 1, 2014 [5 favorites]


Women brush their teeth in the shared bathroom in my office all the time. Not sure about the men's room but I heard from an officemate that he saw someone brushing his teeth while at the urinal. We all agreed that was a terrible idea. I am curious to how he actually pulled both tasks off at the same time but I don't think that's a regular occurrence.
posted by melissa at 7:01 AM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]


I kept a toothbrush at my full-time job and used to brush my teeth most shifts, because I was the first person who greeted clients when they came in the door and I wanted to feel presentable. A few people thought it was odd, but I think it was mostly that they would never think of taking their toothbrush with them anywhere, not they they necessarily thought it was disgusting.

Some people are super weird about things not really "belonging" somewhere, even if it's not really that out of place...
Example: I was a receptionist in a brothel. When it was quiet, we did things like stretch condoms over objects to test how stretchy they are. And everyone had to deal with other peoples' bodily fluids to some extent (I found shit on towels on more than one occasion). And then one day I left a box of clean, unused, innocent tampons in the kitchenette and one of the girls lost it. How is a box of unused tampons disgusting?

People are weird. Surely brushing your teeth in a bathroom is less gross than going to the toilet? But then I think that's part of the problem for some people. They think it's gross to put something in your mouth when you're in a room where people poop. God help people who don't have a separate toilet room in their house!

(sorry, very rambly tonight)

Edited to add: Maybe it's okay to brush your teeth at the mall if you work there :)
posted by kinddieserzeit at 7:14 AM on October 1, 2014 [3 favorites]


I've only ever done it while traveling, in airport bathrooms. I think it's perfectly socially acceptable. Never got any weird looks about it.
posted by mathowie at 7:21 AM on October 1, 2014


A couple guys on my floor brush their teeth in the office bathroom. I've never seen anyone react negatively. I've also seen this at the airport. I agree it would be odder behavior at the mall or a bar, but I don't personally have any problems with it.
posted by Area Man at 7:22 AM on October 1, 2014


Its ok to brush your teeth in a restroom, as long as you are clean and considerate about it. I have mostly seen people do this in airports, once at the office (womens).

The only place I might find it eyebrow raising is if you do it at an acquaintance's house. Then again, you might have an oral condition, or be worried about your teeth: either way, not my place to judge.
posted by troytroy at 7:24 AM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]


In the late 80s, I worked for a company where the office culture included brushing your teeth after eating. On my first day, colleagues took me out for lunch. After we returned, everyone went to retrieve their office toothbrushes from their desks and headed off to the rest room. One coworker looked at me strangely when I just sat down and prepared to get back to my task. I felt like a heathen and soon joined the office ways.

Another weird thing: everyone used the same toothpaste, an obscure brand sold by the building convenience store. Trying to find that toothpaste was the subject of one of my first AskMe questions.
posted by carmicha at 7:25 AM on October 1, 2014 [7 favorites]


I must be totally out-of-synch because it is weird as hell - this isn't your personal bathroom, it's a public space we all share. I consider it weird to brush/floss in a public bathroom and dislike others doing so.

I haven't had the experience of women brushing their teeth at work bathrooms either, and it appears this may be a common thing in America now, judging from the comments above.

I imagine people who are bothered by it disguise their disapproval, to all the folks saying "no one's ever given me weird looks about it."
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 7:26 AM on October 1, 2014 [2 favorites]


Completely fine. And even if it weren't, frankly I'm far more concerned about my own oral health than people thinking it's weird.
posted by Enchanting Grasshopper at 7:27 AM on October 1, 2014 [4 favorites]


Yes, another vote for perfectly normal in any environment where a handwashing sink is available. (obviously it would be kind of gross in a shared kitchen sink)
posted by poffin boffin at 7:28 AM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]


I'm sitting in a stall in my work bathroom right now & there are 2 guys at the sinks brushing their teeth.
posted by Floydd at 7:29 AM on October 1, 2014 [17 favorites]


I have a toothbrush in my desk, need to get a new tube of toothpaste. We have a bathroom at work which is like a house bathroom so I'm the only one in there. used to also brush teeth at work when we had a row of unisex cubicles. Have been doing this for about a decade. I tend to grab something to eat on the way out of the house and then have a coffee first thing at work so figure my best time to brush is straight after that.
posted by biffa at 7:32 AM on October 1, 2014


I've seen guys brushing their teeth in communal bathrooms. I think it's a little odd, but I don't give it much thought other than that.
posted by dfriedman at 7:34 AM on October 1, 2014


I've seen people brush their teeth in office bathrooms--I'm not one of them, but it never bothered me.

