# Bathtub Question: rubber mat, or flower-shaped stickers? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 4, 2006, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathtub-question-rubber-mat-or-flower-shaped-stickers/379054 "2006-11-04T02:15:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathtub-question-rubber-mat-or-flower-shaped-stickers/379054/42 "2015-02-14T19:47:22Z")
> [@betenoir](#): > > I think the flower shaped stickers are insipid. They remind me of Henry Gibson on “Laugh-In”. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathtub-question-rubber-mat-or-flower-shaped-stickers/379054/43 "2015-02-14T20:36:52Z")
Nothing. I live my life…well, nowhere near the edge, but I do go barebottomed in the shower. I did buy some of these at the dollar store once: [http://thumbs1.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mtJD\_pdu6T-sJMV\_qXsVWDQ.jpg](http://thumbs1.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mtJD_pdu6T-sJMV_qXsVWDQ.jpg) because I needed colored suction cups for the octopus in this: [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/2828/8797864429_bb58a88d6f_b.jpg "Quilt10") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/90868696@N06/8797864429/) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathtub-question-rubber-mat-or-flower-shaped-stickers/379054/44 "2015-02-16T05:17:04Z")
> [@Not\_a\_Platypus](#): > > I don’t use anything, but I’ve never had a problem with slipping. Likewise. The lady of the house uses a shower chair. I use that as well, makes for a great place to sit while scrubbing the calluses off my feet. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathtub-question-rubber-mat-or-flower-shaped-stickers/379054/45 "2015-02-16T06:54:33Z")
At my age, my soles are so rough, they provide their own traction. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathtub-question-rubber-mat-or-flower-shaped-stickers/379054/46 "2015-02-16T11:44:45Z")
I’ve used both systems. The stickers are a problem for the reasons others have said. It is not easy to get the bath tub sufficiently clean for them to stick long term. I suspect a lot of people just slap them on after a standard cleaning. You need to specifically use a de-greaser on the tub first, that porcelain has to be absolutely clean, like clean-room clean, to get a good bond. Eventually they’ll peel up, but if you do it right it will be years and not months. Then you have to de-gum/de-grease again to get the outlines up. The mats need to be pulled up and hung to dry after use or they get obscene. They need to be cleaned. And they need to be replaced from time to time. As a long-term renter I’ll usually consult the landlord before applying something semi-permanent like tub-stickers, so usually I wind up using a mat. ---
**Author:** ![MrsTime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@MrsTime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrsTime)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathtub-question-rubber-mat-or-flower-shaped-stickers/379054/47 "2015-02-16T16:32:45Z")
We own…we also have a sort of woven nylon(?)mat with lots of suction cups. We take it up and hang it after each shower. I find that when I put it in the tub I need to make sure some of the suction cups are pressed down, as getting in the tub the mat has slipped a couple of times before the suction cups were pressed down. We do use the mat all the time since we are both in our middle 70’s. Broken bones in old folks can be very bad for ones health. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bathtub-question-rubber-mat-or-flower-shaped-stickers/379054.md?page=2)