Contrary to previous study findings, closing the toilet lid before flushing doesn’t stop aerosolized viruses from contaminating bathroom surfaces, scientists from the University of Arizona and Reckitt Benckiser LLC, the company that makes the disinfectant used in the study, report in the American Journal of Infection Control.
The researchers added a bacteriophage (virus that targets and kills bacteria) to household and public toilet bowls as a proxy for human intestinal viruses. After they flushed the toilets (with the lid open or closed in case of the household toilets), they measured viral contamination of the toilet and bathroom floor and walls.
“Research has demonstrated that people with COVID-19, even those who are asymptomatic, excrete severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in fecal matter and other excretions,” the researchers wrote. “Viruses contaminating urine and feces can be aerosolized in building restrooms during toilet flushing.”
The resulting toilet aerosol plumes, they said, can land on surfaces more than 5 feet away.
Mythbusters busted this myth long before studies. Turns out that air pressure is enough to push the particles flying from the bowl despite the lid, because the toilet lid isn’t a good air tight seal, and the air is pushed out due to water volume increase.
So basically closing the lid doesn’t help.
Ok it doesn’t 100 percent stop it or it doesn’t help at all? Because I always assumed something as small as a poop bacteria could get through the little cracks but I also assumed having it go through the cracks was better than having it go through the massive entire open bowl where it seemed like more would spray out. Did they comparison test the amount of bacteria on surfaces or just prove that some gets through?
Edit: obviously I could be wrong but it also seems like having the lid down would direct more bacteria to lower surfaces whereas having it open would give an easier path to higher surfaces where we tend to keep things like toothbrushes.
Tldr; Control toothbrush contained 98% bacteria or close enough. Make of that what you will. Basically, close your tootbrush in the cupboard.
Ick. Thanks for the info.
Probably depends on the amount of air pressure generated. Then any throttled venturi opening will increase the velocity through it.
Which is to say, closing the lid could make it shoot farther through the opening.
But that would also direct it horizontally vs vertically, which is probably preferred.
It helps me not drop my toothbrush in there in our tiny bathroom though.
Didn’t Mythbusters just prove that the particular kind(s) of fecal bacteria they checked for are present everywhere at all times?
To be honest, the “study” reads like a Lysol Power Toilet Bowl Cleaner advertisement.
I mean, fair; the lid isn’t a total seal so I expect it to be able to kinda come out around the edges of the lid; but wouldn’t it still keep all the stuff at least in a smaller area? It’s not blasting straight up in the air with the lid blocking it, is it? The floors and baseboards get cleaned pretty frequently; the ceiling not so much.
Just stop licking the bathroom ceiling.
Don’t tell me how to live my life.
Is kind of like holding a pot lid out to block a grenade. There’s some protection but practically zero.
Those dreaded explosive shits
I’ve seen bugs bunny, that totally works
So the solution is to never flush.
At some point, you have to flush, at which point science now suggests you also have to move into a new home.
Just pour epoxy over it all, toss the toilet and install a new one
Maybe just move into a new bathroom. Cheaper, right?
Just install an airlock. Probably still cheaper.
So, uh… design better lids?
They established this in one of the most disturbing MythBusters episodes years ago.
Can keyword to search? Interested to know more
Still looking for the episode, but here’s a short writeup
https://tvovermind.com/far-worst-thing-ever-discovered-mythbusters/
edit: looks like it was episode 12
https://mythresults.com/episode12
https://mythbusters.fandom.com/wiki/Break_Step_Bridge_(Episode)
edit2: This is it from their Facebook page
https://m.facebook.com/MythBusters/videos/surprise-toothbrush/10152461851823224/
Holy fuck, every time I see this I’m like, who the fuck goes through life worrying about this insignificant crap. Out of worthless studies this takes the cake.
Funded and authored by the company wanting to sell you their disinfectant.
Conflicts of interest: Drs. Julie McKinney and M. Khalid Ijaz are engaged in R&D at Reckitt Benckiser LLC. The other authors declare no competing interests.
Funding/support: This study was funded by a grant to the University of Arizona from Reckitt Benckiser.
Ironically, stating the full truth would help them more. Mythbusters proved that even several rooms away will have fecal particles
The only way to stop this would be to change toilet lids to be an air tight seal (with some kind of 1 way valve to allow air in for flushing) or control the air flow, in a way that’s strong enough to capture ejected particles, and suck it through a filter.
The second option would have the added benefit of capturing particulates when people are actually farting and shitting, as well as removing the smell.
Mythbusters proved that there are fecal bacteria everywhere and as such you can never reasonably completely avoid it. However, they didn’t prove whether there are other bacteria or viruses that are kept contained with a closed lid compared to with an open lid, or if the viral/bacterial load is lower with a closed lid.
Every single thing in the world is covered in a thin film of bacteria
Not only that but the bacteria are constantly pooping on you
Also there are mites having sex on your face and burrowing into your hair follicles to hang out down there with their back ends sticking up into the air
Airtists recreateion
Thats is creepy af.
He brought you a flower tho
Still gonna do it.
You need to buy disinfectant, says company that sells disinfectant
Well shit
For all the people wondering if it’s better to close the lid or leave it open. The point of the study and numerous others before is that it doesn’t matter lmfao.
If you feel better with the lid closed and want to look down on others who keep it up, no amount of studies are going to change your mind. That’s why you’re in here asking for more while choosing to ignore this one, and the last ones, and mythbusters…
And because there’s some weird overlap between ya’ll… Yes, squirt is pee. There’s no magical 4th dimension bladder ovaries that allows you to piss all over someone and call it female jizz.
CIDRAP - Closing It Doesn’t Reduce Airborne Poop
Hmm time to replace all toilets with friggin’ autoclaves.
