Why you should flush with the toilet lid DOWN

Video: Dangers of flushing with the toilet lid up.

Many bacteria end up on the toilet seat after being transferred from skin, and that transfer can be prevented by using toilet seat covers. Bacteria also travel through the air in the mist that emerges from the bowl during a flush, though, and since the cover usually goes down the bowl in the flush, it can't prevent these from landing on the seat.

The bulk of the mist emerges from the bowl at the end of the flush, not at the beginning, and it settles everywhere in the bathroom. The toilet seat is close to the bowl, and it's horizontal, so a large portion of the mist settles on it.

Six Reasons to Put Down the Toilet Lid

Always seemed like the right thing to do – put down the lid and close the toilet. Why? Because there is a lid. I never thought of the lid as a backrest. What – do people recline while using the toilet?

Yet, this has been the cause of many wild brawls and people leaving home in the middle of the night – often after falling in to the toilet.

But the lid should be put down and for at least six good reasons I can think of – and there are probably more.

The six reasons why you should put down the toilet lid:

1 – Bacteria-filled mist – Yes, that's right, when you flush the toilet a mist is created. That mist is filled with bacteria. Studies have shown that the mist can travel several feet away every time you flush. So this means it reaches your toothbrushes, towels, shower curtains, every hard surface and probably you while you are still standing there – maybe looking down in the toilet. The toilet lid should be closed before flushing.

2 – Child Safety – Toilet locks exist so children cannot open the toilet. Unfortunately, there have been cases of children falling in. Just the fact that bacteria does exist is reason enough to keep the toilet closed so as not to entice a child. According to the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission), a toddler or baby can topple into an open toilet headfirst and can drown. In fact, with children in the house there should be child-safety locks on the bathroom doors.

3 – Pet Safety – Pets love the toilet. That cool fresh water. Dogs often get water this way and even my cat wants to play in the water. But the same bacteria-mist that flies around will now get on your pet. Veterinarians advise against letting your pet drink from the toilet – it's bad for their health and then bad for yours when your pet kisses you.

Charles Gerba, an environmental microbiologist from the University of Arizona, first brought the aerosol effect to light in 1975 by when he published a scientific article describing the disturbing results of his tests on bacterial and viral aerosols due to toilet flushing. He conducted tests by placing pieces of gauze in different locations around the bathroom and measuring the bacterial and viral levels on them after a toilet flush. His results were more than a little disturbing: he found that the aerosols traveled as far as six to eight feet away from the toilet.