Maybe you are a person who regularly cleans his toilet and the hygiene is at the highest level right there. If so, it is certain that you are not the only one who avoids public toilets, precisely because of the concern of insufficient hygiene there. But are you exaggerating or are there really diseases and viruses that we can get if we visit public toilets regularly? On average, a toilet bowl contains about 50 bacteria per 6 square centimeters. Although this sounds disgusting, you should know that there are a lot of dirty things in your home. For example, the sponge has many more bacteria that it contains thanks to the constant humidity that it has, which is a perfect atmosphere for bacteria and their multiplication. However, there are some diseases and bacteria that, although rare, can still be obtained from a public toilet.
- Streptococcus
Streptococcus is a bacterium that can usually be found in the throat or if you have ever had a sore throat or bronchitis, it is very likely that you already have experience with it. This bacterium can also cause infectious skin infections, and the bad news is that a large percentage of public toilet bowls carry it. Hence the high probability that you can get it right there. But only about 1% of people have the bacteria on their skin or in their throat, so the chances of getting it this way are very slim.
- Escherichia coli
This bacterium is usually found in the human gut. However, it can also be accidentally ingested through water or food, resulting in diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting. However, stomach viruses cause similar problems as Escherichia coli, so they are easily transmitted from one person to another. This bacterium can survive on many surfaces, so it can be found on the toilet bowl and can live up to 2 weeks.
- Shigella
This bacterium is considered a bacterium that is transmitted very quickly and easily, so it is enough just not to wash your hands. This bacterium can cause digestive problems that can last for up to a week. This bacterium is transmitted from the infected feces of a person who has remained on an area, and these areas can easily include toilets. To protect yourself, it is best not to use public toilets at all, and to maintain and clean your toilet with bleach.
- Flu and cold
An interesting fact about these viruses is that they can live up to 3 days on a surface, so it can be easily found on your mobile phone, remote control, and of course on the toilet bowl. To avoid getting infected, the important thing is not to touch your eyes, mouth or nose after using a public toilet or touching a dirty surface. It is safest to always wash your hands after using the toilet.
8 Facts about bathrooms and toilets from the past
1. One toilet bowl uses 6 liters of water at a time
2. In the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages and most of history, baths were common and public. The baths served as a place for socialization.
3. Toilet paper did not exist in the past, so people used a sea sponge tied to a stick. The strangest thing is the fact that the same sponge has been used by many people, so after someone uses it, he will return it to a bucket full of salt water or vinegar, and then someone else can use it.
4. In the baths there were feasts with all kinds of food, and sometimes they played board games.
5. In the Middle Ages, people often completed their needs on the street, in a secluded place.
6. Toilet waste was cleaned by hand, usually at night when the streets were empty.
7. Public toilets were like a breeding ground for infections. In fact, following the installation of the first sewers in European cities, deaths from cholera and typhus have dropped dramatically.
8. Richer people, like those who lived in castles, had their own toilets, with makeshift sewers. The opening that served as a toilet bowl was connected to a canal, so all the waste fell through it. But the smell of these toilets was horrible because they had no water and the whole smell traveled through the sewers and returned to the toilet.
