When, a couple of days ago, Eva Mendes joked that sweatpants are a leading cause of divorce, most people rolled their eyes. But Madonna offered a different theory on why couples call it quits and it's one you might relate to on a whole other level: they share the same bathroom.
In an interview with US Weekly, Madonna revealed 25 things people don't know about her. This one doesn't sound very Madonna-like at all because when is the last time the Queen of Pop was forced to share a bathroom with anyone? But who are we to judge?
I have found marriages don't last if you share bathrooms. The best thing about being single is there's no one to throw out of the bathroom when I want privacy.
I don't think I'd go as far as saying sharing one bathroom has to end in divorce, but for anyone who has dealt with this, it can be tricky. When we get serious with someone, we want to share our beds and bedrooms. We may even take down a picture and offer him a wall so he can put up a Faith No More poster (ugh, true story). We think it's adorable when he takes up space in our kitchen cupboard with gross protein shakes and bags of Cool Ranch Doritos.
But our bathroom is a sanctuary. There are often few spaces in our homes that reveal so much about us as women. Anyone who opens up our medicine cabinet sees as plain as day our tampons, tweezers, nail polish, anti-aging retinol creams, and Maybelline Volum'Express Mascara. How can a man enter this sacred world and not mess it up?
Stay sane — a bathroom can be shared by two members of very different sexes. Here's how:
1. Label your shelves. And be fair. If you have four shelves in your medicine cabinet, it seems fair that each of you should get two shelves. If your husband is kind enough to understand you need more shelving than he does, be polite and don't allow your stuff to spread and somehow "end up" next to his shaving cream.
2. Have separate toothbrush holders. I'm one of many people who would take chewing gum out of my husband's mouth and chew it myself (not that I've ever done that, and come to think of it, that's pretty gross). But when it comes to toothbrushes, I gag when I accidentally use his. Avoid this by simply keeping two small, separate toothbrush holders on your vanity.
3. Decide who is going to clean the bathroom. Maybe you split cleaning duties. Perhaps one of you is less of a germaphobe and doesn't consider toilet cleaning torturous. Decide right away who will clean the bathroom and how many times each week or month he or she will do the deed. If you split this chore, take it seriously because nothing will start a fight faster than a spouse realizing he has to share a shower with mildew.
4. Hire a professional cleaning person. Better yet, shift around a few bucks from your budget and hire a professional to clean your bathroom. If you aren't planning on having your entire home cleaned, it shouldn't cost much and will cut down on any silly bickering.
5. Invest in a double sink. You may not have the luxury of creating a second bathroom in your home, but if you have a little extra space in the bathroom you have, you might find purchasing a vanity with double sinks is game changer. Not only will you avoid having to fight for face-washing space in the morning, but you'll each have your own medicine cabinet or under-the-sink storage.
6. Get up earlier. On average, I probably take 20 minutes longer in the bathroom than my husband. When we lived in a small apartment, the only fair way I found I could stick to my routine without feeling like I was being kicked out of the bathroom was to suck it up and wake up a few minutes earlier. Be honest with yourself about the time you need to get ready and make little changes that work for you both.
7. Clean your hair out of the shower drain. Every time. I can not stress enough how important this is if you have long hair — or even if you don't, because we all shed hair. Your partner loves you and probably adores your hair, but that doesn't mean he wants to find it under his feet when he showers. It takes less than a minute to clean the drain. Just do it.
8. Light candles. One of the strangest things about getting married or living with someone you like to see naked is that there is sometimes evidence left in the bathroom you share that indicates you're actually human, if you know what I mean. We all have to grow up and realize bodily functions are normal and healthy, but that doesn't mean we can't light a candle or spray air freshener to make things a little more … pleasant.
What tips do you have for successfully sharing a bathroom with your partner?
Image via Consumerist Dot Com/Flickr
