The study found no difference in overall viral contamination if the residential toilet lid was open or closed before flushing, but it noted that a closed lid may have changed the "trajectory of the the aerosol plume contamination."
These results demonstrate that closing the toilet lid prior to flushing does not mitigate the risk of contaminating bathroom surfaces and that disinfection of all restroom surfaces (ie, toilet rim, floors) may be necessary after flushing or after toilet brush used for the reduction of virus cross-contamination.
They found there's little difference whether you leave the lid up or down. Closing the lid on a toilet does not prevent the spread of viral particles from a flushed toilet. Lid down or not, microscopic viral particles spread to the floor and nearby restroom surfaces.
Closing the lid before flushing prevents fine droplets of water from migrating around the room carrying fecal bacteria. That is why it has a lid. Flushing with the lid open spreads contamination throughout the room.
“In terms of preventing illness and transmission of infectious disease, there's no real evidence that toilet-seat covers do that,” says Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
However, the high pressure generated during the flush cycle also throws up a fine spray of microscopic particles in the air. These particles will easily spread if you don't close the toilet lid before flushing. Some of these particles are shot up to 5ft and linger in the air for several minutes.
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.
After an infected person uses the toilet, the pathogens can remain in the bowl even after dozens of flushes. When expelled into the air during a flush, the viruses and bacteria may then make their way into the lungs of subsequent bathroom-goers.
Though it's been said that closing the lid will stop tiny fecal particles from spreading across your bathroom, a new peer-reviewed study published in the American Journal of Infection Control is now claiming the positioning of a toilet's lid really doesn't make much difference at all.
For the toilet you rarely use in the house, make sure to flush it at least once daily. Also, lift the lid to avoid darkness inside the bowl; mold thrives where there is stagnant water and darkness.
It's good manners
If safety and hygiene aren't enough to sway you, what about etiquette? Putting the seat down is simply deemed to be polite and is considered good practice amongst professional cleaners.
Seat and lid down is the best neutral position for both genders, so you both always know you have to lift the lid (and maybe the seat too if you're male, which is easy to do in the same motion by which you lift the lid).
One of the most effective ways to keep your toilet bowl clean is by using a quality toilet cleaner. Fluidmaster's Flush 'n Sparkle™ cleaning system is a great option, as it provides a powerful cleaning solution with every flush.
By piling toilet paper onto the seat, you may think you're shielding your skin from the toilet's germs, but what you're really doing is inviting more germs onto your body. That's because the toilet paper in public bathrooms is a breeding ground for germs.
Scientists have weighed in with their own woeful conclusion: Neither is a solution to stopping the spread of dangerous germs. Microbiologist Charles Gerba and his research team at the University of Arizona determined there's little difference whether you leave the lid up or down.
Flushing with an open toilet lid can release unpleasant odors into the bathroom. These odors can linger, making the bathroom environment less pleasant. The surfaces in your bathroom, including the toilet seat cover, wc seat cover, and other items, can become contaminated with bacteria and viruses from the toilet plume.
Toilet bowls can host a lot of unpleasant bacteria, particularly in the moments after they've been used. Dangerous bugs like E. coli and staphylococcus are released into the air after a toilet is flushed. If they land on your skin, they can leave it covered in infections and spots.
With results showing that closing toilet lids has no meaningful impact on preventing the spread of viral particles, our study highlights the importance of regular disinfection of toilets to reduce contamination and prevent the spread of viruses.
Many disease-causing organisms can survive for only a short time on the surface of the seat, and for an infection to occur, the germs would have to be transferred from the toilet seat to your urethral or genital tract, or through a cut or sore on the buttocks or thighs, which is possible but very unlikely.
Urine and hard water deposits leave hardened mineral deposits around your toilet bowl over time. These deposits form faster when you let pee sit around. In some cases, rings left for too long can be nearly impossible to remove without harsh cleansers that can be worse for the environment than those extra flushes.
Because the warmer your butt, the happier your life. This may sound quick-and-dirty (because it is), but this is what Lifehackerrecommends: Slip old athletic socks onto either side of the toilet seat — that way, your behind rests comfortably on them (and not directly on that hyperborean toilet seat).
Putting the seat – and lid – down to flush stops particles of poo from floating up into the air, with bacteria settling on just about anything in range.
Seat covers do not stop germs, they said, and you're not likely to catch an infection from a toilet, anyway.