Public Toilets Aren’t as Dangerous as You Think Experts: No Need to Lay Toilet Paper or Squat

▲Toilet (Image / Dazhi / Illustration)

By Rita

Using the toilet while traveling is one of the most annoying things, especially when it comes to public toilets that don’t look very clean. Most people lay toilet paper on the seat, while others dare to use them only by squatting over the toilet. According to Business Insider, there are of course bacteria on the surface of the toilet, and many people lay toilet paper on the seat, but a thin sheet of paper doesn’t really do much good.,Experts point out that in reality, even if someone just used the public toilet, these bacteria won’t do you much harm unless you have an open wound.

Viruses like HIV or herpes are actually very fragile—they can’t survive for long outside the warm human body. Microbes found on toilets, such as E. coli or streptococcus, won’t make you seriously ill simply through skin contact.

So, there’s no direct link between toilets and disease transmission. Bacteria are spread via hands—you might touch these bacteria with your hands and then infect yourself by touching your mouth or eyes without washing your hands first.According to the World Health Organization, when washing your hands, you should scrub between your fingers using a rubbing motion to clean them thoroughly, rather than just wetting them with water.

Just imagine—what’s something that’s covered in bacteria? The answer is actually our skin. Different parts of the body host different types of bacteria. On average, bacteria make up about 1.3 kilograms of our body weight. It sounds like a lot, but the good news is that most are harmless, and some are even beneficial.