Why you need to lower the toilet lid before flushing
Why you need to lower the toilet lid before flushing
Anonim

Modern scientists, in the intervals between researching the secrets of the Universe and attempts to split elementary particles, sometimes manage to do something really useful. For example, discover a phenomenon that they called "toilet plume."

Why you need to lower the toilet lid before flushing
Why you need to lower the toilet lid before flushing

The first toilet was invented around 1596 by Sir John Harington for Queen Elizabeth I of England. The time of the appearance of toilet lids is not known exactly, but it can be assumed that they were created some time after the first toilet bowls and were designed to prevent the spread of bad smells throughout the royal apartments. …

Despite its long history, controversy about the correct application of the caps continues to this day. Do you need to close them or not? If necessary, when?

The answer to this question is microbiologists. According to their research, each time the water is flushed, an aerosol column up to 2 meters high, consisting of water, air and particles of our feces, rises above the toilet. It is he who is called the toilet train.

Then particles of excrement and bacteria from this cloud are carried at a distance of up to 4 meters. Published in the journal Applied Microbiology in 1975, it says that toilet plume particles have been found on all nearby surfaces and objects, including towels, cosmetics and even toothbrushes. Here is a great video demonstrating this process.

Of course, the amount of particles and bacteria that gets from the toilet bowl to the toothbrush as a result of one flush is negligible. But the problem is that they can accumulate and multiply there, especially since the environment is favorable for this. And this is no longer a joke.

So what do you do? Scientists advise to observe the following rules:

  • Always lower the toilet lid before pressing the flush button.
  • Keep toothbrushes and personal care products away from the toilet. Preferably in closed boxes.
  • If you use a public toilet, try to get out while draining the water.

But the most important thing, scientists say, is not to neglect the basic rules of hygiene. For example, wash your hands every time you use the toilet. Well, we already knew that, right?

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