British Blokes Admit to Hiding in Their Bathrooms to Get Some Peace and Quiet

A third of British blokes admit to HIDING in their bathrooms to get some peace and quiet, according to a study.

Researchers who polled 1,000 men found they spend a total of seven hours a year in the bathroom – just for brief respite. In addition to getting some quiet time, they also escape to the toilet when their other half is ‘nagging’ them – or to avoid the kids.

Chore avoidance and the chance to look at their mobile phone undisturbed are also key reasons for nipping off to the bathroom. Commissioned by bathroom experts, Pebble Grey, the research also found one in 10 visits to the bathroom are interrupted on average – that’s 171 during the course of a typical year.

A spokesman said: “We all need a little bit of time to ourselves – to take stock or switch off completely.
“And the bathroom appears to be the go-to place for those moments – it’s very much a sanctuary, somewhere we can cut ourselves off from the outside world, albeit just temporarily.

“As the results suggest, peace and quiet is sacred and clearly men take the opportunity to get this where they can – often in the bathroom.”

The research also found those polled are most likely to be disturbed by their partners – although children aren’t far behind. Forty-five per cent said getting any time to themselves is a struggle – and a quarter claimed their partner doesn’t appreciate just how busy their life is. In fact, 25 per cent of men said if they couldn’t escape to the bathroom from time to time they ‘don’t know how they’d cope.’

For a third, going to the bathroom is the only way they can get any time to themselves. While 23 per cent describe their bathroom as their little refuge – their ‘safe place.’ Fourteen per cent revealed they store items such as magazines, books and even food for those times they hide away in the bathroom.

Despite being their place of calm, 44 per cent of men admit their partner still tends to clean the bathroom most often. A further 1,000 women also took part in the survey carried out through OnePoll.com and 72 per cent agreed they’re the ones who tend to keep it spick and span. And the bathroom isn’t just a refuge for men – more than one fifth described it as the place they go to escape everyone and get some much needed peace.

So perhaps it’s no surprise one in 10 households have even resorted to introducing a ‘do not disturb’ rule when the bathroom is in use. Although 85 per cent of those of who have introduced this rule STILL get interrupted.

The Pebble Grey spokesman added: “Apparently some things aren’t sacred anymore – including being left alone to use the loo. “So it’s no wonder so many households have introduced rules to prevent disturbances. Sadly though it seems few people adhere to this rule or respect the hallowed ground that is the bathroom.”