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Email a FriendPosted by Julie on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012 4:16 PM (EDT):
Thanks, Rachel! I only have one boy who hasn’t even started potty-training…but I’ve seen the toileting area in his Dad’s bathroom…and I am totally groovin’ on your tips!
Boys and Bathrooms
not always a winning combination
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Tuesday, February 07, 2012 2:09 PM
Mothering boys makes you an expert on all kinds of things, stuff you never imagined you would know or learn or even care to master. Random information including chief protagonists in all the Star Wars films, best way to make a Pinewood Derby car and the dollar menu at every fast food joint in town.
Some of this information is actually pretty useful and today I’m going to share how to keep your bathroom looking and smelling fresh. You want my secret? You’re in luck!
Now you might be thinking, “my boys don’t have their own bathroom.” To which I say, when you have three or more sons, every bathroom they use becomes “the boys’ bathroom.” That’s just how it works. But that’s okay—that doesn’t have to mean that it looks (and smells) like a crime scene.
How to Conquer a Boys Bathroom
1. Wipe it down every day. I know this sounds kinda “duh.” But trust me. It’s easy to get complacent. You (or your highly trained son) gets in the habit of doing this, it starts looking good and then you think maybe it doesn’t need the help after all. Wrong! Get some Clorox or Lysol wipes, keep them in a handy spot and take the two minutes to get the job done.
2. Don’t put area rugs in that bathroom. I know these rugs are all cozy and nice, but they quickly (like four minutes in) become a breeding ground for germs and stench and odor. And pee smell. I understand the charm, I have a bathroom where I keep one in spite of myself. But I know it’s not really doing me any favors.
3. Make sure your toilet is well-sealed at the base. We had a problem with this for a while and it was insurmountable. No amount of baptism by Pine-sol can counter the ill-effects of stagnant pee. This is a practical bit of info that is quite useful. There is a clear grout-like sealant to put around the base. This is worth the effort.
4. Get a fragrance diffuser. This was life-changing for us. Does that sound melodramatic? You must not have five sons. I’m joking, but not really. Until I tried one of these diffusers, I couldn’t quite tackle the smell. Wiping it down and checking the grout definitely helped, but it just needed a little something more. The thing with these fragrance diffusers is they are to urine smell what an Under Armor wicking tee is to sweat. It just sort of makes it dissipate. The one I currently have is from Target, by Caldrea and before you give me a hard time about the cost (yes, $15 is outrageous) trust me when I say it’s worth it. The bathroom smells fresh but not overly-perfurmed. And who can argue with that cute little flower. If that price is just out-of-the-question steep, there are other brands on the market (or try TJ Maxx). But if you’re on the fence about this particular diffuser, I really do recommend. It lasts for months and works like no other odor-eater available.
5. Get a cross-stitched sign that says “Let Your Aim Be True.” Hang it behind the toilet. I know, again with the extremes! If you don’t cross-stitch, at least try to find a little sign or reminder for your boys to really focus on the task at hand. It’s like shooting a basketball—wherever you are looking, that’s where things wind up. (On that note, make sure your shower curtain isn’t too eye-catching.)
6. For young boys, try putting a cheerio in the toilet. This sounds silly but works. Little boys (and big ones too) can’t resist hitting a target.
Enjoy! In a male-dominated home, conquering the bathroom woes really does feel like getting a new lease on life. I hope these work as well for you as they have for us!
Comments
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Posted by Rebecca on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012 5:08 PM (EDT):
I remember when our twin boys turned about 7, I was going out of my mind with frustration over cleaning the bathroom,not to mention gearing up to start potty training another boy. Finally, one day I asked my husband why it was that at 4 or 5 they had better aim. How is that a preschooler could do a better job using the bathroom than a boy in elementary school? He looked at me so seriously, like he couldn’t believe I didn’t understand, and said “They grew. They aren’t standing right over the toilet anymore. You have to remind them to aim.” It was like a light bulb suddenly went off. Some consistent work reminding them about toilet manners and a couple of afternoons spent scrubbing a toilet and bathroom floor went a long way in reinforcing good habits. Also, encourage young boys to sit down if they get up in the middle of the night. It’s just easier on everyone.
Posted by Monica (momof2) on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012 5:29 PM (EDT):
I struggled with the pee and the pee smell for years (three guys in this house). Here is what I finally came up with.
1. We make the boy who misses clean it up right away so we don’t have to have daily wipe-downs.
2. Urinal. Yup. One of these boys just can’t seem to aim so there is a urinal on the toilet which he uses and then dumps. Virtually no mess.
3. The kids have to use the upstairs bathroom only. Good exercise for them.
4. Vinyl flooring, no rugs and no grout.
Posted by Margaret on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012 7:04 PM (EDT):
Thank you for covering this again. It is one of the most important topics that moms of many sons can help each other with! A few years ago you mentioned the diffuser, so I got one at the dollar store and put it in the bathroom. Not impressed. Now it seems that I got the wrong one! Point taken. The other suggestions are helpful, but the lightbulb one for me is 3, “Make sure your toilet is well-sealed at the base.” Why did I never think of this before? A few years ago we took out the toilet and ripped up and replaced the wooden subflooring, which had been saturated with urine. I kept wiping around and under the edge of the toilet, but I knew I wasn’t touching it, and it ALWAYS smelled. But I never thought of sealing around the bottom edge. I hope it isn’t too late to do it now! Thanks for the help, Rachel.
