Why You Should Always Close the Lid Before Flushing the Toilet

My family is constantly making fun of me for being a germophobe.  I always have to wash my hands immediately after taking out the trash or handling money.  I freak out around raw meat and I'll admit I'm overly cautious about washing everything it has touched.  I would clean the air around raw meat if I could.  But today's tip is common sense and you don't have to be a germophobe to see the benefits. 

I was a teenager when I discovered the truth about toilet spray, and ever since then, I have always closed the lid before flushing.  When I still lived with my parent's, I'll never forget hearing the toilet in my bathroom flush, seeing my dad walk out, and noticing the was toilet lid still up.  I freaked out and said "You're getting pee particles all over my bathroom!"  They had fun mimicking me with that one for a while.  

But seriously, the toilet spray is pretty nasty.  Here is what webmd.com has to say about it: "According to Charles Gerba, PhD, a professor of microbiology at University of Arizona in Tucson, flushing the toilet with the lid up is not wise. "Polluted water vapor erupts out of the flushing toilet bowl and it can take several hours for these particles to finally settle -- not to mention where," he says. "If you have your toothbrush too close to the toilet, you are brushing your teeth with what's in your toilet.""

As for public restrooms, the air is probably full of toilet spray so that is unavoidable.  I usually wait until I'm leaving the stall before I flush and then I hold my breath.  We can only do our best.

This may be old news to some, but many people may not be conscious of this simple way to keep your home cleaner and healthier.  It doesn't take long to close the lid and when it becomes a habit, you won't even have to think about it.