Four out of ten women have snooped in a friend’s bathroom cabinet – to uncover intimate secrets about their beauty regime, health or love-life, new research reveals.
A study found that the temptation of uncovering secrets leads millions of women to indulge in a quick rummage with the bathroom the room in the house where a cheeky snoop behind the scenes is irresistible.
Remarkably, one in twenty has been cheeky enough to take something from someone else’s bathroom cabinet for their own use.
It also emerged that a third of women have snooped in a potential new boyfriend’s cabinet to search for female-related products.
The study of 2,000 women, commissioned by leading bathroom care brand, Bloo, found that more than two thirds of women describe themselves as a touch nosy.
While 75 per cent are convinced you can tell a lot about a person by the appearance of their bathroom.
It makes sense then that 84 per cent of women say they always clean the bathroom before welcoming visitors, believing that they will be judged more by this space than any other in their homes.
Psychologist Jo Hemmings, who worked alongside Bloo on the research, commented: “The bathroom is unique in our homes as it is quite personal, yet also relatively public.
“While we probably don’t spend as much time in there as some of our other rooms, it nevertheless holds a lot of our ‘secrets’ and reveals a little more about our personalities.
“We feel that people will judge our general hygiene standards by the cleanliness of our bathrooms and of course it’s also the one room where you can lock yourself away in someone else’s home, providing the perfect opportunity to have a little peek into aspects of their lifestyle.”
The study also found sussing out a potential partner’s beauty or skin regime and snooping in order to find out how vain someone is were other common reasons to give in to temptation.
It comes as little surprise then that over half of women believe that friends have returned the favour and had a cheeky snoop around their bathroom.
And that 85 per cent worry that they will be judged on its appearance.
Perhaps that’s why a fifth of women leave cleaning products clearly visible so that their commitment to bathroom cleanliness and aesthetics is obvious to guests.
Indeed, 29 per cent of women say they are most concerned with the bathroom being welcoming and stylish.
Jon Burton, Marketing Director for Bloo, commented: “The research unveils some interesting insights about what happens when guests use the bathroom. It reinforces the importance of always keeping the bathroom beautiful, just in case someone unexpectedly pops round.
Jo added: “If you’re on a date, or in a new relationship, it can be fascinating to see just how thorough someone’s beauty regime is, and how high their hygiene and lifestyle standards really are – with revelations ranging from hair colorants, vitamin supplements, condoms, shaving items and cleaning products, as well as items that may appear to be more appropriate for the opposite sex
“We’ve been color co-ordinating other rooms in our houses for a long time, so it makes sense to theme our bathrooms in the same way. Some people match towels, loo rolls, fragrances and cleaning accessories. They might even use an in-cistern block to color the water of the loo.
“By doing this, we are making a positive statement to visitors that we care both about the appearance and the cleanliness of the smallest room in the house, and that we want to make them feel comfortable and relaxed when they use it.”
TOP 10 QUESTIONS SNOOPERS ARE LOOKING TO ANSWER
1. Are they hiding anything?
2. Are they on any strange medication?
3. Do they use quality/expensive scents/ products etc.?
4. Do they have other men/women stay/seeing anyone else?
5. Are they too vain/ focussed on their looks?
6. Are they healthy/ taking vitamins etc.?
7. Are they taking anything questionable/illegal?
8. Do they sleep around/ have lots of partners?
9. Do they floss?
10. Do they have problems in the bedroom?
TOP 10 REASONS TO SNOOP IN SOMEONE’S BATHROOM CABINET
1. I was just being nosey
2. I wanted to see what products they owned
3. It’s easy to look through it without getting caught
4. I wanted to find something about their beauty regime
5. I wanted to find out some secrets
6. I needed a plaster
7. I had a headache and needed paracetamol
8. I wanted to see what products I could use
9. I know they have snooped through mine
10. I wanted to find something shocking
ENDS