Once I had a co-worker ask me if I had any toothpaste he could use, though, and THAT struck me as a little creepy and weird for some reason. Not quite sure why; I guess it seemed a little too personal for work (although I've also had co-workers ask about aspirin or ibuprofen, or even female co-workers ask if I had a spare tampon, and I never thought twice about any of those). Then again, I'm among the folks who are totally grossed out by the idea of using a spouse's toothbrush, so maybe I just think oral hygiene is a super-private matter.
posted by dlugoczaj at 7:36 AM on October 1, 2014


It's pretty common in women's rest rooms, and believe me, us ladies would appreciate it if more men would brush their teeth more often!
posted by stormyteal at 7:37 AM on October 1, 2014 [8 favorites]


I am not sure I would do it unless it was on medical orders or some kind of emergency, but I worked on Wall Street for years and saw folks brushing in the men's room everyday right before the opening of the markets and again around noon. It doesn't bother me as a user of the bathroom, but, with no scientific evidence to back this up, it seems kind of germy (is that a word?).
posted by 724A at 7:44 AM on October 1, 2014


I have a gap in my teeth that often must be flossed or it becomes painful, so I'm used to flossing just about everywhere. I'll also brush my teeth from time to time at work if I'm feeling gross, particularly if I'm working a really long shift or get paged in early for an emergency. The only etiquette I follow that will delay it is if someone is obviously pee shy when someone else is present. Bathrooms are where we do various gross things.
posted by Candleman at 7:47 AM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]


IME (female, USA) brushing and flossing in public restrooms is very common. The crucial thing is to be courteous about it: don't hog the only sink, and for the love of Pete, rinse and wipe down the sink and counter area when you are done!

I once worked in an office where people would brush their teeth in the (shared, one per floor) restroom. Fine. But they never, ever rinsed the sink or wiped down the counter or mirror, and so there was always an awful mouth detritus/saliva mess left behind. YECCH. These people also picked their noses and wiped the boogers on the restroom stall, so I think they were outliers on the rude and nasty scale.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 7:58 AM on October 1, 2014


I floss my teeth usually at least twice a day in the bathroom at my work (have to because otherwise I would usually have food stuck in my teeth for hours), and also occasionally at restrooms in malls, restaurants, etc. Nobody has ever reacted.

One time I was feeling kind of self-conscious for some reason so I apologized to a coworker of mine who was in also the bathroom. She was almost confused by me apologizing, like "what!? this is a bathroom what could possibly be a more appropriate place to floss your teeth".

I also brush my teeth once in a while at work but one reason I don't more is that we have automatically sensing water saving faucets that sometimes don't react to holding a toothbrush under them (in comparison to your hands to wash them) so it can be more annoying than brushing them at home. Also, in comparison to flossing, if my teeth just feel a little dirty I can live with it until I get home, but if there is something stuck in them, I feel I need to floss/get it out more urgently.

Anyway thinking about it, the idea that it is inconsiderate to brush/floss your teeth in a public restroom is actually pretty weird to me, since it's way less gross than most everything else that happens there.
posted by pseudoname at 7:58 AM on October 1, 2014


I hadn't seen anyone do it before in the various offices I've worked at until maybe two years ago. Weirdly the behavior seemed to have spread from the first guy to two other guys in his group. But never beyond that.
posted by mullacc at 8:07 AM on October 1, 2014


I hate that shit! It's not a mouth bathroom. And the sound of foamy toothbrushing and weak frothy spitting is worse than a hundred butts sharting in unison.

