Homegrown Tales

Homegrown Tales

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Homegrown Tales
Homegrown Tales
The bathroom design I’ll never get on board with

The bathroom design I’ll never get on board with

Hygiene habits will make me gladly lose friends

Shamontiel L. Vaughn's avatar
Shamontiel L. Vaughn
Jan 11, 2023
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Homegrown Tales
Homegrown Tales
The bathroom design I’ll never get on board with
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Photo credit: (left) Amira Aboalnaga/Unsplash, (middle) Lisa Moyneur/Unsplash, (right) Sanibell BV/Unsplash

Like fashion trends, every home decor trend is not ideal for everyone. And one home decorating trend I could never get on board with was something that my real estate agent (at the time) thought was the coolest thing ever: “a Victorian style bathroom.” While the toilet and shower were behind a closed door in my “bathroom,” my sink was inside of the bedroom hallway instead.

The Chicago agent tried to market it as a way to allow one person to wash her face, style her hair and get ready for a night on the town while another person showered. I cringed, thinking of bacteria on the doorknob every time someone used the restroom without washing their hands — unless I left the bathroom door open all the time. I despised this idea and kept my bedroom door closed at all times so I never had to close the bathroom door unless company came by.

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Recommended Read: “Pest prevention and problematic tenants ~ Hiring the one contractor you dread the most: Exterminators”


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As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a percentage from purchases with my referral links. I know some consumers are choosing to boycott Amazon for its DEI removal. However, after thinking about this thoroughly, I want to continue promoting cool products from small businesses, women-owned businesses and (specifically) Black-owned businesses who still feature their items on Amazon. As of the first date of Black History Month 2025, each new post will ALWAYS include a MINIMUM of one product sold by a Black-owned business. (I have visited the seller’s official site to verify that Amazon Black-owned logo.) I am (slowly) doing this with older, popular posts too. If you still choose to boycott, I 100% respect that decision.
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In addition to a suspicious roach infestation problem in this apartment, the sink location was yet another reason I should’ve ran (not walked) out of the door. Still, I liked this place enough to sign the lease and tolerated that sink for three straight years. (My first off-campus apartment in college was bigger than this apartment, had two porches and cost two-thirds less in rent. I miss the $225 monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Missouri.)

Recommended Read: “Is the soap debate deeper than hygiene? ~ The link between bathing and race: Is that the bigger issue?”

For some, that sink is no big deal. For me, it made my skin crawl. Even before the handwashing craze during coronavirus, I’ve always been a stickler about washing my hands. I cannot wrap my mind around only 49% of people washing their hands with soap and only 28% using hot water, according to a Puronics poll. Curiously, 63% of people wash their hands longer or more frequently only in public restrooms versus at home. Again, I’m confused.


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