As a REALTOR with nearly 20 years of experience showing homes, I’ve always found it pretty gross when people step all over a seller’s bath mat. After all, that’s where you step out of the shower clean! Whenever I see one, I make sure to walk around it, and when I watch others step on it with their shoes, I can’t help but cringe.
I always suggest sellers place their bath mats over the tub edge or fold them up and store them in the linen closet.
A study by a British company involving thousands of households found that bath mats can harbor more germs than toilet bowls. Used every day after a shower or bath, they’re constantly exposed to moisture, dead skin cells, and occasional splashes of contaminated water from nearby toilets. This mix creates the perfect breeding ground for fecal bacteria, fungi, and yeast.
What’s even more concerning is that the survey shows nearly a third of people clean their carpets only two or three times a year, even though they’re used daily. Over time, this thick fabric can quietly turn into a hidden hotspot for microorganisms that may irritate the skin, affect the respiratory system, or even lead to infections if the immune system is compromised.
Now add dirty shoes to this mat and presto! you're in danger!
Bacteria! Viruses! Protozoa! Fungai! Gross! Ick! Nasty! Gag!
Bath Mat Facts & Articles:
A Microbiologists' take on bath mat
Why You Shouldn't Wear Shoes Inside
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