5 Germs You Really Can Get From a Toilet (2023)

FAQs

5 Germs You Really Can Get From a Toilet? ›

However, even if there are fewer of them, you may still encounter various germs on your toilet seat including fecal bacteria, influenza, streptococcus, E. coli, hepatitis, MRSA, salmonella, shigella and norovirus.

On average, a toilet bowl contains 3.2 million bacteria per square inch*, including germs in toilet water. This is in addition to the bacteria found on the other parts that you have come into contact with, such as the flush handle covered in as much as 83 bacteria per sq.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fecal bacteria can spread and make people sick if you use the toilet and don't wash your hands. Still, scientists agree that there's little need to worry about bathroom germs.

So, yes, you can sit on that toilet seat with little fear, just make sure you wash your hands when you're done. And, of course, if you're not feeling that adventurous, there's always the paper cover thingies.

Our nails have more bacteria than any other surface, including a toilet seat and the London Underground. You may want to think twice before biting your nails with the analysis revealing the bacteria found underneath them comes to a gruesome average of 50,430 per nail.

Studies have shown that of all the surface areas in the bathroom, the floor is by far the dirtiest. That's because when we flush the toilet germs spread everywhere, and land on—you guessed it—the floor.

These tiny water drops can carry pathogens such as E. coli, C. difficile, noroviruses and adenoviruses, and while many past studies have shown that these pathogens can live in the toilet bowl for dozens of flushes, the increase for potential exposure risk may be cause for concern.

Smaller particles that remain suspended in air can expose people to respiratory disease, such as influenza and COVID-19, through inhalation, while larger particles that settle quickly on surfaces can spread intestinal diseases, such as norovirus, through contact with the hands and mouth.

A lot of women I know—including me—would rather squeeze in the urge to pee than use a dirty toilet seat. But experts are adamant that any connection between UTIs—one of the most common bacterial infections—and icky toilet seats is a myth.

Many diseases spread if you don't properly wash your hands, especially after using the bathroom. This includes norovirus, C. diff, and E. coli since they cause diarrhea which could get onto your hands when you use the bathroom, Dr.

How long is it safe to sit on the toilet? ›

Most professionals recommend spending no more time on the toilet than it takes to pass a stool. Studies have shown that the average bowel movement takes 12 seconds. Sometimes it does take longer, however, so at maximum, you should not spend more than 10 minutes on the toilet.

Pathogens are not transmitted via skin contact

Even if many public restrooms do not look inviting - sitting on toilet seats cannot transfer germs if the skin is intact. Admittedly, sanitary conditions are not inviting in many public restrooms.

You should immediately wash your hands after using the toilet in a public restroom. Here's a reminder why: Washing with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds is an effective way to rid your hands of viruses and bacteria, according to the CDC.

So many will be horrified to hear that our desks are three times dirtier than toilet seats. A study found the average keyboard harbours as many germs as a kitchen bin while a computer mouse is filthier than a typical door mat.

In addition to the visible drops of water that are generated upon flushing the toilet, smaller droplets that are just micrometres (µM) in diameter also form and are propelled into the surrounding air. These aerosolised droplets could contain faecal bacteria, such as E. coli, and spread disease.

However, even if there are fewer of them, you may still encounter various germs on your toilet seat including fecal bacteria, influenza, streptococcus, E. coli, hepatitis, MRSA, salmonella, shigella and norovirus.

Slowly add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of bleach to 2 cups (500 ml) of water. To be used on surfaces contaminated with feces, vomit, urine or blood. Slowly add ½ cup (125 ml) of bleach to 4 ½ cups (1125 ml) of water. (e.g., environmental cleaning, body fluids, etc.).

Tip #2 – Leave the toilet seat up and open when away for an extended time. Why? Because air can then circulate in the toilet bowl, reducing the chance of built-up scum.

Not Designed to Remove Nitrogen

As waste water flows through the ground, the nitrogen from urine and other wastewater content is typically converted to nitrate, which is reactive. Nitrate travels through the ground water until it eventually flows to surface waters or drinking water wells.

Should you flush every time you pee? ›

"Urine is normally sterile as a body fluid. Even if you have a urinary tract infection with bacteria in your urine it would be inactivated with the chlorine levels in the public water supply," he said. "So there's really no known disease transmission with urine left un-flushed in the toilet."

The easiest way to curb this literal explosion of bacteria is simple: Close the lid. "It is a good idea to lower the seat, especially if the bathroom is used by multiple people," Philip Tierno, a microbiologist at New York University, told Business Insider.

