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?

"PUT THE FUCKING LID DOWN, GERALD!"

The American Journal of Infection Control did a study on this and found it made no difference to potential contamination of surfaces. What studies are you looking at? That's not meant sarcastically btw just interested. I didnt get as far as finding any British studies so be interesting if British scientists think otherwise.

I just can’t get past the mumsnet fear of poo and wee particles.
I spend my free time willingly shoveling shit of various animals and spent my teen years eating lunch while sat in the muck heap
at the yard because it was warm! Nothing bad happens from a bit of excreta exposure. I think it’s all part of a healthy immune system.

It’s just the weirdest thing to be bothered by to the extent you want to control how other people use loo. I think just don’t invite people to your home.

Do you also police nose picking, hand washing? Or just the toilet seat? Madness.

And how on earth do you manage to use the facilities anywhere else where the toilet seat has been freely left up?!

Brilliant! These are things I just can't bring myself to care about!

I'm very aware that yukky polluted spay comes after a flush and important to keep things like toothbrushes well away, flannels too. It can also spray bacteria all over your clothes.

It seems to be a very British thing not to put the seat down. You wouldn't get away with it in Scandinavia for example. As others have suggested leave a light hearted note on the cistern and keep your fingers crossed !

It’s horrible. We haven’t found any way of dealing with this either. All guests always leave the seat up. I think it’s really weird because they see the seat is left down by the family but no one cares.

There’s nothing we can do though. I just try not to think about it. Lots of risks in life and so much to worry about. So you’re not wrong but you’re also going to get nowhere by thinking about it.

I might do it but I’d be keeping my shoes on while I’m there. I’ve always thought it’s a design fault when you can’t get to the flush button because it’s behind the seat so this is a revelation. I always lift the seat again in that scenario, no one wants to rush into the bog and find the seat down. I also don’t like flush buttons, much prefer a handle.

Put a note on the wall over the toilet saying people close toilet lid before flushing, can't say I close it when I flush but your house your rules, honestly dont feel its that big a deal given bacteria from fecal matter can be found on many surfaces we interact with daily as wild as that is its just life

😂

Is your flush excessively splashing everywhere or are you just not happy with the general spray of poo plume when flushing?

You need to replace your toilet with the one you used to have in your old house, the one with the flush behind the seats which make you shut the toilet. Ta dah! Problem fixed. Albeit an expansive solution, it does save you talking to people

I would also suggest getting off the internet.

Just a thought for you; if your guests are doing this, how do you know if they are washing their hands properly either.

You could have guests who flush with the lids closed and then don't wash their hands. Also, how do you cope when you leave the house with this in mind???

Modern toilets are quite carefully designed not to create a fountain of sewage when flushed. Perhaps you have a nineteenth century Crapper original, with a cistern twelve feet above the pan, which might create a splash, but they tended not to have lids at all. Obsessing about hygiene (or anything, really) isn't compatible with hospitality. Hose the loo down with bleach when the guests have left, if you think it's necessary.

Think you missed the let in my original post that said that people STILL left the lid up. It’s like they lowered it a bit / reached round to it to access the button instead of doing the obvious thing and lowering it.

Interesting to hear that some people lower the lid to flush and then lift it up again. I think you’re very much in the minority though and I very much doubt any of our visitors do this.

You are actually making the situation worse as even if the splash came over the top(which it doesnt) then you now have people with dirty hands touching the toilet lid and transfering germs, not washing their hands and touching everything in your house, i wouldnt want to touch anyone elses toilet seat no thanks

"lots of videos available online if anyone is interested"
Er, no thanks mate 😯

Lock them in there until they have verbally agreed that the toilet seat is down .
The other advantage of course if that they won’t come back - ever .

@MerryBlimminXmas little sign/label inside the lid “don’t be in a rush - please close before you flush - thanks”

I went into a public loo somewhere in the cotswolds recently that had an unusual flush, it required the lid to be lowered to operate and there was a sign explaining how it worked.

It was something like to reduce the amount of water it used higher pressure that was more likely to splash so the lid needed to be down.

I think something like that would work and you could have a sign without seeming twee or upright, but I have no idea how practical installing one of those loos would be

I snorted so loudly I startled the cat 😂

Goodness me. Maybe you need to unclench a tad.

we leave the lid open and no one has died as yet

Maybe put up a sign saying "I'm Anal about your Anal ....PUT THE GODDAMN LID DOWN BEFORE YOU FLUSH...GODDAMMIT!!" You could have Eric Cartman next to a pooh emoji

I’m so proud.

How on earth to do you cope outside? If you have a picnic does it involve a forensic tent with a lot of plastic sheeting and gallons of dettol?

How do you cope in places with no lids?

I can't understand the angst about this.