To expect guests to bring toothpaste?

[peanacat]

Please settle a debate, all the guests we have from dh side (family and friends it seems) never bring their own toothpaste to use when they visit. Never been an issue with my side of the family. (Geographical thing maybe?)

Me and dh share toothpaste but I find it weird that people don’t bring their own to use when they visit and we have to share ours with the guests?

I have no idea why it irritates me so much, but just seems weird and kinda germy
Do you all take toothpaste when you go and stay somewhere?

I would have to file this thread under 'odd' along with the people that don't answer the door or phone ones.

Only on MN etc...

You can put toothpaste on a brush without it touching. Therefore avoiding all the imaginary mumsnet germs.

I always take my own toothpaste, but I hate the taste of Colgate, which seems to be what most people have. If I go to visit friends, I'd use shower gel, but avoid a soap. Daft really.

This is really about toothpaste application styles, isn’t it?

I sort of squeeze and then slightly wipe the tube opening against the brush so that it doesn’t leave a messy little trailing bit of paste. This means there is a modicum of brush/tube contact so yeah, I’d be a tiny bit reluctant to share with anyone other than DP. I wouldn’t lose sleep over it but I do take my own toothpaste everywhere.

Some people do it differently and their brush never touches the tube. For those people it must seem ridiculous to worry about sharing.

Can’t get very worked up about this unlike stand-up wiping, which is horrifying and a travesty

I'd find it really weird if a guest just helped themselves to our toiletries apart from handwash - I'd expect to be asked if ok because they'd forgotten toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo etc . Not germs or anything, just it's quite a personal thing.

As a guest I'd always take my own toiletries too! What if the room you're in has a rarely used en-suite and none has been left in there. Or if it's all put away in a cabinet. Or it's not what you'd want to use?!
To go opening bathroom cupboards is definitely an invasion of privacy (so ok maybe I might snoop, but I wouldn't want to start helping myself so they'd know!!!)

I live alone and have an ensuite so have all my own supplies.
My guest room is used 2 - 4 times a year. The shower cubicle has shampoo, conditioner and shower gel and there is liquid soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, moist wipes (and bin) for their use. It is up to them if they use mine or theirs.

The only thing I ask is that anything other than toilet paper goes in the bin not the loo.

I also provide towels and happily ask whether they have used them or their own so I know if they need washing

@ImportantWater, what if they put you in a room with your own ensuite bathroom, and there are no toiletries provided?

I use a specific toothpaste, but even if I didn't I wouldn't consider not taking my own.

As for the person that doesn't take deodorant, really?

There is so much variety with that. I don't use an antiperspirant which, judging by the shelves in the supermarket, most people do. I don't use a spray or a roll on, again most people do.

If you are used to using antiperspirant, you really don't want to stop using it while you are on holiday as someone's guest! If you are coming to visit me - take your own!

(But you can use the shampoo, conditioner, soap, shower gel and toothpaste if you want)

I would have no issues with a guest using toothpaste but I would assume they had forgotten theirs rather than expecting to use mine. Ditto shampoo, conditioner etc. I wouldn't share deodorant but I use roll on, different if its spray I suppose.

I'm fascinated by people who don't take their own toiletries. If I'm going anywhere my wash bag has toothbrush + paste, soap (allergic to most shower gel), deodorant, mini shampoo, mini conditioner, cleanser, moisturiser etc. Everyone I know does the same as far as I'm aware.

I generally take my own because there are lots of kinds of toothpaste that I don't really like, but it's only on taste grounds. And most people who visit us bring their own (but it's generally parents and they all seem to have special toothpaste for different issues), if someone hasn't brought any I give them a new tube and when they've gone it goes back in the cupboard and comes out when we finish our current tube. There's no need to throw it away or have it hang around for 6 years of occasional guest use!

This thread is hilarious. What a bunch of loons!

In my cough thirty-something cough years, it has NEVER occurred to me that it might be gross to share toothpaste. And I suffered from almost crippling health anxiety for well over a decade.

I do sometimes take my own, because I travel a lot for work and always pack it for hotel stays, so it's just habit. But gosh, it wouldn't even cross my mind to ask if I forgot, I'd just help myself. And I'd expect my guests to do the same.

Same goes for shower gel, soap, moisturiser, towels, loo roll and perfume. I'd not take someone's roll-on deodorant but tbh if family or a good friend asked to use mine I wouldn't think twice about it.

Seems I am disgusting!

I really wouldn't care if my guests used my toothpaste. Or shampoo. Welcome to.
But maybe that's because I only host close friends who I like very much . Might feel differently if it was someone I didn't know well! Or don't like.

Xing, surely just say: “hello, friend, do you have some toothpaste I could use please?”

Yes it's not like you are inviting dirty strangers to stay.
They are friends & family cleaning their teeth FGS.

This thread is hilarious. What a bunch of loons!

You're my new favourite poster

I have never taken toothpaste when staying with anyone and no one has ever brought to mine in all my years of guests. This also applies to family members on both mine and my DH's side. I never touch the brush with toothpaste, just squeeze above in a line across the brush.

I do take shower gel, shampoo etc though, but also provide for guests when they are here, along with towels etc in case they didn't bring any.

Get this.

I swig my mouth wash into my gob straight out of the bottle. Everyone is welcome to it.

To all the people that say no guest has ever taken toothpaste to your house - how would you even know?

I keep my toiletries in a bag and don't leave it in the family bathroom, as usually there isn't space.

Try having step kids who never bring a single thing with them and use everything including my razor and tooth brush!! They’ve had the usual supplies many times but take them to their mother’s!! Makes my teeth itch!

As a guest I'd always take my own toiletries too! What if the room you're in has a rarely used en-suite and none has been left in there. Or if it's all put away in a cabinet. Or it's not what you'd want to use?!

Well I suppose that's the divide we're seeing on this thread isn't it? If I'm having guests then I make a point of ensuring there's shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, toothpaste etc available for them to use. There's no question of it just not being there or shut away in a cupboard they're afraid to open. I honestly see this as just part and parcel of having guests especially if it's a family including dc. They've got enough stuff to remember!

Whether it's what people want to use is a completely different issue and I don't think anyone is suggesting taking advance orders re preferred brands. I won't lie - I'm not leaving out my nice Trilogy or Cowshed stuff but a few bottles of boots/superdrug products won't break the bank and makes life a lot more convenient for my guests who I do actually like.

Re deodorant, you know, I wouldn’t actually be adverse to a close friend or a relative using my roll-on on their freshly washed armpit straight after the shower. That’s the kind of thing I’d expect them to ask about and because it was forgotten tho.

Also I don’t have an issue with hairbrush sharing.

Obviously I’m gross.

I don't take any toiletries when I visit friends or family and I wouldn't expect people to bring them to my house either.

Absolutely fine if they want to bring them but I wouldn't expect them to.

I would take toothpaste to a hotel because they don't usually provide it but I wouldn't bother at someones house where I know there will be toothpaste.

Yes if you are having guests to stay be a host. Get them stuff, leave them some toiletries and a towel out it's not hard. Make them feel a bit welcome.
Very glad to not be a visitor at some of the households described on here.

Actually thinking about it I do usually take my own deodorant but I wouldn't mind if someone wanted to use mine (even the roll on )