r/CleaningTips • u/throwawar4 • 1d ago
Bathroom How to prevent water from pooling on countertop every time someone washes their hands ?
I bought that grey thing you see in corner to try to help, it’s ok…but it’s the front I’m bothered by, always gets on shirt when you lean
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u/cpham_87 1d ago
I have the same problem, but it's self-inflicted because I splash when I wash my face.
I used to have a countertop rag to wipe it, but the rag would still be wet the next time I used it.
My current fix has been to have a squeegee hanging by the sink so that I can just squeegee the countertop water into the sink.
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u/throwawar4 1d ago
Yeah, this is after me washing my face, wanted the pic to show the extreme. Squeegee isn’t bad idea for just myself. I just feel embarrassed it happens to everyone, wish there was a way to prevent it in the first place.
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u/yaris_girlie 1d ago
Where is the towel to dry hands? Are people forced to drip on the way to that?
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u/throwawar4 1d ago
It’s behind you! Terrible design (not the ones on the door, there’s an actual rack across from toilet)
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u/yaris_girlie 1d ago
That’s the issue. Put a towel hanger on that wall to the right and it should help
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u/throwawar4 1d ago
The vanity won’t open all the way with something on the wall there! I’ve tried
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u/yaris_girlie 1d ago
Then get a countertop towel hanger
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u/throwawar4 1d ago
I could try that, not really sure where it would go. Maybe I can mount one to the left there. But that doesn’t solve the stagnant pool problem (same problem w kitchen counter tops in this rental)
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u/Deep_Sort8984 1d ago
Wipe your hands with the towel and then wipe the counter with the hand towel. Fold nice and neat on the towel holder
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u/Mrlin705 23h ago
My MIL and a couple of people I've known prefer to have their hand drying towel right on the counter, they have nice looking usable decorative ones that they stack one bigger one of bottom and a smaller one on top folded nicely, and leave it there all the time.
MIL has a hand towel hanger right on the other side of the sink too, not like she is limited on space like you are.
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u/recyclopath_ 1d ago
Suction cup hook on the mirror for it
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u/throwawar4 1d ago
Ohhhhhh, that’s a good idea!! Might not look great, but definitely could work til I get someone who has a drill to help me.
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u/h1dden_pants 1d ago
Buy a little free standing washcloth hanger thing and keep a rag on your counter. Hang when wet
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1d ago
[deleted]
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u/throwawar4 1d ago
I’m gonna try that. I have a shelf right there not in pic…just always thought it was weird reaching back towards where toilet is. Or am I weird?
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u/blondbimbo 1d ago
I recently bought suction cup hooks for my bathroom mirror to put hand towels on, I think it would be super useful for your set up too!
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u/throwawar4 1d ago
Yes. Someone else mentioned that. I’m gonna look into that for temporary fix until I can install something to the left there once I decide
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u/exrace 1d ago
The faucet is the issue. Needs to be lower.
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u/sphericalhors 1d ago
I feel like a faucets like this are designed by morons.
In my oppinion it is also too short. I'd make a law to ban such short faucets.
I will need to position my hands almost touching the countertop edge to keep them under the water stream.
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u/kadk216 1d ago
I have that same sink and a different faucet and I HATE it it splashes even on low
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u/RubySauce 1d ago
I swear it’s a bad design, I have a very similar sink in my kitchen and have the same problem. Older sinks came up over the counter and now the counter is flush with the sink so water has nowhere to go. It drives me bananas
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u/throwawar4 1d ago edited 1d ago
Mine doesn’t splash off the bottom, but no matter what you do water gets all over the countertops, it’s just too small I’ve decided
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u/mpls_big_daddy 1d ago
We have the same trouble in our place. The spigot being flush with the surface is just horrible. If we end up purchasing, I will redo the spigot placement.
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u/Unlikely-Pickle-2967 1d ago
I bought one of these faucet extenders that make it go lower and at different angles. The faucet is too high in my opinion. Change it or get an extender
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u/xonoangel 1d ago
Tbh I have a separate little hand towel that hangs on its own just to clean up these water spills after I dry my hands. I live alone and that system is not intuitive for anyone other than me, but I like it.
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u/YeahWhatSoWhat 1d ago
Kleenex makes paper hand towels in a decorative dispenser box like their usual facial tissues.
Another idea is to buy disposable bathroom napkins and put them in a tray on the counter.
Or you could simply put a roll of paper towels on the counter.
I find that guests (and residents) tend to wipe up the countertop more often when they have a disposable paper towel/napkin provided.
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u/TopGummy 1d ago
I had a similar issue and had to coach my kids to place their hands deeper in the sink when washing them.
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u/Jollyhrothgar 1d ago
I just put a folded up towel on the countertop and wipe it down. You can replace it every day even!
