Dear Prudence,
My flatmate and I are engaged in a debate. She recently bought one of those pedestal mats—like a bathmat but for the toilet. The problem is I HATE it. I can’t get past the fact that we wouldn’t see anything get on there—it’s very dark in color—and I just know that realistically it’s not going to get washed often enough to be clean. I suppose perhaps it’s not any worse than a bathmat is, but a bathmat you need in case you slip! There’s no way a toilet rug is cleaner than the bare floor, right? I’m so uncomfortable with it I can’t use the toilet without shoes or slippers on. Her argument is that it means her feet don’t get cold from the tiles, and I think she believes she’ll wash it often enough that it’ll be the more hygienic option compared to the floor. Who’s right here? Is there such a thing as a shared bathroom veto power?