Dear Reverend,
I live in an apartment with a roommate. We get along great and have no problems — except for one thing. She has sex with her boyfriend in the shower. It creeps me out because I like baths and I feel like I have to clean the tub every time before I take one. Should I talk to her about it?
Drea Noe (female, 24)
Dear Drea Noe,
Worried about bodily fluids in the bathtub? I hate to break it to you, but plenty of things other than sex happen in there. Grosser things: peeing, butt washing, dirty ol’ feet, snot rockets … who knows what else.
But that’s what bathtubs are made for. Even though they can be one of the most germ-infested places in the house, they’re easy to clean. It’s best to disinfect everything in your bathroom at least once a week (don’t forget the shower curtain) and deep-clean the bathtub at least every other week. If you keep your bathtub cleanliness baseline high, a quick wipe-down before you fill it up should suffice.
As long as the shower sexpots aren’t disturbing you by making a lot of noise or leaving the bathroom a hot mess, I wouldn’t bring it up. A good roommate is hard to find, and you don’t want to make waves over something that isn’t really a big deal.
On a related note: I also love a good bath, but no matter how clean your tub is, you’re pretty much stewing in a cauldron full of your own filth. Be sure to rinse off with a shower before or after a soak.
Good luck and God bless,
The Reverend
This article appears in Sep 7-13, 2022.
