Why you should close hospital toilet before you flush

Could the next potential ‘superbug’ that overruns hospitals come from their bathrooms? Researchers from the National Health Service in Scotland believe so.  

A new study has revealed that hospital toilets are the real hotbeds of bacteria and fungi, including dangerous drug-resistant superbugs—with men’s toilets being the worst culprits. 

Stephanie Dancer, a professor and a consultant microbiologist at the institution, led a team that swabbed various surfaces in hospital bathrooms, from the obvious culprits like toilet flushes and door handles to the seemingly innocent ceilings and air vents. The results, presented at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Global Congress in Spain, paint a rather unsettling picture of what’s lurking in these busy spaces. 

Let’s start with the gender divide. Women’s bathrooms, it turns out, harboured fewer microbes than men’s. Female staff toilets were the cleanest of the lot. Why the difference? 

“Our results appear to confirm what is generally thought in society: women clean because their perception of dirt and disgust entices action, whereas men either don’t notice a dirty environment or don’t care,” says Dancer in a media release. “Women are more likely to leave a bathroom ‘clean’, while men assume someone will clean up after them.” 

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“Airborne microorganisms and contaminated surfaces  carry a potential risk for infection. Hospital toilets should have lids, which should be closed before you flush, and patient toilets should be cleaned more frequently than other toilets,” notes Dancer. 

Dancer also advocates for keeping single-sex toilets rather than converting all facilities to unisex. 

However, it’s not just down to the hospitals. We can all play a part in reducing the spread of germs. 

“There is no doubt everyone could benefit from more education on hand hygiene,” says Dancer. The more we all understand how to protect ourselves and others from germs, the better.” 

What about at home? The team says the same principles apply. 

“Put the lid down before you flush, and then wash your hands well and dry them with a clean towel,” concludes Dancer. “If you can, open a bathroom window before using the toilet, and that’s not just to eliminate the smell.”