Some public toilets are so dirty and smelly that many people feel like turning around and running back out the moment they open the cubicle door. Putting paper on the seat won't help, say specialists. – Photo: Nico Tapia/dpa-tmn
Some public toilets are so dirty and smelly that many people feel like turning around and running back out the moment they open the cubicle door.
But when nature calls, there's usually no choice. Even the most disciplined bladder or bowel has a breaking point – and attempting negotiations rarely ends well.
The strategy is often to take a deep breath and push through the disgust. And that reaction is perfectly normal.
"Mother Nature doesn't want us humans to become infected with pathogens," says Markus Egert, professor of microbiology and hygiene at Furtwangen University. "That's why we have an innate aversion to two things - corpses and faeces."
But how high is the risk of catching a stomach bug in a public toilet? There are no studies showing how many infections actually originate from using public restrooms, Egert says.
However, it is certainly possible to encounter potentially harmful germs there - for example if someone with norovirus used the toilet beforehand. With this virus, even a very small amount can be enough to cause an infection.
However, one point should reassure many people who worry about sitting on public toilet seats. "Anything that lands on our thighs, trousers or bottom won't make us ill. The germs have to enter our mouths for that to happen," says Egert.
In his view, the real risk comes from touching contaminated surfaces in public toilets and then continuing with daily activities without washing your hands properly with soap and water.
So it's no surprise that the top advice is to wash your hands after using the toilet – and to do it thoroughly. That means wetting your hands, lathering them with soap for 20 to 30 seconds, rinsing well and drying them completely, preferably with a disposable towel.
You can also reduce the amount of germs on your hands while using the restroom. "The trick is to touch as little as possible," says Egert.
However, those who carefully cover the seat with toilet paper may want to rethink the ritual. From a hygiene standpoint, Egert says it offers little protection.
"The more I fiddle around in the cubicle, the more likely I am to touch things I otherwise wouldn't," he explains. That often means touching the toilet seat and paper repeatedly – especially when the paper slips and needs to be adjusted.
For those who absolutely don't want their skin touching the seat, Egert's alternative is what he calls the "ski squat" technique – hovering in a squat above the toilet.
Strong thighs help and precision is key - you want your aim true, so everything lands in the bowl, not on the seat. Future users will thank you.
A simple way to make your restroom visit more hygienic: close the lid before flushing. It keeps potentially germ-laden droplets from taking flight.
A final tip is one most people follow instinctively in public toilets anyway: don't linger.
The longer you stay, the more aerosol particles you inhale. Still, Egert adds some reassurance: "I wouldn't hold my breath either." – dpa
