by Dimakatso Komape
Admit it. You have had to hold in pee just a bit longer than what you should have just because you were at the mall and you would do anything to avoid using the all dreaded public toilet. A toilet is a perfect place for germs and bacteria to breed. Bacteria’s like E-coli, Salmonella and much more can mostly be found in the toilet bowl. These bacteria are also found on the toilet seat, the floor, the flush, and the door handle. Bacteria in the toilet absorb organic waste and release gases which is the reason why we get a foul odor in the toilets. Hence toilet hygiene is very important. Even with all these horrible creepy crawlies that are found in the toilet, we cannot avoid that when nature calls, we must answer. Here are a few ways that you can ensure that you are taking precautions to be safe in a public bathroom.
1. Wash your hands
Washing your hands is the single most effective way to keep bacteria away. Preferably, you should wash your hands even before you use the toilet for incase you mighty have contaminated your hands on your way in. Make sure also wash your hands once you are done using the bathroom.
2. Always carry your own supplies
Don’t you just hate it when you go into a bathroom and you find that there is no tissue? Well, it is a sad reality that happens way too often. Make sure that you always carry enough toilet paper in your bag just for these unfortunate moments.
3. Protect your personal items
Just like our hands can get contaminated by bacteria so can our personal items that we walk into the bathroom with like your bag, cellphone and water bottle. There are many times when we are tempted to just put one of these items on the floor but avoid doing that. Always try having these items on you personally to try and avoid getting them contaminated.
4. Avoid touching taps and door handles
I know this is a tricky one to do. A lot of bacteria are on the handles of the sinks in a bathroom. They’re touched by people after they use the bathroom while they’re hands may have germs on them. If you can, after you wash your hands, don’t touch the handle again. You can do this by getting some tissue to turn the water off, so you avoid coming back into contact with the germs left behind on handles. You can also wash the handle as well before touching it again.
5. Wipe the seat!
Many people neglect doing this before sitting on the toilet seat. A lot of bacterias are on the toilet seat and you don’t want that to get on to your precious parts. But what a lot of people also do is squat. Yes, squat. If you can, “air sitting” will help you to avoid coming into contact with germs that are on the toilet seat. (If you make a mess, be sure to clean up after yourself!)
I hope these tips help you with how to hygienically use the public bathroom!
Read more of these tips on the 11th edition.