"Closing the lid reduces the spread of droplets,” Hill explained. If you're in a public bathroom where there is no toilet seat to be found, keep as clean as possible by not leaning over the bowl when you flush and washing your hands immediately afterward.

"Sitting on the toilet isn't a great risk because the pathogens in waste are gastrointestinal pathogens. The real risk is touching surfaces that might be infected with bacteria and viruses and then ingesting them because they're on your hands," says Dr. Pentella.

Gonorrhea isn't spread through casual contact, so you CAN'T get it from sharing food or drinks, kissing, hugging, holding hands, coughing, sneezing, or sitting on toilet seats. Many people with gonorrhea don't have any symptoms, but they can still spread the infection to others.

Frequent urination is a symptom of many different conditions and can have a wide variety of treatments. It can be a symptom of pregnancy or a urinary tract infection, or more serious or long-lasting conditions like diabetes, overactive bladder or prostate issues.

Urine is generally sterile, but bacteria from feces may spread and contaminate surfaces you're unwashed hands touched. I had quite a discussion with a male friend on the subject of washing your hands after urinating. I consider it unnecessary. There are no bacteria in urine.

Over half (58%) of US adults say they always wash their hands with soap after going to the restroom at home. A quarter (25%) say they wash with soap most of the time after a trip to the bathroom at home, while 10% do this some of the time and 4 percent rarely do.

Yes, You Still Need to Wash Your Hands When You Use the Bathroom at Home. Here's how to do it right. We all know the drill: After you use the bathroom, you wash your hands.

Things that contribute to constipation can include stress, diet, and lack of physical activity. A person may also find they don't poop as often as they age because their intestines tend to move more slowly. There are many treatments available to help relieve constipation and promote regular bowel movements.

What is the longest time sitting on a toilet? ›

His goal was to hit 165 hours (almost seven days) of sitting on the loo, however, due to sore legs, he only made it to 116 hours. The Guinness World Records team have yet to comment on the validity of the record, so it looks like Jimmy will have to sit tight.

That “pins and needles” feeling occurs simply because you're sitting there too long—and in a non-ideal position. Related: Are You Pooping All Wrong? When most people sit on the toilet, they tend to hunch forward.

You should lean forward into a 35 degree angle instead of being up straight at 90 degrees. This is because when you need to go to the toilet, your puborectalis muscle relaxes and the rectum angle widens. The puborectalis muscle is a band that wraps around the lower rectum.

The lid was designed to keep germs where they belong, in the bowl and down the drain! If you leave the lid up when you flush, those germs can float around your bathroom, landing on any available surface, including towels, hairbrushes or even toothbrushes. Nobody wants that!

Yes, there can be plenty of bugs lying in wait in public restrooms, including both familiar and unfamiliar suspects like streptococcus, staphylococcus, E. coli and shigella bacteria, hepatitis A virus, the common cold virus, and various sexually transmitted organisms.

synonyms for public toilet

On this page you'll find 10 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to public toilet, such as: bathroom, comfort room, ladies' room, lavatory, men's room, and public convenience.

Make sure you do not wet the toilet seat. Do not throw water on the floor as someone might slip and get hurt. Females should always sit on the toilet seat while peeing. Male employees should always stand a little close to the toilet seat to avoid dripping. Never forget to use flush once you are done.

Researchers at the University of Arizona found that cellphones carry ten times more bacteria than a toilet seat. While many bacteria are harmless, some studies have found serious pathogens on cellphones like E-Coli, MRSA, and Strep. To avoid picking up bacteria, don't take your phone in the bathroom with you.

How many germs are actually on your phone? Let's face it: Your phone is a breeding ground for germs. And what is especially unsanitary about it is how close you put it to your face and mouth on a regular basis. Scientists at the University of Arizona found that your phone is ten times dirtier than most toilet seats.

What part of the bathroom has the most bacteria? ›

Studies have shown that of all the surface areas in the bathroom, the floor is by far the dirtiest. That's because when we flush the toilet germs spread everywhere, and land on—you guessed it—the floor.

This is in addition to the bacteria found on the other parts that you have come into contact with, such as the flush handle covered in as much as 83 bacteria per sq. in and the toilet seat surrounded by over 295 bacteria per sq. in.

What to Know. Toilets are designed to efficiently empty the contents of the bowl through a downward motion into the drainpipe, but the force of the flush cycle also creates a fine spray of particles in the air. Those particles easily spread when a lid is left up during flushing.

