The Bare Truth
By Navin
As anyone who has been on a family road trip knows, one of the most inconvenient parts of traveling the highways is having to find a restroom. Those big glass rest areas with McDonalds and Sbarros and claw game machines are great, but few and far between. Fast food spots, gas stations, travelers find any place that offers a public restroom.
Even if you find a reliable rest area, we all know that it’s always slightly unsettling to sit on an unfamiliar toilet. it’s nothing like the one at home! Since so many people use it, surely there are tons of germs there!
And so, thinking ourselves modern Semmelweises, we innovated. From a young age, I was taught to line the toilet seat with toilet paper before using it. Usually, two long strips and one short strip to connect the top part. Sometimes, a restroom will come equipped with the pre-cut toilet seat covers.
Turns out I wasn’t alone! A 2023 poll showed that more than half of Americans line their toilet seat before sitting down – and 20 percent don’t even sit, rather hovering over.
Curious, I took a bit of a deep dive into this topic. Do toilet seat covers help us stay healthy when away from home?
To my surprise, they do not! Toilet paper is extremely porous. This helps them absorb water and break down – that’s what makes them flushable. The result of this is that bacteria and viruses, which are microscopic, can easily pass through the cover. This is also true for the disposable toilet seat covers that are available in some stalls; their primary function is to provide psychological comfort to the user.
Additionally, toilet seats are not nearly as bacteria covered as we think, and there are bigger culprits in bathrooms: 
namely, the flush, stall handle, door, light switch. Also, our rears already act as a great natural barrier from any germs. Placing down the toilet paper shield increases our contact with the seat and places you at higher risk than just sitting down. Is hovering an alternate solution? Unfortunately, that also creates more problems than it solves. It can lead to UTIs and strains the muscles in the pelvic floor. So, what is the best way to avoid getting sick from a public bathroom?
One way is to make sure you never take out your phone or use it while on the toilet. Our phones have many times the number of bacteria as public toilet seats. Using them while in a stall can lead to making them even dirtier, while most people (me included) rarely wipe or deep clean their phone. Most importantly, when finished with the restroom, wash your hands for 20+ seconds. This is the best way to make sure you are keeping clean.
Perhaps the biggest lesson from all of this is that our fear of public toilets may be slightly misplaced. The next time you pull into a highway rest stop and find yourself staring suspiciously at a public toilet, take a breath. Sit down, skip the toilet-paper origami, keep your phone out of the stall, and wash your hands when you’re finished. The toilet seat probably isn’t your greatest enemy! I’d say the best solution of all is to p– at home and avoid drinking too much water when out and about! 😂