But, well, I'm apparently in the minority, and there's nothing I can do except get privately pissed. And it'd be ridiculous for me to attempt to advocate for less oral hygiene in the world.

So you're probably gonna piss off some people with weird standards, but that's the case for everything you might do.
posted by Metroid Baby at 8:10 AM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]


Another vote for no problem at all. I used to think it was overly prissy when I was younger, but then I was much more judgemental overall then. I never thought it was gross/inappropriate though.
posted by sweetkid at 8:18 AM on October 1, 2014


Somewhat common in the offices I've worked in, and I've not felt bothered by it. Never seen it otherwise.
posted by odin53 at 8:32 AM on October 1, 2014


A very few individuals with an exaggerated sense of oral hygene spend way too long brushing their teeth in the mens room at my office. Like the guys who spend minutes primping, getting their hair just right; in fact anybody doing anything in there other than just using the toilet and washing their hands, I wish they wouldn't. Because I have a bashful bladder, and can't go until y'all finish up and leave me alone.
posted by Rash at 8:48 AM on October 1, 2014


Eww Floydd! Gross.

Public restrooms are places where we're expected to ignore what people are actually doing. We're all going in to "freshen up." Cleaning your teeth is definitely included in that generalized euphemism for expelling human waste.
posted by headnsouth at 8:50 AM on October 1, 2014


I think brushing is ok, but flossing can get gross stuff all over the mirror, so either leave that business at home or take pains to check the glass before you leave!
posted by acm at 9:19 AM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]


I brush my teeth in our building's washroom. I'm the only one I've ever seen doing it here but I (obviously) don't think it is inappropriate.

I doubt I would brush my teeth in a washroom at a restaurant or shopping mall though. But that may be because I don't carry a brush & toothpaste with me.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 9:44 AM on October 1, 2014


Had braces at 27, so yes, I brushed my teeth in public restrooms.
I was sure to clean out the sink each time.
posted by calgirl at 9:52 AM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]


Done it at airports and occasionally at work after a nightshift because for some reason you often feel icky after nightshifts. I don't usually resort to public toilets though - I am very good at brushing my teeth without spitting or dribbling though - I swallow the water after rinsing, so I can brush my teeth mess-free practically anywhere such as in the car (obviously not while driving) or in an empty corridor or staffroom. It is a surprisingly useful skill to cultivate.
posted by tinkletown at 9:54 AM on October 1, 2014


Most of the office washrooms I've been in recently have fixed-temperature automatic taps, and no sign that the water is potable. So, I prefer not to.
posted by scruss at 10:17 AM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]


Yes, it's fine. It takes some balls because you'll be flouting social expectations a bit (especially for men's rooms, where the expectation is much more "get in, do your business, and get out" than in women's restrooms) but you should feel free to do it. Obviously you don't take more time about it than you need to, clean up any mess you make, and stay out of other peoples' way as much as possible while you're doing it, but you should feel perfectly empowered to brush and floss your teeth. I would even go so far as to say that it's OK to shave in the men's room, as long as you don't leave hair everywhere.

Just be businesslike about it, and be meticulously considerate of the other people who have to use the bathroom after you and of the staffpeople who have to clean it—just as you should always be, even if all you're doing is having a quick pee.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 10:21 AM on October 1, 2014


I have seen male and female colleagues march to the washroom with toothbrush and floss after lunch in every office I've ever worked in. Obviously common at airports and bus stations and things too although I don't think I've ever seen it at, say, a mall or restaurant washroom.

As others say don't linger or spread out over the counters - someone "hanging out" in the washroom makes people uncomfortable - and leave the place clean and I doubt anyone will care. It's the people that are seen to regularly do all sorts of involved washroom grooming (and even yoga in the case of one person on my floor) and take over a bunch of space to do so that get talked about in that gossipy office water cooler way. In my experience.

