Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - 3 way switches

My bathroom fluorescent light is operated by two 3 say electrical switches, one located in the bathroom and the other located in an adjoining bedroom. If the light is left on by the switch in the bathroom, it can be turned off and on again using the switch located in the bedroom. Likewise, if the light is left on using the bedroom switch, the light can be turned off and on again using the bathroom switch.
Conversely, if the light is left off by using the bedroom switch, the bathroom switch becomes inoperable. If the light is left off using the bathroom switch, the bedroom switch becomes inoperable.
How can this situation be remedied?
Thank you

This is a common problem. Usually it's because the common terminal was misidentified on one or both switches when a switch replacement was done. Have either or both of these switches been replaced recently (or any other electrical work done)?

Hi - Not sure I am posting correctly as this all new to me -
In answer to John Nelson's reply re: 3 way switch

Replaced almond colored 3 way switch in bathroom with new white colored one to better match bath decor color. Retested to see if situation was improved, which unfortunately, it was not. Figuring that the 3 way switch in the bedroom might be faulty, replaced it with the almond colored one which had been removed from the bathroom, but the system still wouldn't work. Knowing it highly unlikely both of the original three way switches were faulty, purchased another new one and installed it in the bedroom location. That produced negative results also.
I have ensured that the hot wires at both switches are connected to the commons, and have tried various combinations with traveler connections but to no avail.
Our house is seventeen years old and there is absolutely no color-coding of the wires in either switchbox. I had to unhook terminals and use my electrical tester to determine hot wires.
I have not yet determined whether the power -
Runs from the fluorescent fixture to switch to switch - OR
Runs switch - switch - fixture - OR
Runs switch - fixture - switch
One seemingly knowledgeable guy said that 3 way switches should not be used with flourescent lighting but have no idea if this is true.
Any further advice is appreciated
Thank you

I have ensured that the hot wires at both switches are connected to the commonsThis is the wrong algorithm.

There are at least five ways to wire a pair of 3-way switches, so to sort this out, you may need to figure out which of the five ways you have. The foolproof algorithm is to make sure that the wire connected to the common on the old switch is the same wire as the one that gets connected to the common on the new switch. You also have to recognize that the position of the common screw on different switches may be different.

I can ask you a million questions and you can conduct a million tests, or you can try to solve this by trial and error. Considering that there are three possible wires to connect to the common, and that there are two switches, this makes nine possible combinations. You can try them all in an hour or so, and you'll get good exercise walking back and forth to the panel.

One seemingly knowledgeable guy said that 3 way switches should not be used with flourescent lighting but have no idea if this is trueThe key word here is "seemingly". This is untrue (and pretty weird).

Tell us all the wires and connections in each switch box.
Leave out the grounds(bare). They are no important to this discusion.

Per your suggestion, have decided to get some exercise by taking the trial and error approach for determining which lines should be attached to the commons.
Thanks for the advise and I'll let you know how I make out.

Hi
Just to let you know that I followed your suggestion and used the trial and error approach to find the right wires to attach to the commons on the two 3 way switches.
To color code the wires to both switches, bought a little six pack of different colored electrical tape from Home Depot. As I investigated the various possible combos, I kept a written record of the different combinations that I tried on both switches. Hit the right one on the sixth try so now switches work great from either bathroom or guest room. Many thanks for helping me out on this one.
Bill

Bill, good show. With these kinds of things, it helps a lot to be methodical, and your color coding and record keeping was a perfect way to be methodical.