I need help with a pet peeve

[Kivgaen]

I just need to vent a little bit, and maybe you ladies can help me find some calm rational thinking, and maybe help me with this situation that is bugging me, because I can't seem to find a solution that works for me. Sorry this post is so long...

I know this issue is not a big deal, I know it only happens 1-2 times/week, and I know in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter... but it still bugs me, kwim?

We have a messy house (I've mentioned it before) and I'm trying REALLY hard to get it under control lately. I'm making significant progress and it feels great to be moving forward.

I started with the master bathroom as my first project -- get it clean, and keep it clean! So far, everything is going great.

Everyone else in the house uses my bathroom, which is fine, and I don't have a problem every day going in and straightening up a few things here and there when it is required. Except for one small tiny thing: every time DH takes a shower, he leaves a puddle on the floor when he's finished in the bathroom!

I'm annoyed by this because every time I go in that room to straighten up, I never notice until it's too late that the floor is wet, and I step in the puddle (Yuck!). Now my socks are wet and I have to change my socks. Today I noticed when I stepped in the room that my socks got a bit wet but it never really registered fully until I got downstairs and started putting my shoes on to take DD to daycare. I realized they were worse than I thought and I had to go back up to get dry socks.

I've asked DH to dry off in the shower before he comes out. He doesn't. I've asked him to put a towel down on the floor if he leaves the room and the floor is wet. He doesn't. I can't put down a rug, which would be a great solution, because if I did, likely one of my cats would pee on it and I'd have to throw it out the next day (we have a sick cat who gets confused easily, and I just like to remove all temptations from him).

DH is either incapable of changing his behaviours, or he simply doesn't believe it's a big deal and doesn't pay it a second thought... Half the time when he gets out of the shower he is still half asleep. So since I can't change what HE does, I need to change something that I'm doing.

If anyone has any useful advice for me, I'm all ears. I am finding it difficult to be creative and find a different solution.

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

Cant you put a carpet down and close the door so that cat cant get in?

Are you not being "firm" enough about how inconsiderate this is of your husband? Because I honestly dont see this as a pet peeve of YOURS, but bad manners of HIS. If it was just HIS bathroom, thats one thing. But its community space, therefore, should be respected. Who wants to get their socks wet everytime they go into the bathroom? NO ME!!

[Kivgaen]

If I were to broach the subject with DH again, how would you suggest that I attempt this? I feel like a nag and a broken record, saying the same things over again.

[doubledutch]

what if you put up a reminder note on the mirror, so you don't have to verbally remind him?

what you're asking is totally reasonable. i think it's very nice of you to be understanding about him being groggy in the morning.

i also thought of putting down a rug/mat whatever and keeping the door closed to keep the cat out, until i realized, "then her dh will just forget to shut the door!"

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

Well clearly we are cut from a very different mold, because I would have gotten very sarcastic and snarky by this time. So you may not want to take any advice from me.

[Starflower]

What about getting one of those hotel styled bath mats. Since you don't mind keeping the bathroom nice, you could place it on the side of the tub. Then he could put it on the floor when he started his shower - otherwise it would get wet - and you guys could figure out which one of you puts it back up to dry out.

[swd12422]

Originally Posted by Starflower

What about getting one of those hotel styled bath mats. Since you don't mind keeping the bathroom nice, you could place it on the side of the tub. Then he could put it on the floor when he started his shower - otherwise it would get wet - and you guys could figure out which one of you puts it back up to dry out.

This is a great idea. If you think he won't even go so far as to put the bath mat (or just a really thick towel) down before he gets out, you can hang one on the doorknob or a hook outside the door to remind YOU to throw it down before you walk in.

[Katwoman]

What about a second towel over his first towel. He turns the shower off, throws the towel on the floor to stand on and grabs his towel. Granted, you'd have to pick the towel up later, but at least it would be a visual reminder to you both.

[Kivgaen]

Originally Posted by swd12422

This is a great idea. If you think he won't even go so far as to put the bath mat (or just a really thick towel) down before he gets out, you can hang one on the doorknob or a hook outside the door to remind YOU to throw it down before you walk in.

OR -- I could hang the rug OVER the shower door, and it will live there. so he has no choice but to put it down on the floor before he takes his shower. Then I can put it back up when I'm straightening up...