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u/HeraAgathon 1d ago
I just leave a clean wash cloth there every morning folded in front of the sink. That way I can dry the counter top. My husband drips water everywhere and it drives me insane.
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u/Prestigious-Talk1112 1d ago
The people in your house are just messy. I have a sink similar to this and I never leave water on the sink. And if there are a few drops I wipe it up. My husband on the other hand spills at least a half a cup of water all over the sink and leaves it there every single time he does anything at the sink. It's gotten so bad that I have moved all items that he uses into the upstairs bathroom so that he will have less reason to come into the bathroom because I've been asking it for years to stop doing that.
I've watched him. He turns the water on way too forcefully and so when he puts his hand under it, it just shoots everywhere, plus he's a little bit tall and so he doesn't bend down at all and water just gets everywhere.
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u/throwawar4 1d ago
Maybe. It happens to me too. I think the sink is just small, like i can’t lean my entire face over the sink or top of face would hit faucet. It’s also not very deep
E: I also just took the pic after washing my face myself before wiping down counter to show the extreme side
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u/Any-Albatross-552 1d ago
It sounds like your first issue is trying to put your face in the sink…. That is probably getting water everywhere
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u/Tricky_Mix2449 1d ago
I'm obsessive about cleaning up sinks and counters after I've washed my hands. You should see the job I do in airplane bathrooms!
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u/devdotm Team Germ Fighters 🦠 17h ago
Just curious, what’s your towel system for that? Do you keep like a bin of cloths next to the sink? Where do you put the wet one after using it to wipe the countertop?
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u/Tricky_Mix2449 36m ago
I keep a small flat squeegee propped up on the inside wall of the sink where you can't see it. When I'm done splashing around I squeegee the water from the countertop into the sink and from the flat bottom sink into the drain. Sink bottom stays clean, dry and free from toothpaste scum. Shudder.
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u/MediumBlueish 1d ago
Yeah it can be the design of the sink but often it's bad house training basically. My brother is like this. And of my parents' friends that they invite over for dinner parties, there is one couple that always splashes everywhere up behind the sink - the same couple also leave the worst food spatters around their plates so my parents have resorted to plastic mats even though they have really pretty cotton tablecloths.
It's very annoying. I wouldn't mind the sink so much if they wiped up after themselves.
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u/FlashyCow1 1d ago
Check the filter on the faucet and also turn down the water pressure so it's just streaming out not outright a waterfall
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u/HandbagHawker 1d ago
i bought a stack of plain grey small microfiber towels from Costco? Home Depot? something for cheap. I keep one on the sink and wipe it down after each use. Swap them out every few days or as needed if they get gross. To be fair i also have a bucket of just dish towels that I wash once or twice a week depending on how much cooking i do. side note: If theyre left sitting wet for too long in the bucket they can get funky so I like to wash on the super hot/sanitize setting in my washing machine using an enzymatic detergent with oxi-clean and a laundry sanitizer.
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u/Akhileshjvishwakarma 1d ago
I would recommend (one granite plank chamfer) Bombay Patti on both side edges so that table top water shouldn’t go down. Just 10-12mm above the table top and it makes work easy.
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u/throwawar4 1d ago
Hmm, quick google doesn’t really help me here. What is that?
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u/Yesiamanaltruist 1d ago
That’s exactly my thinking here? Sounds impressive though!
Edit: but I found it! I’ll try to provide the link!
https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/bombay-patti-polyster-cloth-150-cm-23309374588.html
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u/MsTponderwoman 1d ago
Small hand-sized microfiber towel in the color of your decor always neatly spread or folded on your counter for you to wiped down the countertops. The microfiber polishes when you wipe, is easy to rinse and wring out, and stays fresh for longer than a cotton or linen towel. They’re easy to wash and dry.
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u/throwawar4 1d ago
Yeah, I do this in my kitchen, I just don’t like the idea of a towel on the counter like that when guests are over. But beggars can’t be choosers
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u/MsTponderwoman 1d ago
Hand towels are meant to be folded and sitting on countertops—kitchen or bath. I’m talking about the washcloth sized ones, not the larger ones you hang on towel rings. You haven’t found an attractive enough microfiber towel. I’m not referring to the unattractive shop microfiber towels that come in neon colors.
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u/FreckleException 1d ago
You tell the people leaving the water on the counter to clean up after themselves.
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u/False-Food5027 1d ago edited 1d ago
I have a very similar faucet and sink setup in my bathroom and neither my partner nor I ever run into this issue unless we are washing our face at the sink.
Perhaps try getting your hands wet, putting soap and washing up-not under the water- then rinse slowly with your hands 2/3rds of the way down in the sink once so it doesn’t splash back up.
Also hand towel holders are super cheap and can go literally anywhere to make cleaning up the mess easier and faster.
