What's the weirdest house rule you've ever experienced as a house guest?

[Creativemode]

Just that really.

Mine is someone that wouldn't let me flush the toilet incase it woke their children.

Also another wouldn't let me go upstairs to the toilet incase the stairs creaked and woke their children (there was no downstairs toilet).

I had a school friend that wasn't allowed fish and chips in the house because of the smell.

Molly that's weird. They should have hung the rug on the wall if they loved just looking at it so much.

We have to do the toilet paper in a bin thing (South America). It's gross, but the alternative (overflowing toilets) is way worse. Fortunately most of the guests who make it here are well-travelled and take it in their stride.

The no loo roll down the loo in Greece is very very common and I can't believe people would just ignore it. How utterly irresponsible!

The no toilet tissue issue in Greece can also apply in other countries including the UK where there is a septic tank not mains waste drainage. It could cause backing up and blockages, break the pump and system which is costly and can release untreated human waste into the environment - none of which you really wouldn't want to experience. Any contact with untreated human waste can pose significant health risks, and untreated wastewater from failing septic systems can contaminate nearby wells, groundwater, and drinking water sources. I'm surprised people aren't familiar with the risks and would ignore the rule.

Essential - the house we stayed in in Greece also had no loo paper down loo rule. I ignored it, I just couldn't leave loo paper in an open bin, but nothing went wrong with the plumbing despite loo paper going down pipes.

This isn't so much as a house rule, as a country wide rule. Greek drain pipes are too narrow or something.

TwigletsMakeMeViolent

For a quiet flush (it is also more powerful) use a Flapper Valve instead of a syphon

For a quiet fill in the cistern, there are various modern fill valves, the quietest I know is the Torbeck, though Amitage Shanks and others make copies, or there are Fluidmaster valves which might last longer.

The noisy loft tank is most often because the ballcock is worn out and needs replacing. This is the best one. Observe the white plastic bridge on the top. You can dismantle the old one and replace the worn parts if your time has no value.

Thank you PigletJohn, how useful. Much appreciated.

Seriously weird, citychick. My poor friend was utterly miserable the whole of her first year at uni as she ended up there.

When I was a teenager my friend's dad said that sanitary towels should be burned in the living room fire. I was expected to go downstairs and put a used sanitary towel in the fire in front of the adults watching TV. There was no bathroom bin. Friend offered to do it for me, but I'm ashamed to say that I rolled mine up as small as they could go and hid them behind the waste pipe of the toilet. I think her mum must have found them (I went there fairly often) because after a while a bin appeared.

You can put toilet roll down the loo in houses with septic tanks in the UK! Not tampons (as the plumber told me sternly after a rodding incident), but toilet roll is perfectly ok.

TooExtraImmatureCheddar wow that's bizarre.

At PIL's house there are 2 toilets. You are only allowed to poo in one of them.

But you aren't supposed to put tampons down ANY toilet are you?

X posts

Oh I am guilty of the not flushing at night thing though (but only if it's just pee). Particularly at the moment as 'm heavily pregnant and peeing in the en-suite at least 10 times a night, and I'm really sure DH doesn't want to get woken up by the loo flushing each time I go for a pee.

I was once asked to remove my black socks in case the fluff off them made the cream carpet look grubby!

PerpetualStudent

My parents - weren't allowed to put the light on in the bathroom or flush the loo as it woke my mother up. Were provided with torch.

Friend in the country. No shoes in the house, not even slippers, and have polished wooden stairs with no rail (must buy those grippy socks for next visit). Complex rules about openness of bathroom window (basically safe if you don't ever change current state). Not allowed to wash up as would do inferior job and not rinse correctly (would think was a win but feel awkward when drying towels snatched away).

MIL - dogs not allowed in her house (despite her having a cat in the past, so not a fur thing). Have to say with SIL which is a win.

A guy I used to work with used to bring his trainers to work with him and change into them when he got there. This was because, although his wife didn't mind him wearing any other type of shoe in the house, the deep ridged soles on trainers left ridges on the carpet, which she didn't like.

Also, I had a friend whose parents wouldn't allow fish and chips or curry in the house because of the smell.

B&B in France.
The lights had to be turned on and off in a certain order, and the right hand curtain had to be opened before the left-hand curtain. There was a loo down the corridor, which had to be flushed in a certain way, and it was 'probably best' if I didn't use the bedside table.

I was intrigued, and rebelliously put my glasses on the bedside table, which collapsed.

I wonder if it's still around? (the hotel not the bedside table)

FleshEmoji Is that you Jackie? I might be your friend in the country..... I only impose the bathroom window rules on DP though.

Ah no just re-read, I allow slippers!

My in-laws are partly nocturnal, but they will not allow anyone to flush the damned toilet at night because they say it's too noisy (it's an average toilet). This ban on nighttime noise doesn't extend to them pottering around making coffee every hour through the night, putting the radio on, clattering plates for snacks...

So before you can wee when you get up you have to flush away a festering piss cocktail of what looks like a couple of litres of Lucozade with toilet roll dissolving in it . They wonder why we prefer to stop in a hotel.

About the 'no flushing' thing. I don't usually flush at night for wees. I grew up outside of the UK where it was always dry with serious water restrictions and it was pretty standard. I think you'll find a lot of South Africans and Australians will do this.
I still feel guilty about wasting water by flushing too often. I certainly don't insist that guests don't do it though.

Mine are common it seems! Well not mine but my DP and PIL used to stay over at SILs house who had two young kids. Once they were in bed (upstairs!) you weren't allowed to flush the toilet, talk above a whisper, had to have on subtitles with no sound on the to, no using the computer because of the tapping sound, smokers had to go and smoke on the street.. and she used to tell them off if they did any of these things! They haven't stayed since as they just felt so unwelcome. His parents are so easygoing so they were shocked at how rigid she was.

We used to have a no flush unless strictly necessary after the baby had gone to bed rule when we lived in a house with ancient plumbing. Flushing the loo started a chain reaction of gurgling, groaning and wailing pipes culminating in an ear splitting roar which quite literally made all the windows I the house rattle. We dispensed with the the rule after moving house though