# Bathroom door: open or closed? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 24, 2017, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590 "2017-11-24T14:25:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/1 "2017-11-24T14:25:23Z")
Unoccupied bathrooms. Everyone has their own policy. What’s the rule at your house? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/2 "2017-11-24T14:56:12Z")
#1 or #2? At any rate, my wife is a door-open person and I’m a door-closed person. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/3 "2017-11-24T15:08:50Z")
When the door is closed, that means someone is in there. To close the door of an empty bathroom, thereby making people who have to use it think they have to wait indefinitely, is sadistic. ---
**Author:** ![ASGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@ASGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/4 "2017-11-24T15:29:39Z")
There is no rule at my abode but I am the only occupant. Realistically, the only time the door gets closed is (A) if I have visitors; (B) the breeze from the open window closes the door for me; © I don’t want the cold unheated room air to chill the heated space outside (winter only). ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/5 "2017-11-24T15:33:37Z")
Unoccupied open. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/6 "2017-11-24T15:36:45Z")
What is this fan you speak of, and why would I want to have a noisy thing in my bathroom when God already invented windows? And why would anybody have a fan going in an empty bathroom, do they really really really like noise? My family will have the door closed if there is someone using the throne or to preserve a temperature differential (room may be occupied or not; we all have knuckles and know how to use them). ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/7 "2017-11-24T15:41:40Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > What is this fan you speak of, and why would I want to have a noisy thing in my bathroom when God already invented windows? And why would anybody have a fan going in an empty bathroom, do they really really really like noise? > > My family will have the door closed if there is someone using the throne or to preserve a temperature differential. Most people seem to think that the fan does something to the smell and I guess I sympathize because, you know, bathroom smell–someone should be doing something. However, the real reason for the fan is to remove moisture and keep your house from rotting. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/8 "2017-11-24T15:44:05Z")
That assumes an area where there are important amounts of moisture. You ever seen Game of Thrones? A bunch of the scenes with the Dothraki were filmed within a stone’s throw of my hometown - we use humidifiers to keep the air inside houses from being _too dry_. And we tend to prefer passive methods of airing rooms to those that use energy (and make noise!). We also use the big fusion dryer in the sky for our clothing. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/9 "2017-11-24T16:50:53Z")
I’ve always been a “door open, everything off” guy. Where it gets confusing is when you have guests who do not share the same bathroom door philosophy. I really don’t understand “door closed” people. I don’t want to have to deduce whether someone is behind a closed bathroom door or not. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/10 "2017-11-24T16:54:20Z")
Door open, light and fan off … and toilet seat UP … my cats like to play in the water and I’m not comfortable them touching where your butt’s been … ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/11 "2017-11-24T16:56:34Z")
I don’t care, but it seems that keeping the door closed would be more civilized. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/12 "2017-11-24T16:58:08Z")
It’s just me and my wife, so we keep the door closed to keep the cats out. Our bathroom door also opens up into a narrow hallway, so you can’t walk around it if it’s open. If we have guests, we leave the door open a crack. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/13 "2017-11-24T17:31:14Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > What is this fan you speak of, and why would I want to have a noisy thing in my bathroom when God already invented windows? Just FYI, the building code in CA has required there to be a fan in any bathroom, even if it has a window, for quite awhile now. Same with laundry rooms. Now, they have to be equipped with a humidity sensor so they come on automatically if the humidity reaches a certain point. It’s the law!! 🙂 And the main light needs to be on a vacancy sensor (I think that’s what they call it now; used to be “occupancy sensor”, IIRC), so it turns off automatically if there is no movement after a certain amount of time. You don’t get to leave the main light on even if you want to. Of course, many folks get rid of those things once they pass the final inspection… ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/14 "2017-11-24T17:38:36Z")
Just me living here, and I generally keep the door closed. I only ever run the lights or fan when I have to (I do have a window in there, but it’s a skylight, and this is England, so opening it isn’t necessarily going to make the place drier). My last place was a shared house, but we still always kept the door closed, or at most cracked open. Not sure if it’s occupied? Knock, or try the handle if you’re feeling brave. The bathroom rarely smells nicer than the room it opens into. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/15 "2017-11-24T18:15:19Z")
Wait – I didn’t see that it was a rule for **unoccupied** bathrooms. Why would you have the lights on in an unoccupied bathroom (except maybe for kids to find it at night)? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/16 "2017-11-24T18:16:50Z")
I live by myself so the door is open, the light is on, and there isn’t a fan. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/17 "2017-11-24T18:45:33Z")
Door closed to keep the dog and cat out. Locked means occupied. Lights out. Fan depends on whether it needs to be on or not. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/18 "2017-11-24T19:35:45Z")
My (undiagnosed) low-level OCD causes me to want all lights out in rooms not being used. That would go for a fan, too, unless there was a specific reason otherwise. And if there are two clocks that are both visible from some point? They need to show the same time!! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/19 "2017-11-24T19:49:04Z")
I don’t have a rule. I have two. During the day: Door closed, light off, fan on. At night: Door open, light off, fan off. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590/20 "2017-11-24T20:06:48Z")
> [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](#): > > I don’t have a rule. > > I have two. > > During the day: Door closed, light off, fan on. > At night: Door open, light off, fan off. Why fan off ever? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathroom-door-open-or-closed/802590.md?page=2)