Posted by Melissa G. on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012 8:07 PM (EDT):
I thank God almost daily for Clorox wipes. I made it a habit to wipe down the toilet and floor near the toilet at least once a day. Once a week, or more often if needed, my oldest son does a deep cleaning.
I like your cross stitch idea. When I taught elementary school I put a sign in the classroom bathroom that said, “Please be neat and wipe the seat.”
Posted by Sandi on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012 8:32 PM (EDT):
OH MY GOSH! I have 3 boys (16, 14, 7) and it is SO true! I do have a contour rug around the toilet cause I just hate stepping in pee droplets!! They’re getting better and the older ones are cleaning up their drops-well, sometimes- but I have 3 rugs which I constantly rotate. Just cleaned the entire bathroom today! Gonna have to try the diffuser idea! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Posted by Danielle L on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012 8:37 PM (EDT):
...Cheerios really work or if you want something more permanent, you can try this:
For little boys:
http://www.pottytarget.com/
For big boys:
http://www.urinalfly.com/
Posted by Monica on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012 8:42 PM (EDT):
Couldn’t be more timely for me! I’m pregnant with #4 and struggling with all-day morning sickness. It is so terrible to already be feeling awful and puke-y and then kneel down in a toilet area that smells totally like pee. (We have 2 boys, 5 and 3.) So this is great advice! Thanks so much. 
Posted by jhmomofmany on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012 9:35 PM (EDT):
We’re a family of nine (four sons) with ONE bathroom that also serves as a laundry room and houses a dresser we can’t keep in the boys’ room. I’ve long since despaired of ever having a clean bathroom until the kids are grown and gone. Thanks for the ideas, though!
Posted by Mary Beth on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012 10:40 PM (EDT):
I’m with Andrea. Our guys don’t stand up when using our washrooms. Period. My m-i-l, mother of 2 boys, had this rule both of their fully carpeted (!) bathrooms, & I thought it was rather odd. Now, as a wife & mother of 2 boys, I can fully appreciate her wisdom! Love the cheerio idea - will use that with the Little when he’s big enough!
Posted by Andrea on Wednesday, Feb 8, 2012 9:42 AM (EDT):
The key for me is that my husband doesn’t stand, either. I don’t really understand why men feel like it is too much of a hassle to pull their pants down all the way and sit. We have to!!
Like I said, though, I know it could be too much to change some men. My dad and brother weren’t allowed to stand at home, and I didn’t even have to discuss it with my husband because he didn’t like the mess of standing, either (I think he did growing up, but when it came to having his own bathroom to clean it suddenly wasn’t worth it). But, if you have a pre-potty training son, I highly recommend never introducing the concept. The only funny part is we had to teach my son how to pee standing up before he started kindergarten and had access to a urinal. It took a few tries before he felt comfortable.
Posted by Melissa F. on Wednesday, Feb 8, 2012 8:41 AM (EDT):
Thanks for the pep talk. With 4 boys ranging in age from 17 yo to 7 yo I was thinking that my boys were the only ones who struggle with making their mark. I have a loopy rug that I wash frequently. It is from Lands End and it still looks like the day I bought it…after many washes. I love my diffuser too. I bought mine from William-Sonoma. Also, a great steamer like my Haan can really freshen up the grout. The stink doesn’t stand a chance.
Posted by erin on Wednesday, Feb 8, 2012 2:17 PM (EDT):
One other suggestion…NEVER ,EVER, put a wood floor in a boys bathroom. The house we bought had wood floors throughout…every room and every bathroom. The next home improvement project will be replacing the boys bath floor (3 of them share that bathroom) with a nice stone /ceramic tile and then sealing the toilet properly where it meets the floor(great suggestion!)
Oh, and the oldest boy cleans the bathroom once a week and I am ordering those cute little targets right now!!!! Might help keep the 5 y/o boy focused but think the 16 y/o will like it even more.
Posted by Jacqueline on Wednesday, Feb 8, 2012 4:06 PM (EDT):
I am so with you on #1 - I keep wipes under every bathroom sink - but doing in nightly is tough - so I spread my visits to the bathroom to all the bathrooms over the course of a day and wipe when I’m in there.
If I can track down a culprit, he gets to wipe his mess. Never fails to improve aim, and thus cleanliness.
At times, I have to resort to a group huddle around the toilet. Yep, all 5 around the toilet at once - I explain to them that as their proud hockey mom, I love to cheer for them and watch them score. I tell them how amazed I am that they can score with a small chunk of hard plastic into a huge net from 30 feet away. But why oh why, can they not make this particular target from only two feet away? By now the hands are in the pockets, the smirks are up, the giggles begin in the little ones, the older ones are rolling their eyes as they mouth the next words right along with me: “Okay boys, it’s time to repent, time for a little redemption, I want apologies and then disperse - wipes in hand to make it right all throughout the house!” Within 30 minutes I have a house full of clean bathrooms. You see, it’s not enough to just clean up the crime scene in our house, you have to do something more to show you care when you’ve offended somone. So they have to wipe toilets, sinks, floors - it’s awesome.
Cherish your boys - and never miss an opportunity to train them into knowing how to be fabulous husbands someday - ones that know how to clean the bathroom! WooHoo!
I’ve got a three year old who is potty trained, but still learning how to aim! These are some great tips! His complete inability to aim properly makes me want to pull my hair out! I tried the Cheerios, though, and my son (who takes after his neat freak daddy) refused to pee on it because it wasn’t supposed to be in the toilet. I had to flush it down before he could stick his hand in the toilet to retrieve yet. Yipes!
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