Q. I hate public restrooms because they are so often unsanitary. I used to avoid them as much as possible, but now that I am pregnant that is not really an option. I am also finding it increasingly difficult to crouch over the seat without resting on it.
I certainly don’t want to catch anything, both for my sake and for the baby’s. I have seen antibacterial sprays for cleaning kitchens and bathrooms at home. Which one is best for public toilet seats?
A. You are not the only one who hates sitting down in a public restroom, especially if the seat is damp. The infectious disease experts assure us that people don’t catch diseases from toilet seats, but you may find it reassuring to carry disposable seat covers. They are available in most pharmacies in handy packets.
Crouching or hovering over a toilet is a bad idea even for women who aren’t pregnant. This position makes it more difficult to empty the bladder completely. For someone who is pregnant, the problem would be compounded.
The antibacterial sprays you have seen are a bit cumbersome to carry. You can now get small bottles of alcohol-containg hand sanitizers that you could carry easily in your purse. Another option is to use a Clorox wipe on the seat before drying it with a paper towel.
We also suggest you avoid touching restroom surfaces after washing your hands thoroughly. The main microbial hazards in such places don’t come from the seat, but from flush levers, tap handles and doorknobs. Since many people don’t wash their hands, using a paper towel to turn off the water and open the door might be a wise precaution.
You are not the only one to find public restrooms distasteful. Here are just a few of the angry responses we have received from visitors to this website:
“Yes, people, both men and women, are slobs in public restrooms. As a woman, I would like to think better of the rest of my gender, but the reality remains.
“My mother taught us girls when we were growing up that if ever we were reluctant to sit on a public seat because of cleanliness concerns, to simply take two strips of the toilet paper and lay them on either side of the seat – voila’, instant flush-able seat cover. I too hate having to dry a seat after someone else, but I do it and then make my own seat cover and then SIT, thereby at leaving a clean dry seat for the next lady whom I am sure will appreciate it.”
K.H.
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“People who sit on two pieces of toilet paper should not leave them on the FLOOR to trash the rest room! That is disgusting.”
D.S.
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“Best thing to do if you want to squat: lift the seat with toilet tissue if you’re relunctant to touch it, and “do your hovering” and then lower the seat. Voila! Dry for the next person.”
L.F.
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“Getting wet from sitting on a wet seat is an inconvenience and nothing more, If your skin gets wet, dry it. No other part of you is apt to get wet.
“The reminder about faucet handles, door handles, soap dispensers, etc. is much more important – and you’re NOT in a hurry on the way out.
LEAVE with clean hands, that’s what counts.”
Naomi
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“I have NEVER understood why people get so distressed about germs that might land on the back of their thighs. Seriously… are you going to serve a meal there later or something?? Just sit down and get it over with. The REST of us do not like sitting in YOUR pee on the seat after you’ve done that whole “hover” thing.
“If you’re in a disgusting bathroom and you just can’t live with the fact that you might have a germ or two on your thighs, then why aren’t you carrying wet wipes in your purse so you can wash your backside when you’re done? That would seem more logical to me.
“But then again, I’ve never understood the whole worry about a dirty toilet seat. It’s dirty even if it looks clean; fecal microbes get into the air and land on everything when the toilet gets flushed. It’s common. There was even a Mythbusters episode about it. Did you know the floors and counters in your KITCHEN have more germs and more potential to do you harm than what is on a toilet seat?”
MAOM
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“I think communicable germs on your hands which then usually move to your mouth, hair, face, other people thru a handshake, etc. is much more important than what’s on your behind.
“Visited many undeveloped countries where latrines are holes in the ground. The drinking water is of concern, not the latrines.
“Methinks we are such a misinformed society that 100,000’s of people die annually in hospitals and clinics. If it looks clean it may not be. This applies to your doctor and their instruments first and foremost.
“Let’s focus on what we know is truly dangerous to our well-being and demand change.”
Michele
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What do you think? People clearly have very strong feelings about public rest rooms. Share your thoughts below in the comment section. Is this a tempest in a toilet seat…or something more unpleasant?
