Why It's Totally Safe To Sit On That Toilet Seat
If you were to hang out in a public restroom all day (you know, for science), you would see some odd routines when it comes to avoiding the invisible menace that is germs. Turning on faucets with elbows, opening doors with feet, creative toilet papering, and the awkward hover. But how much danger actually lurks in a public restroom? Is there a good reason to be concerned? The answer is yes — there are some nasty germs in there — but not where you might think.
Luckily, we got the lowdown on these germs so you don't have to spend the day in a restroom with a microscope and a clipboard — unless that's your thing.
#1
How many different types of bacteria and viruses are actually found in a public restroom? Two? Seven?
A 2014 study of four restrooms found over 77,000 distinct types. Not all of them were active, but they were detected nonetheless.
#2
These are the most common offenders:
E-coli, streptococcus, salmonella, paratuberculosis, staphylococcus. Plus, the common cold virus and some sexually transmitted organisms. Yikes, gross, and no thanks.
#3
Paranoid yet?
Don't freak out. A lot of those same microbes can be found in any bathroom even in your home.
#4
To hover or to sit? That is the question.
If you hover, you're not alone. 60 percent of Americans are hoverers. But it turns out, toilet seats are some of the cleanest items in a restroom. For starters, most disease-carrying organisms just can't live that long on a toilet seat.
#5
And it's not exactly easy to contract these viruses.
According to WebMD, "the germs would have to be transferred from the toilet seat to your urethral or genital tract, or through a cut or sore on the buttocks or thighs, which is possible but very unlikely."
#6
Unless the seat is visibly dirty, it's likely fine.
But if it is messy, you know who's to blame the hoverers.
#7
Did you know hovering is actually bad for you?
Hovering tenses your core, especially your pelvic muscles, and often causes people to strain to urinate. This is bad news. First, it could contribute to pelvic organ prolapse. Second, if you're not fully emptying your bladder, the chances of getting a bladder infection increases
#8
Just to be sure, what about STDs?
When it comes to STDs, Dr. Abigail Salyers, president of the American Society for Microbiology, says, "to my knowledge, no one has ever acquired an STD on the toilet seat unless they were having sex on the toilet seat."
So if the seat's safe, where's the bacteria? And how do I avoid or get rid of them?
#9
Okay, the seat's relatively safe, so where do the bacteria actually hang out?
Think of those baddies like gang members who are always up to no good. And instead of using custom choppers or low-riders to get around, these gangs like to use people's hands. So wherever your hands often go, that's where they make their clubhouses. That means faucets, door handles, hand-dryers, and even soap dispensers.
#10
Listen to your mother and wash your hands!
Seriously. It's the best way to eradicate germs. And don't just pretend to do it. According to one survey, 95 percent of people claim to wash their hands after visiting the restroom, when in fact only 67 percent actually wash.