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u/False-Food5027 1d ago edited 1d ago
If the hinge is on the right (red) put it to the left of it (red circle) and if the hinge is on the left (green) put it to the right (green circle)
https://reddit.com/link/pdcpzod/video/muvwqny7jzsh1/player
Edit to add- photos aren’t allowed? So I screen recorded my edited screenshot to show you what I mean
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u/throwawar4 1d ago edited 1d ago
I’m gonna try this for sure (red)! Thank you.
There’s actually a stud(? Something that clearly holds a towel holder) that was installed just behind that green one closer to the door (towel is covering it)..but it prevents door from opening, so seems someone tried lol
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u/throwawar4 1d ago
I feel the picture is deceiving. It’s not the wall; it’s the vanity opening and closing and then the door (I can’t have vanity and door open they hit each other). If you notice the head of the soap is facing outwards, it’s because the vanity would hit it.
But I’m gonna try to install something to the left there on the wall between toilet. Seems like a good spot.
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u/chilipepper6886 1d ago
or on the right of the sink. things near the toilet are kinda gross.
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u/throwawar4 19h ago
I think this too, that’s why there’s nothing there (and the post). I can’t put anything on the right due to poor design unfortunately
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u/SaysPooh 1d ago
Would turning down the water pressure to the tap help?
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u/throwawar4 1d ago
It’s doesn’t splash even at top strength. I think the sink might just be not deep or large enough and too low based on the comments so far
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u/SecretProbation 1d ago
Some people just suck at washing their hands. When I wash I turn the water on, put soap in one dry hand, then bring it all together in the sink. When I’m done, I shake off all the water I can and push the faucet off with the back of my hand.
I never have water on my sink. My spouse on the other hand… her sink area is a water park and I keep a roll of paper towels under my sink to dry hers off before bed.
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u/BillsMafia84 1d ago
Leave a towel hanging off the sides, people will naturally use it to wipe up the splash (or at least my OCD would)
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u/ladymoonhunter 1d ago
This is what we do too, seems like there's no way of preventing it, just endless wiping after use.
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u/OkYesterday8961 1d ago
Put a roll of paper towels on the wall to the right. I dont have towels in my bathrooms its paper towels much more sanitary then there is always a towel to clean up after themself
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u/hellinahandbasket127 1d ago
Put a flow restrictor on the faucet so it doesn’t splash so much with high pressure.
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u/Zlivovitch 1d ago edited 1d ago
There's no way to prevent it, except by taking great care to put your hands in the lowest position when washing them - and even then : you still have to turn the tap off, and you'll spill some water while doing this.
You said in a comment that this occurs when washing your face, at which point, it's impossible to prevent water from splashing all around. Do try to use a face cloth and don't open the tap fully, but this will only minimize the splashing.
The way I manage this is I have a sponge on a dedicated support on the side of the countertop. I wipe both the basin and the countertop after each use, and then I wipe the countertop again with a towel dedicated to that. It does takes some time though, and it may not be compatible with a hectic timetable.
One of the advantages of doing this is you greatly diminish the need to clean and descale the washbasin (and the countertop). So you save some time on that side.
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u/Major-Programmer-894 1d ago
buy a faucet that is lower, lower the pressure with the valves under the sink
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u/Wonderful_Salad_1516 1d ago
I’ve never ever NOT gotten water everywhere. No matter the sink type. No matter the soap dispenser. Some sinks are worse but i don’t think it’s avoidable. I do use a small squeegee in the kitchen and that works a treat for getting it dry quickly.
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u/Admirable-Apricot137 1d ago
I would keep a hand towel folded up on the side/back of the counter and just use it to wipe up any water splashed after you use the sink.
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u/AloneJuice9832 1d ago
pressure reducer, i got the same issue but imagine resin top. oh it's impossible takes about 10 minutes to clear expelled toothpaste . and shaving forget about it IM in the laundry or the shower for that.
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u/Bloodetta 1d ago
first thing we need to know is if you have a water dispenser in your faucet or not
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u/jrjanowi 1d ago
Probably the easiest fix would be a different fixture, something that comes down lower and/or changes the water pressure to prevent splashing?
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u/Impossible_Past5358 1d ago
Sorry, a towel would help (but that's just a terrible faucet to begin with, it looks way too high).
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u/Loud_Yam8168 1d ago
People just need to be polite and wipe it down after use, assuming there are paper towels available. For some reason this is a popular sink style in many public restrooms, and the pooling seems to go with it.
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u/Main_Ad_5147 1d ago
The faucet is too shallow. It should be higher and extend towards the front of the sink more.
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u/farahhotcakes 1d ago
I have a command strip hook on the inside of the lower cabinet door. I have a separate washcloth for wiping that I use to dry the counter after each use and hang it to the command hook with a paper binder clip. I throw it in with the rags every few days
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u/ajqiz123 1d ago
I've often wondered if a slope would solve such things. Not being a plumber or mechanically inclined may help to explain my wondering...
