Ever wonder there’s a lid on your toilet bowl? Believe it or not,
it’s there for more than just decoration and well, it’s a
lid for a reason. Let’s face it – the bathroom usually isn’t
the most sanitary room of the house, but you can certainly keep it just
a tad bit cleaner if you remember to the close the lid each time you flush.
Here’s what happens when you don’t:
What Happens When You Flush?
Sure, you do your business and then you flush. Nothing out of the ordinary,
right? Well, did you know that as the water rushes around the bowl it
actually splashes up into the air at a high rate of speed?
According to the American Journal of Infection Control, the act is known
as “toilet plume aerosols.” When flushed water mixes with
feces or vomit in the bowl it can produce infectious aerosols that can
live in your bathroom for hours. Gross, right?
Why It Can Make You Sick
When you flush, some of those aerosol droplets contain microbes. If they
come in contact with infectious diseases in the bowl, and trust us when
we tell you there are plenty, they can shoot out onto things like your
toothbrush, the hand towel or even your clothes.
Pathogens such as Shigella, Salmonella and even Norovirus can survive on
the surface of just about anything in your bathroom for weeks or even
months. And if you come in contact with them, there’s a good chance
you’ll get sick.
Pro Tip: With all of that said, we highly recommend keeping the lid closed each
and every time you flush. In addition to closing the lid, make sure you’re
keeping your toothbrush and those hand towels away from the bowl.
Having problems with your toilet? That’s where we come in! The expert
plumbers at
Hero have been serving the Twin Cities for over 100 years, so you know you
can count on us!