These tiny water drops can carry pathogens such as E. coli, C. difficile, noroviruses and adenoviruses, and while many past studies have shown that these pathogens can live in the toilet bowl for dozens of flushes, the increase for potential exposure risk may be cause for concern.

Dr. Cullins warns, “Anything that brings bacteria in contact with the vulva and/or urethra can cause a UTI. This can happen when germs enter the urethra during sex, unwashed hands touching genitals, or even when toilet water back splashes.” Yeah, you can get a UTI from the bacteria in toilet water back splash.

Bacteria like Staphylococcus can contaminate non-porous surfaces for more than two months. Spending 3 minutes on a toilet seat contaminated with this bacterium can lead to skin rash or skin infections.

You cannot catch hepatitis B or Hepatitis C from a toilet seat, by touching or hugging an infected person. Crockery and cutlery used by someone with Hepatitis B or C can be washed in hot soapy water or dishwasher in the normal way.

Did you know that the average desk harbors about 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat? Dr. Charles Gerba, known as the University of Arizona "germ guru," says you might not be the only one working late in your office.

Within an hour of normal use, there were 500,000 bacterial cells per square inch on the bathroom surfaces, on average. "The bacterial load shed by the people using that space was extraordinary," Gilbert told Live Science. But when left undisturbed, many of these bacteria quickly perished.

A home's kitchen sink carries more bacteria than both the toilet and the garbage can, Gerba's research found. "There's more fecal bacteria in a sink than there is in a flushed toilet," Gerba told "Today." "That's why dogs drink out of the toilet. They know better than to drink out of the kitchen sink," he joked.

What kills germs in the toilet? ›

Simply measure out half a cup's worth of bleach and pour it into your toilet bowl, using your toilet brush to scrub it into the bowl and beneath the bowl's rim, also allowing five minutes to pass before you flush it all away.

Kitchen rags, towels and sponges are notorious for bacterial contamination. The sink drain, sink and countertops are also frequently contaminated. Cutting boards, coffee filters, the dishwasher and fridge seals are also top locations for contamination.

If you start with a single bacterium, you will have two bacteria after a couple of hours. Then, you'll have four bacteria in three hours and eight bacteria by four hours. After a full day, there could be 4,096 bacteria on your washcloth.

What is the cleanest part of your house? Surprisingly, the cleanest part of your house is likely to be your toilet pan. While the bathroom is wrongly thought to be a hothouse of bacteria in your home, the toilet has been proven time and time again to carry fewer bacteria than certain areas of your kitchen.

Is The Water In The Toilet Dirty? The water in your toilet bowl is actually clean. Sure, it is full of bacteria, but that is because it contains sewage—which, by definition, is wastewater that contains human waste. However, the water itself is relatively clean and poses no health risk.

About 30 percent of the solid matter consists of dead bacteria; about 30 percent consists of indigestible food matter such as cellulose; 10 to 20 percent is cholesterol and other fats; 10 to 20 percent is inorganic substances such as calcium phosphate and iron phosphate; and 2 to 3 percent is protein.

We cannot get a UTI from a toilet, as the urethra does not touch the seat. As long as the urethra does not come into contact with the seat, we are safe from certain infections. The toilet seat is not a common way for bacteria to enter our bodies.

Dish Sponge

It's the dirtiest thing in your house. By a long shot. That makes sense: It's wet, absorbent, and you rub food and dirt with it all the time. Sponges are hard to keep clean, try as you might.

An average of 5.8 bacterial species were found in females and 7.1 in males. But don't worry that your urine has bacteria in it. According to a 2019 research review, your bladder naturally contains a “healthy” amount of bacteria that maintain the integrity of your bladder's lining.

Your gut is home to most of the microbes in your body, but your skin, mouth, lungs, and genitalia also harbour diverse populations. And as research continues into body biomes, it should reveal answers about how these microorganisms are promoting health or even disease.

What is the most hygienic way to clean a toilet? ›

As a one-stop cleaning solution, pour one cup of bleach around the bowl. Then tackle every inch with a toilet brush or a handheld scrub brush. Let it sit for five minutes, then flush.

Leaving bleach in a toilet overnight is fine, but you shouldn't leave it any longer, or else it might corrode your toilet. If you do decide to leave it in the bowl overnight, let other members of your household know so that they don't use the toilet and accidentally mix the bleach with ammonia from urine.

Yes, there can be plenty of bugs lying in wait in public restrooms, including both familiar and unfamiliar suspects like streptococcus, staphylococcus, E. coli and shigella bacteria, hepatitis A virus, the common cold virus, and various sexually transmitted organisms.