Guests using your shower gel?

[MrsB76]

This is really just a minor niggle but I'm curious - is it really silly of me to begrudge visiting family members the use of my shower gel? I just had my MIL and SIL stay for a few days overnight and I bought them travel size toiletries (they came on a plane) and DH thinks I should be more hospitable and just let them use my shower gel (well mine and his) and toothpaste. Really?

[whois]

I'd expect them to bring their own but if they didn't I'd get the cheaper stuff out for them

But you'd cook them nice food? Give them nice wine to drink? Turn up the heating so the house is nice and warm? Make their bed up?

[yankeecandle4]

I would much rather share shower gel/toothpaste than towels. The skid mark thread on here put me right off.

For those who think they should bring their own toiletries, do you charge for food or ask them to bring their own?

[GoringBit]

I think it's really interesting, the different expectations that people have as guests/hosts. That said, don't think there's a right or wrong way.

[MyFavouriteClintonisGeorge]

Anything special I would remove. We have to spend a fortune on a particular pharmacy brand for DH, for example, as it is the only thing he isn't allergic to. I'd hide that, but leave out something else nice for guests.

I would provide a mini toothpaste, as I use one most people really don't like.

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

Guests have always been free to use our stuff when they visit. If there was anything specific I didn't want them to use I would move it out of the bathroom.

[BlueJug]

YANBU - I hate people using my stuff. Much rather buy then their own stuff for the duration.
As a guest I would never dream of using someone's personal products. Ugh!

[NotMeNotYouNotAnyone]

Yabu

But having given them mini ones they could've got the hint...

If I like someone enough to have them to stay or stay at theirs i won't begrudge a bit of shampoo or shower gel!

[QuietWhenReading]

Most people bring their own but I gave no problem with them using ours.

We have a guest bathroom (never otherwised used) and have it stocked with shower gel and shampoo.

[Sparklingbrook]

I am the same as you Chazs.

Where do you stand on loo roll and liquid soap OP?

[Jw35]

All I care about is whether my guests have a good time and are comfortable. They should treat my house like their home and use whatever they like in the bathroom! Same for food and drink. I'm likely to do a big shop in preparation including extra shower gel and soap.

[OurBlanche]

Towels? I put plenty of them out. Why on earth not? They take up far too much space in your luggage - but yes, I did read that thread

When we visit I take personal toiletries, deodorant, make up, perfume, toothbrush and toothpaste.

I had never thought anyone would do anything different. So I provide everything. I wouldn't say anything if someone used my toothpaste, but I do always hesitate...

[YakTriangle]

I take my own when I go places, and guests have brought their own whenever they've stayed at my house.. But I would not expect anyone to be horrified if I needed a squeeze of toothpaste or whatever and I wouldn't be if they did, either.

[Sallyhasleftthebuilding]

You wouldn't go on holiday without toothpaste so why would you visit someone and stay in their house and use their bathroom stuff??

I doubt begrudge it - but neither do I assume someone would buy it for me!!

[bessiebumptious2]

Toothpaste? I get cold sores. If anyone wants to share my toothpaste, knock yourself out!! But don't blame me if you then have a lifetime of bloody misery.

I always have a new tube of toothpaste for this reason (I don't even share with DP, whether I have a current cold sore or not). Don't share hand/bath towels either, but do share shower gel although I move my Molton Brown stuff when DP's children arrive!

[trixymalixy]

YABU. Guests in my house are free to use whatever they can see in the bathroom. If there was something specific I'd move it out, but toothpaste is fair game.

[wonkylegs]

Guests use the kids bathroom, I don't expect them to use minions shower gel or kids shampoo so there is some spare grown up stuff in there too.
This also means my expensive stuff is just for me as its in our bathroom which is just for us.

[FarrowandBallAche]

How did you even notice?

[MrsB76]

This is really interesting, rather a wide range of opinions. It's not a cost issue for me but more of a question of boundaries. So I'm more OK with shower gel and less with toothpaste. And let's not even get started on intimate wash...

[anonymous67]

I once had a guest stay. I told them to "help themselves to shower gel etc". I went in my bathroom and found they had indeed helped themselves and even used MY TOOTHBRUSH to brush their teeth.

I was horrified.

[MrsKoala]

I don't really think of shower gel and toothpaste as 'mine' i think of it as 'the bathroom's' . So anyone showering uses 'the' shower gel, anyone cleaning their teeth uses 'the' toothpaste, anyone shitting uses 'the' loo roll etc. I would think it odd if someone came to stay with those things. I never travel with them and assume every bathroom i go to will have them for general bathroom use.

Expils and exBils used to all keep their stuff in a wash bag in their bedside cabinets with their own towels too, when it was their time in the bathroom they would queue outside holding all their stuff. I found it so weird, like a bizarre house share.

[goodnightdarthvader1]

What a weird thread. I'm clearly the only one who takes my own toiletries and wouldn't expect to use other people's except in an emergency.

[miaowmix]

Since when did people get so tight?
I would buy really nice stuff (maybe not Jo Malone price but still) specifically for guests to use. I'm super old-fashioned about being a good host...

[miaowmix]

X post just seen it's not a cost thing.
I can't really relate to your fears about sharing (eg) toothpaste, but surely if there's any issue, you'd buy them their own?