The Hidden Hygiene Risks of Using Public Toilets to Stay Protected

There are thousands of restrooms in public use every day. If you go to your local shopping mall or stand in line at the airport departure gate or travel on anything but an express bus, you'll eventually need to use a restroom. However, most people do not think about the actual sanitary conditions of each facility and how clean-looking a stall can actually be, which means that many rely on luck. At The Restroom Kit, they believe in preparing for an experience, rather than getting prepared through fear tactics as public toilet hygiene practices based on chance are impractical.

The Illusion of Toilet Cleanliness

In many cases, a lavatory appears clean but is not. Visual cleanliness does not equate to sanitation in public toilets. The high-touch areas in many restrooms will often get wiped down quickly (if at all) or will run out of supplies before the restroom service company has had time to replenish.

Because of this discrepancy (visual cleanliness vs. what is actually cleaned), hygiene in public toilets has remained a concern for many years, even in well-managed facilities.

Toilet Seat Germs

Toilet seat safety in public restrooms can be dangerous; they are used thousands of times a day and not cleaned between users. People often come into the restroom intending to use a toilet and come into contact with viruses or bacteria via the nearest toilet seat. 

The close proximity of other potentially contaminated items (e.g., flush handles, door locks, dispenser holders, etc.) makes the likelihood for transmission higher, which is why people should be using something (a seat cover) when sitting on any toilet seat, particularly in a public restroom that is dirty and where toilet seat covers may be missing, damaged, or unusable.

Dirty Public Restrooms Are More Common Than You Think

The public restroom is often stocked with the bare minimum of supplies. The lack of toilet paper, toilet seat covers, hand wipes and in some cases soap creates a public toilet hygiene risk associated with a person using the restroom. In addition to not being sanitary, a person using a dirty public restroom is more likely to expose themselves to bacteria and be more susceptible to cross-contamination. For some people, the option of waiting for "the next stall" or "the next restroom" may not be an option.

Safe Toilet Use Requires More Than Caution

Most individuals think that the only way to ensure safety when using a toilet is to avoid physical contact with it. However, to be safe toilet use while using you need various types of protection, including physical barriers, clean surfaces and safe methods of disposing of waste.

Intentional hygiene products that provide more than just a barrier are what enable this type of protection. Toilet hygiene products created specifically for use in public restrooms have reduced reliance on an unpredictable public facility.

Practical Restroom Hygiene Tips That Actually Work

Vague suggestions are not helpful. These restroom hygiene tips are specific to typical restroom environments:

• Do not rely on the visual cleanliness of restrooms before using them.
• Utilize a protective barrier over every toilet seat you use.
• Whenever possible, do not handle toilet paper dispensers with your hands.
• You should always bring your personal hygiene supplies with you, rather than depending on their presence in public restrooms.
• Consider public restrooms as communal, "higher" risk environments, not as personal bathrooms.

To ensure hygiene continuity, practice the hygienic behaviors above every time you use a restroom.

Conclusion

Public lavatories are an essential part of many people's lives. At the same time, public lavatories present the risk of poor cleanliness, bacteria from toilets, and other problems that make using them unpleasant.

Most people make the mistake of thinking they can avoid using public lavatories. However, the best strategy is to be prepared for when you do use them. With proper public toilet hygiene habits, and the right tools at your disposal, the process of safely using lavatories in public places becomes a regular part of your routine and not a cause for concern. The Restroom Kit was developed to provide ongoing protection for you within the public lavatory environment.

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