While most people believe simply washing hands after using the bathroom will keep them clear of catching any infections, that’s not enough protection.
So here are some facts and tips to keep you from falling prey to the other dangers lurking in your public toilet.
1 – Toilets that do not have lids, which make up the majority of office and hospital toilets can spread contaminated toilet water up to six-feet around the basin. This means that stalls, stall doors and the toilet roll dispensers will have some form of contamination before you have even used the toilet.
2 – Washrooms that do not employ automated sensor devices for soap dispensers or turning on the water mean users must pump the soap and turn water handles with dirty hands. Â Even after washing hands, turning off the water will redistribute dirt and bacteria on the hands. One tip when faced with this situation is to use a paper towel to turn off the water handle.
3 – When automated sensor equipment is used throughout the washroom, the user is faced with using a dirty door handle to leave after washing hands. Providing paper towel dispensers would solve this problem, but is less eco-friendly.
4 – Blow hand dryers also run the risk of spreading germs to the surrounding area. This can be solved by using dryers with a containing wall. It is also important to change filters as it has been linked to swine-flu transmission.
5 – When washing hands there are multiple factors that must come together in order to make washing effective. Water, soap, friction to remove debris on hands and in-between fingers, and rinsing for adequate time are all essential.