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If you are a parent or have a chronic health condition that requires quick or frequent travel bathroomyou may have mapped out the semi-decent public Toilet in your area.
But sometimes, you have no choice but to use a toilet that looks like it hasn’t been cleaned in weeks. Are you brave enough to sit in your seat?
What if it looks cleaner: Are you still worried about getting sick from sitting in your seat?
What’s in a public toilet?
Healthy adults produce more than a liter of urine and more than 100 grams of feces per day. Everyone removes hair bacteria Viruses are present in feces and urine, and some of them end up in toilets.
Some people, especially those with diarrhea, may shed more harmful microorganisms (bacteria and viruses) when using the toilet.
Public restrooms can be “microbial soups,” especially when many people use them and cleaning is infrequent.
What bacteria are on toilet seats?
Many types of microorganisms are found in toilet seats and surrounding areas. These include:
- bacteria Bacteria from the gut, such as E. coli, Klebsiella, enterococci, and viruses such as norovirus and rotavirus. These may cause gastroenteritis with vomiting and diarrhea
- Bacteria from the skin, including Staphylococcus aureus and even multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, as well as other bacteria such as Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter. These may lead to infection
- Eggs of parasites (worms) and single-celled organisms such as protozoa are carried in feces. These can cause abdominal pain.
There’s also something called biofilm, which is a mixture of bacteria that accumulates on the rim and surface of your toilet bowl.
Is the toilet seat the dirtiest place on earth?
Won’t. A recent study shows that public restroom seats generally have fewer microorganisms than other locations in public restrooms, such as door handles, faucet knobs, and toilet flush levers. These areas are often touched by unwashed hands.
About the author
Lotti Tajouri is Associate Professor of Genomics and Molecular Biology; Biomedical Sciences, Bond University
This article is reproduced from dialogue Licensed under Creative Commons. read Original article.
Public toilets in busy areas are used hundreds, if not thousands, of times a week. Some are cleaned frequently, but others, such as those at parks or bus stops, may only be cleaned once a day or less, so bacteria can grow quickly. Red flags that the toilet hasn’t been cleaned include urine smell, dirty floors, and anything visible to the naked eye.
However, the biggest problem goes beyond just sitting: what happens when you flush the toilet. When you flush without the lid on, a “toilet plume” shoots tiny droplets of water into the air. These droplets may contain bacteria and viruses from the toilet and can travel up to 2 meters.
Air from a hair dryer can also spread germs if people don’t wash their hands properly. In addition to drying your hands, you may be blowing germs to yourself, others, and throughout the bathroom.
How do bacteria spread?
There are many ways you can catch germs from public restrooms:
- Skin contact. Sitting on dirty seats or touching handles can spread disease bacteria. Healthy skin is a good barrier, but a cut or scrape can let bacteria in
- Touch your face. Bacteria may enter your body if you touch your eyes, mouth, or food after using the toilet before washing your hands
- Breathe them in. In a small or crowded bathroom, you may inhale tiny particles from toilet plumes or hand dryers
- Water splashes in the toilet. Even after multiple flushes, bacteria can remain in the water.
What can you do to stay safe?
Here are some simple ways to protect yourself:
- Use a toilet seat or place toilet paper on the toilet seat before taking a seat
- If your toilet has a lid, wipe it with alcohol wipes before use and close it before flushing to limit toilet plume exposure. (But please note that this does not completely prevent the spread)
- Wash your hands properly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- If soap is not available, bring hand sanitizer or antibacterial wipes to clean your hands
- If you can, avoid using hand dryers as they can spread germs. Use paper towels instead
- Disinfect your phone regularly and don’t use it in the toilet. Cell phones are often picked up and carried bacteriaespecially if you are bathroom
- Clean the baby’s diaper area before and after use, and always wash or sanitize your hands.
So, is it safe to sit on a toilet seat in a public restroom?
For most healthy people, yes – the risk of sitting on a public toilet seat is low. But you can wipe it with alcohol wipes, or use a toilet seat for peace of mind.
Most infections do not come from the seats themselves, but from dirty hands, door handles, toilet feathers and phones used in the bathroom.
Instead of worrying about your sitting posture, focus on good hygiene. That means washing your hands, opting for paper towels instead of the dryer, cleaning your seats if needed, and keeping your phone clean.
Please do not hover over the toilet. This can strain the pelvic floor and make it difficult to completely empty the bladder. And you could accidentally spray bodily fluids.