“Bakit laging basa ang sabon ko?”
From toothpastes to cooking oil and, yes, bath soaps, the best things in the flats are free – or so, the mantra seems when you live in a crowded shared accommodation where most everybody is in a rush preparing dinner in the kitchen or doing a fast break shower to beat the morning frenzy for work.
We did the rounds and came up with this “A-list” of things you’ve probably been sharing with your flatmates without you knowing it.
1.Bath soap.
The most common sigh one hears when somebody gets in the bathroom for a shower: “Basa ang sabon ko? Sino gumamit nito?” This is why seasoned OFWs rarely leave their shower baskets in the toilet, else someone in dire straits uses it.
2.Toothpaste.
Ever wondered why your toothpaste tube has that odd crease? Your guess is as good as the next guy reading this. Someone beat you to it this morning.
3.Cooking oil.
Leave your cooking oil in the kitchen and you stand a good chance it’d be drained – almost. This, especially when everybody starts coming in to cook dinner and unintentionally grab hold of it.
4.Onions and garlics.
Do the nine yards. These are commonly used when sautéing, which every true blue Pinoy does when engaged in a cooking ritual.
5.Dish soap.
Next to cooking oil, abandoned liquid dish soaps are a free-for-all treat. Again, note that since yours may looks quite the same if not really the same as your flatmate’s, chances are that it being used by someone else could just be a case of mistaken identity. So relax and next time, just keep it in your assigned cupboard – and lock the door, too.
6.Clothes.
This happens a lot especially in shared accommodations where everyone uses the same clothesline. And so you see a remark in the flat’s group chat about someone looking for his pants.
7.Laundry soap.
Same story as the cooking oil and dish soap.
8.Fabric softener.
Same story as the cooking oil, dish soap and laundry soap. How to hack it? Mark yours with your name – that eliminates the probability that it was not a deliberate act by some free loaders.
9.Cold cuts and everything else in the freezer.
There is an alibi to this: They were all bought from the same store – usually Al Maya or West Zone – and so were in the same branded plastic bags. “Ay sorry, kala ko sa kin,” is the usual explanation. How to hack it? Put them in a plastic container, lunch box if you will and put your name on it.
10.Canned goods.
Same story as the cold cuts. Hack it by locking it up in your cupboard.
