Should husband and wife share the same toilet

It may not be based on scientific evidence but Hollywood superstar, Sir Michael Caine has claimed that the secret to a happy marriage lies within the bathroom.

When interviewed for Esquire magazine earlier this month, the British actor claimed that the ingredients for a really successful marriage are simple.

“You start with two bathrooms. You never share a bathroom with your wife. Otherwise, you have a little tiny corner with a razor and a toothbrush in it and you never get in there.”

Although the allegation may sound a little far-fetched, Caine has been married to the same woman for 41 years so he may just know a thing or two about the secrets to a successful marriage. It appears as though he is not alone with this theory either. Mary Quant, the lady who invented the miniskirt declared way back in 2004 that his ’n’ hers washrooms are the secret of marriage.

Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton have taken this principle one step further and live in separate houses and even property experts have been keen to emphasise the importance of multiple bathrooms in a home. Bella Tellwright from Crayson estate agents in Notting Hill commented:

“Less than one bathroom for each bedroom is fundamentally too few. In an ideal world, a five-bedroom house should have a minimum of two en-suite bath or shower rooms plus one family bathroom.”

Bathroom etiquette has been known to cause many an argument between couples so maybe Sir Michael does actually have a point. Men simply don’t understand the sheer volume of products that women need – shampoos, conditioners, soaps, moisturisers, bubble bath, bath salts, face wash, razors, hair removal creams, towels and of course, candles. Women on the other hand can’t tolerate men squeezing the toothpaste from the middle, not putting things back properly, failing to observe proper towel-hook procedures, leaving hair in the sink after a shave and drowning the floor in puddles after a wash.

Then of course there’s the famous toilet seat argument – men want it left up whereas women want it down. This one has been tearing couples and families apart since toilets were invented so researcher, Jay Pil Choi used scientific evidence to decide once and for all which it should be. Although the equation he used wouldn’t make any sense to most of us, the overall conclusion ruled in favour of the ladies. As men need the toilet seat up on some occasions and down on others and women need it down all the time, Pil Choi says that both men and women are inconvenienced if the seat is left up. However, if it’s left down all the time then only men are inconvenienced and therefore this is the more practical option.

Whether you fancy taking Michael Caine’s advice or have been thinking about adding another bathroom or washroom to your home anyway, please don’t hesitate to contact us and we will be more than happy to help.