Kiwis' Grubby Bathroom Habits Exposed - New Research

Kiwis don’t shower daily or wash their hands after using the loo, and are sick of their partners leaving the toothpaste in a mess and using all the hot water, according to a new survey.

The study, commissioned by Rinnai, investigated Kiwis’ attitudes to bathroom hygiene and toiletry etiquette, and showed some less-than-sparkling habits when it came to our showering schedule.

A quarter of Kiwis (25%) said they don’t shower or bathe every day, with 19% admitting they only shower every two days. A further 6% - or 268,000 people - confessed to showering every three to six days, or less than once a week.

Handwashing habits aren’t much better, with one in four of New Zealanders admitting they don’t wash their hands every time after going to the toilet - and around 135,000 (3%) confessing they hardly ever, or never, soap up after a visit to the loo.

The survey revealed men are more relaxed about handwashing than women - just 72% say they wash their hands every time, compared to 79% of the fairer sex.

The survey also revealed the things that annoy us the most when it comes to our partner using the bathroom.

It appears picking up the towels and bathmat off the floor is the secret to relationship harmony, with nearly one in three (27%) saying the bathroom being left in a mess bugs them, while 14% - or 625,000 people - say they’re incensed if their beloved doesn’t change the toilet paper roll.

And beware of taking too long in the bathroom, with one in 10 (11%) of those surveyed saying it’s the very worst habit their partner could have. Backing up a well-known stereotype, almost twice the number of men (15%) say this is a problem compared to women (8%).

Unsurprisingly, 16% of women say leaving the toilet seat up is the biggest mistake a man can make in the bathroom, while 8% of people get frustrated by their loved one leaving the toothpaste tube in a mess in the morning.

However, the biggest annoyance is hopping into the shower to find your partner or flatmate has used up all the hot water and left you with a cold shower to start the day, with nearly one-third (30%) of people saying it’s the very worst habit someone can have.

Heading into winter, the survey has also revealed four in 10 New Zealanders are often surprised at how high their electricity or gas bill is.

As a result, more than three-quarters (76%) of Kiwis have rules in place in their home to help save money and look after their environment.

Nearly half of all households (47%) have a shower time limit in place for their families, and a further 28% have reduced the temperature of their hot water to save.

A tenth of respondents (10%) said they had resorted to sharing showers and baths to save power.

Managing director for Rinnai NZ, Ray Ferner, says the figures reflect how much hot water supply and power bills impact on New Zealanders’ lives.

“Hot water accounts for around 30% of an average Kiwi household electricity bill, and is obviously in greater demand over the colder winter months, so it’s clearly an important concern for most homes,” says Ferner.

Rinnai offers a new power saving hot water cylinder that works by learning household hot water usage patterns, and reducing its cylinder temperature when not in use.

“The Rinnai Smart Cylinder allows homeowners to typically save 10-15* per cent on their water heating costs, which is a saving of $65 - $97** a year on power for an average New Zealand home. That’s a significant saving for most families, who are paying over $2000 every year for power,” says Ferner.