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?

😂😂😂 It's so disappointing that MN has removed the 😂emoji from the "React" button - it was made for comments like this! 💜

Is this post for real?? If so I want to say 'Get a life!'

Meh, it's really not healthy to live in sterile conditions.

You'll sound like a complete nutter OP if you go round instructing people to close the loo seat, so yeah you have a say in how your bathroom is used - but you'll look like a controlling weirdo.

I’m just going to put it out there that I HATE going to a toilet with a closed lid!
you never know what’s lurking inside !

if there’s a choice I’d avoid it!

I also hate the fact I have to touch it, then touch my clothes to go to the loo.

at least when you’ve finished and touched the flush, you immediately wash your hands.

If it flushed with the lid down, I’d open it (before I washed my hands) to make sure all the toilet roll had gone and no one else needed to be aware or unaware of what was lurking unseen!

and the fact the op doesn’t have a toilet brush is terrifying if there’s multiple guests!! I would not be lifting that lid!!

But they would wash their hands afterwards anyway (hopefully).

Same as turning on the taps.
You need to touch them to turn them on, even after wiping yourself, changing nappies, dealing with uncooked meat etc.

It’s not about completely removing fecal matter or viral particles but just reducing them as much as you can.

It's your downstairs loo you want to alter? Make that the one that guests use and don't use it yourselves. You can just mask up when you go in there to clean. Don't have overnight guests.

I assume you never visit the homes of anyone you suspect of not putting the lid down?

Yes, and if you go to many public toilets (there arent that many anyway), restaurant and cafe toilets in Italy and Spain you'll find they dont use lids and are allergic to even seats. Its the rim or nothing there. No cover whatsoever.

Poo troll Alert

Probably easier to replace your DH than your loo?

When your guests ask if they can use your bathroom, just say "no". Problem solved.

I bet that if those of you who don’t care about this could actually one time see the microbes it distributes, you would be putting the lid down from that day on.

Dont ever have friends or family visit is your best option!

We never close ours. My house gets cleaned far less often than it probably should. We are almost never unwell. Ergo whatever awful things happen after we flush the loo, its having zero effect on us.

Or tell them to use the swing bin in the kitchen, so they can't possibly leave it open.

Unclench OP.

Ive seen the shocking harrowing type of video that OP references.

I dont care.

In any case, I sometimes put a bit of bleach down the toilet so when that flushes, it cleans the bathroom. Bonus!!

@MerryBlimminXmas "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."
Then do some research for the sort of loo you want (apparently such a beast has been invented by the Koreans but isn't widely available) instead of arguing on MN - but I hope you have a healthy budget for your cloakroom remodel because "clever" loos seem to cost from £5k upwards.
And of course you have a say in how your loo is used - so just ask your guests to put the lid down before flushing instead of being such a passive ninny about it - but understand that you can't police that they actually do (how will you know, for example, that they don't just flush the loo with the lid up and then put it down to appease you, particularly if they simply forgot to do so before they flushed?).
Incidentally, I have a friend who, when a group of us were visiting, politely asked us all to close the lid before flushing. I did so because I like my friend and respect their wishes - and I've never forgotten since because I have never been asked by anyone, before or since, so it's now something I associate with them. I have no idea how our other friends felt about this request as we've never discussed it, but one of them is quite subversive by nature and I can absolutely see them deliberately not doing as requested, and another is forgetful about everything so definitely won't be doing it.
It seems like an afternoon of diligent research on clever, expensive loos is in store for you OP - have fun! 😃

How about a sign behind the toilet that says

WE APOLOGISE FOR OUR PLUMBING ISSUE

PLEASE close the lid before flushing if you don’t want to get sprayed.

(guests who do not care about your floor might still care about their own clothing :)

Bleach is really toxic though, it’s another reason to put the lid down when flushing. Sorry I am not actively trying to be annoying 😆 but it is.

That said, while I would like people to put the lid down when visiting me, since they often don’t I am actually really glad so many are saying they don’t care. It does make me feel a bit better about it.

I think trying to control how your guests flush the loo is a bit much but if you really want, I'd suggest mentioning that your loo can be a bit temperamental so it's a good idea to close if before you flush- gives the impression that they might get splashed and will almost certainly do the job without you having to say "close the lid, you filthy animals".

Also consider that they might close to flush then open again to check that all is ok (successful flush, nothing untoward anywhere).

I haven't RTFT because life is too short frankly but WTAF? People worry about this stuff? Hilarious and also slightly worrying IMO.

I am not joking when I say that once while house sitting for my mum, someone asked to use the loo and clearly got round this issue by not lifting the lid at all, because after they left I discovered a poo on top of the closed lid. I shit you not, no pun intended.

This sounds like I am ribbing you but I once got chatting to a fluid dynamics researcher: apparently once you lift the lid after flushing (at some point) you create a particle ‘plume’ that also spreads germs around the bathroom. So pretty pointless. She did say that the plume may be less bad - but would have finer particles and be more likely to be breathed in.

Never ceases to amaze me what people give headspace to 🤣

We have lid down in our house, mainly because it stops the arguments around the males of the house leaving the seat up. This way everyone has to lift up before they sit down and put down when they’ve finished. I’m not so worried about the splashing but have got used to the lid being down.

is there not a type of hitec toilet you could get that only flushes when the lid is closed?

I also like the loo seats closed op, but I wouldn't dream of forcing my guests to the same!

Although if you ever decide you don't want anymore visitors, it's the quickest way to ensure they won't be back.