Just no nail clipping, please!
posted by jamesonandwater at 10:45 AM on October 1, 2014


Women brush and floss in the women's restroom in my work. It was unexpected to me at first, but it makes sense and now I'm used to it. I floss at work sometimes when gunk gets stuck in my teeth, and I'd rather do this in the restroom than make my cubicle neighbors hear my flossing sounds.

The restroom is where you do personal grooming stuff. I wish my cubicle neighbor who cuts his nails at work would use it for that!
posted by cadge at 10:47 AM on October 1, 2014


It is unusual enough to see it here in my American office. With that said, I took a 2 week business trip to Costa Rica and regardless of the time of day I don't think I ever went to the bathroom without encountering someone in there brushing their teeth.
posted by mmascolino at 10:49 AM on October 1, 2014


I have male coworkers who do this every day. I'd think it was weird if anyone (male or female) was doing dental grooming (brushing, flossing, whatever) in a public restroom in a store or a gas station or something, but at work or perhaps in a restaurant I wouldn't think anything of it.
posted by Sara C. at 11:02 AM on October 1, 2014


I brush mine in the office bathroom at least once a day. That is what the bathroom is for, among other things.
posted by harrietthespy at 11:07 AM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]


In what world would it not be okay and why?
posted by turkeyphant at 12:17 PM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]


Both my male and female coworkers can be seen going to bathrooms with toothbrush in hand. I also frequently brush at airports. Clearly leaving the sink and mirrors etc as you would wish to find them is key.
posted by koahiatamadl at 12:19 PM on October 1, 2014


Haha, I kind of love these threads that turn into surveys of mefites' private habits. :D

I'm in the UK and I (a guy) sometimes brush in the office bathroom, but I feel kind of self-conscious about it and try to do it when the bathroom is empty. I might take a second glance at someone else doing it but I'd be cool with it (as long as you keep the sink/mirror clean, natch).
posted by Drexen at 12:53 PM on October 1, 2014


The maintenance man in my building told me never ever to drink (=swash) the water from the handwashing sinks - that the pipes to them are disgusting. Then later I saw him wring out a mop from cleaning up a bad accident, wring it into the sink.
posted by mmiddle at 2:19 PM on October 1, 2014


Best answer: That's true of the pipes in all big buildings, not just the ones in bathrooms.
posted by tinkletown at 2:21 PM on October 1, 2014


I do it too.
posted by brownrd at 3:15 PM on October 1, 2014


I see lots of people doing it in the office bathrooms, and I've occasionally done it myself if I've had something important coming up after lunch/coffee, but not regularly. I feel a bit uncomfortable brushing in a bathroom if it's stinky or unkempt. I've never noticed toothpaste spatter in sinks or on mirrors - other cleanliness issues are far more prevalent. (Flush the damn toilet! Wipe the seat if you dribble! Don't just leave big wads of toilet paper on the ground after you've delicately used them to not touch anything with your bare hands! There is a disposal bin for your tampons!)

I find it more annoying if women are doing a full make-up job in the bathroom. It's a bit awkward because they take so long and it's so silent which means every noise you make in there sounds way louder. I vacillate between clenching embarrassment and defiantly thinking "Hang on, this is what the toilets are for."
posted by andraste at 3:37 PM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]


Ugh. I see it often enough, but I can't say I approve. Yeah, there's nowhere else you can do it privately and blah blah oral hygeine, but man, I don't like watching other people rinse and spit for two minutes when I want to wash my hands after peeing. I don't want other people seeing me do that, can't imagine why everyone else likes it.
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:01 PM on October 1, 2014


I would be concerned that you could introduce germs into your body, from airborne fecal bacteria that could stowaway on your toothbrush while in a public bathroom.

NSFL:

In a shared women's restroom, I saw a colleague use a water bottle as a Neti Pot to rinse and drain her sinuses. I threw up a little in my mouth-- at the thought of strings and clumps of mucus left inside a public sink.
posted by ohshenandoah at 6:09 PM on October 1, 2014


I consider brushing your teeth in a public bathroom to be gross. Using your phone in the bathroom is also gross. I don't say anything though. People are weird.
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 6:34 PM on October 1, 2014


I don't normally, but have when necessary. I have no problem with others doing it.

