Impacts of lid closure during toilet flushing
Closing the toilet lid before flushing appears to do little to prevent viral aerosols from contaminating bathroom surfaces, according to a study using a virus surrogate in both home and public toilets. Commenters highlight stronger implications for infection control in hospitals and public restrooms, where PPE and disinfectant-based cleaning may be more important than lid position. The findings also reignite broader debates about over-sterilization, the hygiene hypothesis, and practical home habits like toothbrush storage, handwashing, and bathroom ventilation.
Study Takeaways
- Thread centers on the finding: closing the toilet lid does not meaningfully reduce viral contamination of surrounding surfaces.
- Disinfectant use during bowl cleaning does substantially reduce cross-contamination.
- Many appreciate the paper’s own TL;DR-style bullet highlights as an excellent communication practice.
Hygiene, Immune System, and “Too Clean” Debate
- Ongoing argument about “hygiene hypothesis” and related “old friends” idea:
- Some worry hyper-sterilized environments weaken immune systems and increase allergies/autoimmune issues.
- Others note this is not conclusively proven and emphasize that deliberately exposing oneself to fecal matter is not justified.
- A recurring compromise view: normal exposure to dirt, pets, and everyday microbes is good; bathroom hygiene and handwashing still matter.
Practical Implications (Homes, Hospitals, Public Restrooms)
- Strong interest in hospital and care settings: norovirus and similar pathogens make staff PPE and systematic disinfection crucial.
- Some argue risks in private homes are lower because household members already share microflora, but good habits help when interacting with strangers.
- Parents report that disinfecting shared bathrooms when one child is ill appears to reduce family-wide transmission.
Aerosols, Methodology, and Uncertainties
- Discussion on aerosols vs larger droplets, size distributions, and how long particles stay airborne.
- Questions about generalizability: study used viral surrogates, while many key fecal pathogens are bacteria; unclear how much this changes results.
- Error bars in data are large, suggesting highly variable, possibly skewed distributions; some would prefer medians over means.
- Some curiosity (and mild skepticism) about how experiments were physically conducted; clarified they used a viral surrogate added to toilets.
Toilet Design, Technology, and Behavioral Factors
- Speculation on better designs: vacuum toilets, stronger or floor-level exhaust fans, sealed lids, washlets, and bowl air extraction.
- Noted that industrial/high-pressure toilets likely aerosolize far more than typical home units.
- Many will still close lids out of habit—if not for aerosols, then to avoid dropping items in, deter pets, and trigger handwashing.
- Several comments lean toward “we’ve lived with toilets for a century; don’t over-worry,” while others advocate masks or extra caution in public restrooms.