Forcing guests to close toilet lid before flushing

[MerryBlimminXmas]

In our house, we close the toilet lid before flushing. Reason being is that the poo/wee water spray will go absolutely everywhere if the lid is left open (lots of videos available online if anyone is interested).

The issue we have is that pretty much ALL guests don’t do this. Now, I don’t mind what people choose to do in their own homes and appreciate that the majority of the population are happy for everything in the vicinity of their loo to be covered in urine and faeces don’t bother to close the lid. However, I would much prefer it if they closed the lid before flushing in our house.

How can we make it happen? In a previous home, the flush button was literally behind the toilet lid, so it should have been easy to close the lid just to get to the button and people STILL left the lid up every time.

Don’t really want to put a sign up (would be annoying the majority of the time when we don’t have guests), nor to speak to people about it (cringe). Any ingenious ideas that could work? Surely we’re not the only people who prefer the lid closed - how have others made it work with guests?

get a bucket. or a grip. either will do.

OP, is this your loo?

This made me laugh because last night I did order a sign to put above the loo asking folk to close the lid.

The culprits are the teens in our family. They say that they don’t want to touch lid as it will be grubby, yet don’t see the irony in that when they flush everything sprays around the room instead.

it may not be a battle that you’ll win, but at least you can try.

Flipping heck. Some people do not have enough to worry about in life. Seriously, how do you navigate everyday life? There are germs everywhere! Do you wear hazmat suits when leaving the house?

Which only works between telepaths. I'd put a sign up if I was that bothered.

Well, every time someone gets up for the loo in your house you have to just be straightforward and say 'please close the lid before you flush'.

But if they opened it again after flushing how would you know they definitely did it? CCTV in the bathroom it is then?!

If you find it embarrassing well tough. It's that or put up a sign. Otherwise why on earth would someone instinctively know you demand it closed?

If I was that paranoid about it I'd keep all my toiletries, toothbrush etc in a closed cupboard.

For those saying it makes no difference/it was debunked - I believe this was for viral particles because they’re so small that they can get out from under the lid anyway.

They we’re trying to stop the spread of things like norovirus but the lids down made no difference.
As PPs have said, the public toilets found more germs were being spread because people were not washing their hands rather than not putting the lid down.

However, fecal matter (and some bacteria and viruses) are more likely to be released in the air when the lid is up.

So it’s good practice to close the lid, wash your hands afterwards and have a case for your toothbrush but it’s not going to completely stop you from getting a contagious stomach bug.

It doesn't though @Seeker2
Scroll back through this thread and a poster quoted newer research which proves that bacteria etc does not fly all over the room.

It's a myth that has now been disproven.

The most bacteria comes from people's hands if they have got poo on them, or just everyday bacteria. The fewer things they touch in the loo, the better. But not to do with wee or poo.

In fact we should all be washing our hands before using the loo as our hands are contaminated all of the time with millions of bacteria which we will leave on the flush button, the seat and the door handle.

My ensuite US bathroom is about the same size as my UK bathroom. We do not bother putting down the lid. We are still alive and in rip-roaring health in our early 60s.

Except the next person will touch the lid with your poo on it (if you want to believe it sticks to the lid) before they can sit down for a wee.

The dirtiest object in your house is the dishcloth.

Followed by your own hands.

Maybe invite everyone over, get a large screen and make them watch the video you keep posting? You could combine with a short TED talk, some slides, maybe a pamphlet to take home?

Or install a portaloo outside for guests?

Or embrace it and thank them for probably helping bolster your immune system these past few years?

Haven’t had time to read the whole thread but I am with you OP. Why not do it? It’s just basic hygiene so why isn’t it something we all just do. I know some people have told me they don’t do it because they don’t want to touch the lid, but they can wash their hands right after anyway. Maybe also when you are a guest you want to check everything has flushed cleanly away, but I still think lid down for flush. What makes it even more worthwhile is that you should never leave the lid up anyway as rats and frogs….it has been known, I have encountered both scenarios. Maybe unlucky there 😆

Maybe just don’t have guests lol

Also just to add early researchers into the spread of COVID went to a hospital in China and checked for COVID particles in the air, found nothing even in the patients bedrooms. The only place where potentially infectious particles were found, airborne, was in the bathrooms due to waste being aerosolized by the flush. So it can help to avoid the spread of illness especially stomach bugs etc.

I understand the ‘hasn’t killed us yet’ brigade but I think we all do many things that probably could be abandoned on that front. Many people don’t wash their hands after using the loo. It’s still better to do it, and still effectively prevents some illness to do it.

I don’t know how to force people to, but I agree they should.

Seriously? You think all Americans live in big houses with big bathrooms? 😂 The point is, regardless of the size of the bathroom/cloakroom, closing the loo lid does not significantly reduce the spread of the aerosol. Here's the study report if you want to read it: https://www.ajicjournal.org/article/S0196-6553(23)00820-9/fulltext It's clear that the most effective mitigation against the spread of bacteria is to have a disinfectant block in your loo cistern and regularly clean and disinfect the loo and nearby surfaces.
FWIW, I also like the loo lid to be left down for aesthetic reasons, but I can't get worked up about people doing this before they flush - and it really isn't something you can police with your visitors.

I think there are bigger things to worry about. But if this bothers you so much, just stop having guests!

Or make the decision that the benefit of having guests (with loo seat up) is better than loos seat down and no guests ever.

Well there’s clearly different scientific views, as @Cucy and @Inyournewdress have described, so I’m happy to stand by my view that it’s more hygienic to close the lid. And irrespective of whether other people’s poo and wee all over everything in my downstairs loo will definitely make me / my family gravely ill or not, I just don’t want it there!

Also I prefer it closed for other reasons.

And the point, to you and many other PPs, is that I DO have a say how my bathroom, in my house is used. I could ask people to follow house rules but would prefer not to, so what I’m looking for is a solution that simply forces the behaviour I want, without any drama or inconvenience for anyone.

I don't expect guests to give it a second thought either and they often leave the lid up, but when I see it up, I close it (I certainly wouldn't mention it to my guests though). And you wouldn't think there's "nothing to smell" after flushing the loo if you lived with my DH! 😂

I can't believe you devote this much head space to toilet seats.

Unless you have millions of guests, the "risk" is very very low, both hygiene wise and of toddler interaction.

Looks like there isn't really a solution because not many other people have this "problem".

No, pull it forward with one hand flush with the other and put it back again. I don't really mind either way but those sort annoy me so I put them back up again.

She will be one day though. And then she'll blame the toilet lid thing.

Garderobe and wardrobe are the same word -- garderobe is central French and wardrobe is Norman French. In central French, the W evolved into a G, which is why we had William the Conqueror but subsequent French Williams are Guillaumes. Sometimes a word has survived into modern English in both its Norman and Central French forms, and there's an Anglo-Saxon version too, all meaning basically the same thing, such as warrant, guarantee, bond.

I don’t think you’re being unreasonable.
I would also appreciate an engineering solution. => place marking to see updates 😅

I HATE a closed lid and especially like you say in public loos! Appreciate it’s your house and your rules OP but I can’t stand touching a toilet lid that i know so many other germ filled hands have been on (and yes I wash my hands after going to the loo) but it makes me feel gross for when I’m sat on the loo! Yuk!

and like you I hate to find any unflushed surprises because the person before me hasn’t checked with the lid down!