Touching public toilets

[Chesterfieldsofa]

Not something that I particularly want to do. I have no problem using them, quite happy to plonk my lardy arse down on the seat, but I've just been to Birch Services on M62 and discovered a new 'hygenic' toilet that has to have the lid closed when flushed to 'stop germs' and so you have to open the lid to use.

I'd rather not tbh. I just want to wee and go, although to be fair it made me give my hands and extra good wash.

AIBU to want the loo to stay 'hands free'?

yes.

arent we lucky to have toilets when a billion dont?

I worry more about the door handle on the way out, tbh.

I wouldn’t love it either but yes, a good hand washing should solve the problem!

All public loos should have hand cleansers (like the hospitals) on the outside. IMO

Hate washing my hands and then touching handles afterwards.

That wouldn't bother me TBH.

You have to touch the toilet door/lock anyway. If you are worried use a bit of loo roll over your hand.

Seat should be down when flushed to stop bacteria flying all over the cubicle. You only need one or two fingers to lift or close a seat. Wash your hands afterwards and you won't die.....well not from visiting the toilet anyway..

Lift it with a foot- i always do that if there’s a seat in public toilets. First world problem solved.

I read that flushing the toilet with the lid up can cause a aerosol plume of the toilet contents(wee, poo, water) to rise up to 14ft.

I just wash my hands afterwards.

Surely you just wash your hands afterwards?
Those toilets in birch services are really loud though and scared my toddler which was slightly annoying as she is already scared of hand dryers.

I encountered a similar toilet in the way back from Brighton a few weeks ago. To be honest, it took me 5 minutes of fiddling around to be able to get the lid up & I had to go into the cubicle of my disabled, adult daughter to help her with hers. I think a foot pedal to lift the lid would be a much better idea.

I get this too, OP. I always do wash my hands after going to the loo, but it's what you have to touch before that point that worries me. Door lock, toilet lid...all no doubt teeming with bacteria. And then I am expected to wipe bottom/insert tampon etc with goodness knows what disease-causing organisms on my hands. Personally I suspect that it's a little-studied cause of STI infection. Consequently I try to avoid using public loos.

When I went to the motorway services that had these type of toilets recently there was a sign on the back of the toilet door that says that the lids are made of anti bacterial plastic so presumably fairly hygienic.

It doesn’t bother me EXCEPT when I was absolutely bursting for a pee and could barely hold it for that extra 2 second it took to open the lid

Just do what I do when I've found the lid down on a public toilet and put a few layers of toilet roll on your hand to lift it. Plus I would assume that you're washing your hands afterwards!

We have these toilets at our office, apparently they are greener because they use less water to flush.

What annoys me is that, with the lid down, you cannot see whether the contents have all flushed away. The next person to enter the cubicle lifts the lid and is faced with remnants, because the first person didn't stay after the flush and lift the lid to check.

To those who say "wrap your hand", it's not just the lifting of the lid to use it. These toilets only work if the lid is put down afterwards, it forms a seal so that the air/water flush can work. I suppose you could knock the lid down again with a knee or foot, but that would be a little loud/clanky.

When I had read to figure what to do I thought it was a pretty good idea!

Wash your hands afterwards problem solved

Eggsy so wrap your hand afterwards when you put it down too (and use bin for that paper).

Use your foot

I wish all loos had swing doors into the bathroom, so that after you wash your hands you could avoid touching the door!

specialsubject

Did you misread the OP? Don’t be a dick.

OP I get anxious about things like this. Toilet paper wrapped around your hand, hand wash and then anti bac for after touching the door handle on the way out. I appreciate I may be OTT

Use foot elbow back of hand edge of little finger a knuckle wash hands well afterwards this isn't complicated

Take some hand sanitiser! It is what it is, I've pooed in squat toilets so this sounds luxurious next to them