The thought of sitting on the toilet seat in a public restroom strikes fear in most people because we see them as dirty scary places full of dangerous bacteria that can seriously damage our health. We decided to answer the most burning public WC safety questions and find out if public restrooms are as dangerous as people think and what you can do to stay safe from germs in them.
Specialists decided to swab all the surfaces in an office restroom that had gotten good use over one working day, and the results were shocking. First off, they found over 50,000 different microorganisms in a restroom that looked otherwise clean. As for the most contaminated object in the room, it wasn’t the toilet, but the area around the sink.
Take a look at the cleaning schedule at a public restroom: you wanna look for today’s date and time intervals that are no more than a few hours apart. As for low-traffic bathrooms in small or medium-sized offices, one cleaning a day should be enough.
If you have no choice and there's nobody to hold your stuff, do not put your things on the floor. The safest place is the toilet tank. Toilet seats are constructed in a very smart way. Their shape and smooth surface don't let bacteria stick to them or spread. And secondly, many people often forget to close the lid when they flush, so bacteria get sprayed all over the restroom, including on the toilet paper roll! Paper, unlike toilet seats, has a rough texture that absorbs moisture really well. That's why it's a great environment for bacteria to latch onto and multiply.
Electric hand dryers can blow the germs back on your recently washed hands. Once your hands are nice and clean, leave the restroom without touching any surfaces, including the door handle! Use your hips, feet, elbows, or any other covered body part.
SUMMARY
-Only 19% of all bacteria in bathrooms can be found on and in the toilet itself. All the rest dwell in the bathtubs and sinks.
-Whenever you walk into a public restroom, check that there’s soap, toilet paper, and a cleaning schedule hanging on the wall or door.
-If you’re worried about bacteria, go for the first stall. Statistically speaking, fewer people have been there, so it’ll be cleaner.
-If you need to put down your bag or your things, pick the safest place: outside the bathroom.
-If you’re in a rush and away from your home bowl, it's better to sit in the 35-degree position to avoid any injuries.
-One of the worst things you can do is put toilet paper on the seat.
-Close the toilet lid right after you stand up and flush the water only after you close the lid.
-Start by rinsing your hands with warm or hot water, thoroughly lather them up with soap, and rub them together for at least 20-30 seconds. Focus on the areas under the nails and between the fingers.
-While there are lots of legitimate reasons why you might not be a big fan of public restrooms, the threat of contracting an STD shouldn't be among them.
Source: youtube.com