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9th April 2024
02:12pm BST
A doctor has warned people to not flush the toilet with the lid up - and after reading this, you'll understand why.
We probably all think we have a pretty standard level of hygiene. But even those of you who consider yourselves the most thorough hand-washers have probably been guilty of flushing the toilet with the seat up.
Some of you may even reckon this is the better technique, just so you can double-check everything has flushed properly and you've left the bowl in a suitable state.
But you should change your ways.
Social media star Dr Karan Rajan has explained why it's a pretty good idea to only ever flush the toilet once the lid is firmly shut.
He explained that every time you flush the toilet with the lid open you "create a raging sewage volcano."
"This allows aerosolized toilet germs to travel far and wide," he continued.
In a video, Dr Karan showed how scientists used lasers and cameras to capture this "disgusting tidal wave" and make it visible to the human eye.
The footage shows how the droplets can move at 2 metres per second and "reach heights of 1.5 metres above the toilet bowl" within eight seconds.
What's more, some of the smallest droplets "could linger in the air for more than several minutes, placing them at optimal nose height."
Pathogens such as e-coli, adenoviruses and noroviruses can all "ride on the back" of these water droplets. Lovely.
By keeping the toilet lid shut when you flush, the droplets are sent out the side and onto the floor, which we can all agree is a much better alternative.
Along with shutting that lid, you may also want to think about rearranging your bathroom a tad. The lingering droplets can settle on things such as towels, hair brushes and, worst of all, toothbrushes.
So, it's a pretty good idea to keep them as far away from the toilet as possible, unless you "like them covered in microscopic poo flakes," as Dr Karan puts it.
And of course, it's good practice to regularly disinfect the toilet bowl and brush.
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