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TOILET BUSINESS: LID LEAVE OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION? When flushing the toilet, should I let the lid down or leave the lid open? 1. Scientists have discovered that flushing a toilet bowl will cause plumes of bacteria and viruses to spread. 2. The flushing causes plumes of tiny droplets to spread through the air to every surface of the bathroom. 3. These scientists also mentioned that it does not matter if the toilet bowl lid remains up or down. 4. We are thus advised to do regularly cleaning of the bowl and disinfecting the toilet bowl to get rid of the most nastiest bacteria. +++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++ ++++++ Source & Credit: Published by University of Arizona in the American Journal of Infection Control Impacts of lid closure during toilet flushing and of toilet bowl cleaning on viral contamination of surfaces in United States restrooms - American Journal of Infection Control (ajicjournal.org) Highlights • Viral aerosols from toilet flushing pose a possible route of pathogen transmission. • Toilet lid closure prior to flushing is believed to mitigate cross-contamination. • We show toilet lid closure prior to flushing does not mitigate cross-contamination. • Brushing toilet bowl without disinfectant results in contamination of surfaces. • The use of a disinfectant during bowl cleaning reduces cross-contamination of surfaces. Background Viral aerosols generated during toilet flushing represent a potential route of pathogen transmission. The goal of this study was to determine the impact of toilet lid closure prior to flushing on the generation of viral aerosols and cross-contamination of restroom fomites. Methods A surrogate for human enteric viruses (bacteriophage MS2) was added to household and public toilet bowls and flushed. The resulting viral contamination of the toilet and other restroom surfaces was then determined. Results After flushing the inoculated toilets, toilet seat bottoms averaged >107 PFU/100 cm2. Viral contamination of restroom surfaces did not depend on toilet lid position (up or down). After toilet bowls were cleaned using a bowl brush with or without a commercial product (hydrochloric acid), a >4 log10 (>99.99%) reduction in contamination of the toilet bowl water was observed versus no product. Bowl brush contamination was reduced by 1.6 log10 (97.64%) when the product was used versus no product. Conclusions These results demonstrate that closing the toilet lid prior to flushing does not mitigate the risk of contaminating bathroom surfaces and that disinfection of all restroom surfaces (ie, toilet rim, floors) may be necessary after flushing or after toilet brush used for the reduction of virus cross-contamination.