Flushing with the lid down

[mightyducks]

Went to the gym yesterday and there was a sign on the back of the toilet door asking people to close the lid before flushing to help reduce the spread of covid 19, first time I’ve seen a sign saying this - not sure if it’s entirely true but if it could help it should be a basic public health message surely? Like washing your hands etc

Unless the lid is hermetically sealed, surely you get a aerosol effect between the pan and the seat?

What about in places that don’t have lids. I can’t think of one publicly accessible toilet in my vicinity (shopping centre, Asda, Aldi, Tesco, country park etc) that actually has a lid!

I always leave the lid down, who wants to walk into a bathroom and see straight down the loo??

Fascinating! I never knew one should flush with the lid down. Maybe because I grew up in a country where toilets have their own room? I don't know. Anyway, I never do, but we close the lid afterwards because we have cats and don't want them falling in!

Wow I can’t believe flushing with lid down is a thing
Presumably as others have said you then need to lift it up again?

It makes me mad when I see debates about if men should leave the seat up or down. The seat AND lid should be down!!! It stops the spread of things like tummy bugs so I guess it does the same for Corona.

I always flush with the lid down - basic hygiene, I think. To the PP who needs to check that it's all gone - why wouldn't you just lift the lid after the flush and check? Then wash your hands? That's what I do, anyway.

I always flush poos with the lid closed but I'm less bothered about wee. Our toilets are in their own little rooms so the only things that could be contaminated is the loo roll and bottle of toilet cleaner.

Obviously, if there is no lid there is no choice, but I always put the lid down. I thought it was common knowledge that germs are spread by leaving loo open when flushing.

@cheezy

Wow I can’t believe flushing with lid down is a thing Presumably as others have said you then need to lift it up again?

Not at home, if there's anything left in the toilet bowl its only from one of us so we're not that bothered.

Public toilets I'll close and open the lid

I’ve always done this but it was always stated at the start of covid to do it as it had been detected in bathrooms.

@VanGoghsDog

I always leave the lid down, who wants to walk into a bathroom and see straight down the loo??

Who wants to walk into a public toilet and have to lift the lid to find out whether it was properly flushed or is actually closed because someone has blocked the toilet and left shit all over the seat you’ve now had to touch? You should lift the lid again afterwards - of course you want to he able to see into the toilet you are about to use.

A friend had a new bathroom which only her adult son uses. You have to put the lid down to get to the flush button. This should be standard going forward.

It's one of those things for me that yeah it might be gross that it sprays x feet in the air but it hasn't killed me yet 🤷🏻‍♀️

I have always done this anyway at home since I saw something about how far it can travel. I wouldn't do it in public toilets though because I don't want to touch the seat.

I don't know if covid could spread by this route - because you're usually in the cubicle by yourself.

But closing the lid reduces the number of airborne faecal particles by about 80% and is really good at preventing certain bacteria from your gut (where it can pass though you harmlessly) reaching other entry points to your body.

If the toilet has a lid, I put it down before I flush.
My local hospital does not have lids. Grim.

No lids on the toilets at school.

You know when you smell smoke in a toilet cubicle because someone has had a cigarette in there?

That's smoke particles lingering in the air contained by the cubicle.

Covid does the same.

That's why, for example, hairdressers putting in lots of Perspex screens was a bad idea. They just contain the potential covid.

What they should do instead is open all the doors and windows and get some air blowing through, to disperse the particles and blow it out.

Always lid down at home or other houses. Not way am I touching a public loo lid, even with vigourous hand washing!

I’ve done this ever since seeing a video that showed just how far around the room all the droplets spread when you flush. Literally all over the surrounding walls.

Nothing to do with COVID, just general hygiene concerns.

I have always put the lid down before flushing. It really grosses me out that people don't do this. I have asked guests and family members to put the lid down when they've stayed over in the past. There have been very few positives to the repeated lockdowns but one imho is not having to deal with public toilets and not having friends in the house that leave the lid up .
I hope these signs go up in more public spaces (maybe more people will do it at home then too!).

@Walkaround

Well, I don't leave loos blocked and shit smeared over seats, so me leaving the lid down does not have that impact. That was a ridiculous response.

And I said "bathroom" not public toilet, most of which don't even have lids.

@Firstworddinosaur

It makes me mad when I see debates about if men should leave the seat up or down. The seat AND lid should be down!!! It stops the spread of things like tummy bugs so I guess it does the same for Corona.

Yep, this is what I always say to men - leave the seat up if you like but you're going to find it tricky because you'll need to put the lid down anyway.

I’ve done this ever since seeing a video that showed just how far around the room all the droplets spread when you flush. Literally all over the surrounding walls.

Yes. This.

I can't believe that some posters work in offices where the toilets don't have lids!