I thought of another idea as well -- I could get in the habit of keeping a pair of sandles next to the door of the bathroom. Slip them on before I go in (in case there's a puddle), and kick them off when I leave...

I did say something to DH about it last night. I thought I was being very respectful, and I said that I don't think it's unreasonable for me to expect to be able to walk into the bathroom and not have to worry about stepping in a puddle. Can we put our heads together and figure out if there is a solution that we both can live with? His response was "You're STILL going on about THAT!?!?!"

I told him afterwards that I was surprised by his reaction, that I was genuinely trying to be respectful and problem solve, and that his tone with me was not respectful. He agreed with me. We think he had low blood sugar from riding his bike home from work in the hot sun -- after dinner his attitude improved dramatically, and he was actually able to talk without being grouchy.

[Kivgaen]

.

[number572]

what about slippers with a rubber sole, keep them by the bathroom door & just slip them on & off when you go into & leave the bathroom? would the cat pee on them?

[luv-my-boys]

DH had a similar habit of doing the same thing when we were first married. I started making it a point of venturing into the bath when he was out of the shower and basically saying "hey dry the floor" pretty much by the upteenth time he got the picture and started drying off in the shower...basically it started to become inconvenient to him to do it so he stopped.

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

HEY, theres a novel idea, Tell your Husband to dry off IN THE SHOWER!!!! Problem solved. I hate coming out until I totally dry anyway, specially in the winter.

[hibana]

Originally Posted by Kivgaen

OR -- I could hang the rug OVER the shower door, and it will live there. so he has no choice but to put it down on the floor before he takes his shower. Then I can put it back up when I'm straightening up...

This works really well, ime.

[tanyam926]

Maybe I can offer advice since I am the one that makes the bathroom puddle in my house. My dh always gets his socks wet too and has asked me before why I can't dry off completely before I get out of the shower. (I also accidently leave my wet towel on his side of the bed in the mornings which also annoys him).

First of all, I have so many things on my mind in the mornings that I just can't seem to remember everything that I should do and how I should do it. I also have kids in the shower w/me every day so that contributes to the puddle.

My solution is to just lay an old towel down on the floor and then hang it after we are all done in the bathroom. But the floor is still occasionally wet.

I don't think that your dh is being intentionally inconsiderate (nor am I) and it is just one of those annoying things about living w/another person. There are things that my dh does that annoy me (laying his work sweatshirt right outside the laundry room door, and others) but since I know he's not doing it to purposefully annoy me, I just pick it up w/out saying anything.

I am thankful that when my dh gets his socks wet he doesn't harp on me about it bc I'm not doing it on purpose and he understands that.

I guess my point is that it's easier, and more loving, to find a solution that you can implement instead of trying to change all the little things that are annoying about him. After all, I am sure that there are things that you do that annoy him (I think my dh and I annoy each other pretty equally and in minor ways so we just let it slide).

(I hope my post doesn't sound judgmental, just trying to offer a different perspective and what works in my relationship ).

[mommahhh]

My DD leaves the same thing on the floor every day. Every day, I calmly call her over and ask her (cheerfully, nicely) to put it away. I'm hoping ONE DAY she'll be so sick of being called away from whatever she's doing that she'll just automatically put it away on her own.

Maybe you could do the same thing with DH? lol

[prothyraia]

Leave wet socks on his pillow?



(sorry, that's not at all helpful, I'm just mean like that)

[samy23]

Originally Posted by Barbie64g

HEY, theres a novel idea, Tell your Husband to dry off IN THE SHOWER!!!! Problem solved. I hate coming out until I totally dry anyway, specially in the winter.

yeah this is me too.

[Kivgaen]

Originally Posted by tanyam926

I guess my point is that it's easier, and more loving, to find a solution that you can implement instead of trying to change all the little things that are annoying about him. After all, I am sure that there are things that you do that annoy him (I think my dh and I annoy each other pretty equally and in minor ways so we just let it slide).

Thanks for posting... but I think I pretty much said the same thing in my original post. I am trying to find something that *I* can implement without *changing* DH.

I suggested the shower rug over the shower door to DH and his response was "not a bad idea".

I think I can also get some waterproof slippers which I believe will be respected by the cats.

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

Originally Posted by prothyraia

Leave wet socks on his pillow?