I would be concerned that you could introduce germs into your body, from airborne fecal bacteria that could stowaway on your toothbrush while in a public bathroom.

Really? I would have though that there is no appreciably greater risk than say, breathing? If there are germs, they would already be in your lungs, mouth and throat passages.
posted by GeeEmm at 6:46 PM on October 1, 2014 [1 favorite]


I have braces so am always brushing my teeth in public bathrooms. People sometimes give me a bit of side eye but whatever, it's less embarrassing than walking around with huge chunks of food in my teeth.
posted by Wantok at 9:12 PM on October 1, 2014 [2 favorites]


I occasionally brush in the office bathroom. I've seen a couple other people do it, and I actually feel slightly guilty when I see them because I feel like I should be brushing more. I don't think anything is odd about it. That is what bathrooms are for - taking care of bodily functions. Just do so as politely and unobtrusively, and neatly as possible.
posted by thegoldfish at 10:52 PM on October 1, 2014


Male here. I brush my teeth in the bathroom at work every day. Sometime I have to stand away from the sink as other men wash their hands, but then I go over and rinse out. I haven't seen any attitude from other men for doing it, but I wouldn't care if I did. I like brushing my teeth; it's part of my daily work routine.

I also brush my teeth in public restrooms, restaurant restrooms, and gas station restrooms, unless they're totally skeevy. I even brushed my teeth in the restroom of an adult toy store recently, which I thought was hilarious.

I like my teef clean.
posted by the matching mole at 11:42 AM on October 2, 2014


Some people do not have a real choice as to whether they brush their teeth after meals and whatever bathroom is available may have to do the job. Not everyone has a private bathroom at work. How very 1950s, bastion of privilege, to have an executive washroom with a little golden key that only the top executive and a few special pals get to use for their privateness.

I don't see how it's any more unsanitary to brush in a public bathroom than in mine at home assuming you avoid licking the toilet or dropping your toothbrush on the floor or in the sink or something. Though some bathrooms are nasty, ours at work usually isn't bad and since it's limited to mostly grown up and reasonable people with semi-reasonable hygiene habits.

My toilet and sink area are probably only about 6 feet apart at home. The bathroom at my work is much more spacious and the urinals are probably 12 feet from the sink area and the crappers are even further away and have stalls that presumably block direct spray between the two areas more than at home.

I never used to brush at work, but there were some people who did and I never thought much of it.

Now my dentist told me that I need to do Invisalign (those clear retainer-like things that straighten teeth that many adults use). She claims my teeth will wear down and need much more work later if I don't fix them now because of bad wear patterns that are becoming worse because of my tooth alignment. My teeth absolutely require tooth brushing and flossing and at least a good brush/rinse of the trays before re-inserting after eating. It's a PITA, but it's life.

Since the trays must be worn 20 to 22 hours a day to straighten teeth, it is absolutely not an option to just wait until I get home from work to brush and floss every day and I'm not going to be dumping $6000+ down a black hole by not wearing them because some people have a thing about other people brushing their teeth in public restrooms. I try to avoid brushing in really public places like malls, but at work there is no choice since I'm there 4 days a week and I don't get home until 6 or more hours after lunch. Not eating all day isn't really an option.

This is a medical thing, so people who are skeeved out by public use of restrooms for basic bodily function and minor hygiene practices will need to deal with it, or perhaps they can get jobs where they manage to avoid public restrooms, anywhere, ever, and always poop, pee, brush, floss and wash their hands at home and nowhere else.

Of course, don't leave messes from your brushing and be a decent citizen. But I've seen people do far worse things at work such as not washing their hands after pooping, eating other people's lunch from the refrigerator, claiming work they didn't do or other things.

My partner becomes irrationally annoyed and angry if he hears me brushing my teeth, so I have to be sure to tightly close the bathroom door while brushing my teeth when he's around. However, this is a problem of his and I suspect a case of misophonia more than anything.
posted by clickingmongrel at 3:29 PM on November 21, 2014


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