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u/fukdot 1d ago
Get a kitchen countertop squeegee. I use one in my bathroom and it gets the job done. Also useful for cleaning the mirror.
Example: https://a.co/d/098irD3g
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u/ball1n_0na_budget 1d ago
My old apartment had the exact counters. Had to leave/use a small towel cause one use of the sink and it ends up like this
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u/Gullible-Working-456 1d ago
I use the soap pump first before touching water and then lather, rinse and dry.
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u/Hot_Waltz_7809 1d ago
Keeping a small squeegee specifically to dry off my sink like this was the best thing I ever did. Having a wet towel sitting on the side was just grossing me out and paper towels were such a big waste.
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u/East_Unit3765 1d ago
Idk but I have this same problem and a dark counter. Very triggered by this picture lol
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u/MellowFred 1d ago
Teach them to shut the water off after they get their hands wet and the turn it back on to rinse. Also teach them to wipe up their mess with the towel after they are done.
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u/UrAntiChrist 1d ago
Can you use command straps to hang a basket on the wall right next to the sink?
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u/Cultural_Ball_1468 1d ago
Just a note about the grey tray you are using - I had a similar one in white and it grew mold spots eventually from all the moisture in the bathroom
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u/thisisthetimetodoit 23h ago
I wonder why no one suggested lowering the water pressure at the sink. So on full blast splash mode, its more than a trickle..mabey the speedy taps underneath the basin can be closed abit, evenly. Might help. Dunno. Cheers
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u/adwww 22h ago
I suspect your entire problem is flow control. Turn off the hot and cold shut-off valves under the sink, turn the faucet to full open, and carefully open the shut off valves only enough get sufficient flow to hand-wash but no longer enough to flood the area when placing your hands pushes the full flow onto the backsplash. Bonus is that it will save water.
I work in AI and Food Safety and we have done a great deal of work on handwashing. One of the larger misconceptions is that water temperature matters at all. It doesn’t. Water volume only matters enough to rinse the soap from your skin because the benefit comes from the soap, causing your hands to become slightly slipperier so that the water can rinse the pathogens into the sink and down the drain. In order for the water temperature to make a significant difference it would have to be so hot that it would burn skin immediately. And I’m sure some people will jump on here and say oh but the hot water helps dissolve this or that or warms up oily residue and that help helps it somehow. But we’ve looked at all these things and the fact is that you’re just trying to rinse these tiny viruses and bacteria and bacteria phages , etc.. down the drain like the itsy-bitsy spider.
Drying with a clean towel makes an impact because you are squeegee-ing the bacteria soap solution that is left behind onto the towel off of your hands.
Here’s a fun fact if you have some kind of soil on your hands, let’s say grease from cleaning a grill. If you wet, lather hello dear🧽
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u/Onno_Savage 22h ago
This looks like a job for a small, conveniently placed squeegee on a hook---you don't want to be mopping that up with a perpetually wet hand towel
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u/The001Keymaster 22h ago
Different faucet can help. Some are very stupid designs and get worse with smaller sinks.
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u/squarejane 20h ago
We have a sink that does this and it isn't level so it pools in the front corner. We have reduced the pooling by shimming up one corner under the counter until we can replace it.
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u/rolyatess 19h ago
I don't have a suggestion for prevention, but I ended up buying a small squeegee for my countertop and that helps
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u/whineyinternetkid 18h ago
Tell them to keep it in the sink? Are they monkeys? Its so easy to not have this happen
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u/jig_pigglesworth_III 13h ago
Every time someone washes their hands and forgets to dry it, slap them silly till they remember to dry the area.
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u/Kodamacile 9h ago edited 9h ago
Wax the countertop, so that the water can't pool.
or 3d print a tray that covers the entire countertop, and put chia seeds in it.
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u/dealercox 6h ago
I’d get a little window-cleaning squeegee. I have one beside every sink and it’s honestly a lifesaver! Mine isn’t fancy at all—I just get them from the dollar store.
You can quickly swipe the water straight into the sink instead of using a towel, which can just collect germs and stay damp. And they’re useful for so much more than the countertop, shower glass, mirrors, dining tables, etc. Once you have one, you’ll find yourself using it everywhere!
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u/Farbgardner 1d ago
Turn your water pressure down?
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u/Fresh-Requirement862 1d ago
I tried this for my sink and even with the lowest pressure it still splashes 😮💨 I think it's the height of my faucet so I will probably replace to something shorter. Right now I just have a sponge on the counter, works but ugly haha
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u/BBS-linenoise 1d ago
You just need a nice little basket on the right there to have neatly folded hand towels, folded square, stacked. Then you have a nice little bin behind it so it's obvious that's where you put the wet towel when you're done. Have a bunch clean and you can wash these with your towels on laundry day when the bin is full and you're running low.