The last place I care to bathe in Chico is in the bathroom of any student’s home but my own. And stepping foot in my own can be risky.

Sophomore year my roommate returned from the WREC one night to supplement his growing body with protein powder. After gulping down two shakes he indulged in a heavy protein based dinner.

Half an hour later our bathroom floor and door were covered in a layer of amino acids and we needed a plumber for the damage to our toilet. But my roommate left town the next day leaving me to clean up his mess.

At the end of the day, college roommates are not going to be the most sanitary roommates. It is unlikely that everyone will clean, but hopefully somebody does.

Upon visiting my brother at San Diego for spring break I walked into his roommate’s bathroom to find:

• The door without a bottom hinge

• A once white-tiled shower turned orange.

• Band-aids stuck to the walls.

A mosquito eater stained to the mirror forewarning other critters that a bug’s life is not in the bathroom.

Or in this case, maybe it is.

Living with that bathroom for a week made me appreciate my roommate’s subpar cleaning habits.

First and foremost, we have established sides of the sink. With all that goes down behind bathroom doors – brushing of the teeth, shaving of the dedicates, relieving thyself – neither of us wishes to witness any fluids but our own.

I am loyal to Colgate. I recognize when the blue paste of Crest is glued to the counter-top left of the sink.

As for the shower, neither of us wants to clean it but for the sake of our souls the acrylic base must be scrubbed.

Regarding the toilet bowl, I recommend shifts because no student should have to clean that shit alone.

A bathroom can be a mess but it’s worth keeping it fresh.

Miles Inserra can be reached at [email protected] or m_inserra on Twitter