Ask Merri and Webster: smelly towel
I share a communal bathroom with somebody who keeps their towel in it. Lately, it has developed a strong, gross smell. What do I do?
Merri: Yikes, personal hygiene stuff can be pretty awkward, but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. Head over to your hall or suite group chat, or hall meeting if you have those, and politely ask someone to handle the towel situation. Hopefully, the towel should be gone or washed very soon, without needing to embarrass anybody. If that tactic doesn’t work or if you don’t have those channels of communication, then leave a diplomatic note on the towel or under their door reminding them of the boundless benefits of regularly doing laundry.
Webster: You have one of three options. Or some combination.
Option one: If you already know whose towel it is, take the towel and put it on the offender’s door handle, bed or other intimate and invasive space. Air it out in this space so it’s as smelly and passive aggressive as possible. While you’re at it, move all of the rest of their stuff from the bathroom to this space as well, for maximum pettiness. They’ll get the message.
Option two: If you don’t know whose towel it is, install a hidden camera in the bathroom. Voila — now you know who it is, and you have blackmail material to coerce them to do whatever you want, the first of which to wash the nasty towel. Done and done.
Option three: Just slam dunk that shit into the trash.
“Ask Merri and Webster” is an advice column authored by two Thresher editorial staff members. Readers can email their inquiries to thresher@rice.edu.
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