Behind Closed Doors: British Bathroom Habits, Revealed

Bathroom habits aren’t something we Brits typically talk about. In fact, the toilet could be considered one of Britain’s last taboos - in spite of the fact it’s something we all have in common!

But our society is changing and as we adapt to the ‘new normal’, many of us are embracing the sanctuary of our loos and our bathrooms overall.

They’re a place of tranquillity, a place where we take relaxing baths, indulge in some ‘me’ time, pamper ourselves after a hard week at work.

They’re also a place to hide out, where we have no airs or graces, where we can simply sit and do nothing.

So rather than keep toilet talk under wraps, we say, let’s celebrate the bathroom! And in doing so, we invited 1,000 Brits to open up to us about their bathroom habits; here’s what we learned about the role bathrooms play in our lives today.

So we’re spending a pretty large chunk of our time in the bathroom but what exactly are we doing there? We asked our 1,000 Brits exactly what they get up to on the loo.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the majority (72%) told us they take their mobile phone to the toilet with them. Having our phones on us gives us an opportunity to seek entertainment, catch up with friends or, in the case of one quarter of men, to find a date!

According to our study, one in four (23%) men use their time on the toilet to look for dates via dating apps on their phone. How romantic!

This is compared to just one in ten women (11%) who said they scroll for dates on the loo.

The most popular social media platform to scroll through while in the bathroom is Facebook, according to our study, with 36% of Brits telling us it’s their go-to toilet app.

Use of Facebook in the bathroom is consistent across males and females. TikTok, however, has a clear gender discrepancy, with twice as many women saying they scroll the video platform on the loo than men (29% vs 15%).Instagram is the third most popular social media network to browse on the throne, with 14% of Brits citing it as their favourite.

It’s not uncommon for women to visit the loo together on a night out. In fact, it’s a fairly well-used stereotype that women prefer to use the bathroom with a friend, allowing them to catch up on chat and share their secrets.

According to our study, women are more comfortable sharing their bathrooms than men. When asked if they leave the door open when using the loo, 45% of women said they do, compared to 39% of men.

Women were also more comfortable allowing their partners to see them using the loo, with 49% of women saying they allow it, compared to 43% of men.

Andia Bothe is a dating expert at DatingScout.com. She said:

“As much as sharing a bathroom invades both of your personal space, it’s something that you should feel proud of. You’re both finally at the stage where it’s no longer awkward to see each other barefaced, and you become comfortable being at one of your most vulnerable states (peeing or pooping) while your partner is in the shower – and you know that no judgments will be made.

“Couples that share a bathroom will unavoidably know more about each other. It blurs certain boundaries and gives up some of the privacy that other couples get from their bathroom time. It could have a negative effect depending on the circumstance of the relationship but it is most beneficial for those who are only starting out.”

How many times have you found yourself gravitating toward the bathroom to simply get some space, or even to get away from an uncomfortable situation?

According to our study, 52% of women have used the bathroom as a sanctuary to take themselves away from scenarios where they don’t feel happy.

Conversely, 33% of men told us they had done the same – a smaller proportion, for sure, but still a surprising number. On average, 44% of Brits have taken solace in the bathroom.

Following on the theme of the bathroom as a place to feel safe, our study reveals that almost half of Brits feel more comfortable talking openly about sensitive issues like mental health or personal challenges when in the bathroom.

With mental wellbeing such a key issue of 2021 in particular, it’s interesting to reflect on how our bathrooms have been able to provide us a safe space to be open with one another.