Tips to avoid germs in public bathrooms

There is an endless list of phobias out there. A fairly common one is the fear of using a public restroom.

In life, there are a lot of things we all “just do” and do not talk about. Going to the bathroom is one of those things.

Most of you probably have your own little rituals. These rituals may even include using your shoe to flush. Regardless, most of us have a ritual at home which is different than our routine when we are away from home.

But is the effort worth it? Unless the toilet seat is wet, it is actually one of the cleanest parts of a public restroom.

Larry Grimsley, a public health nurse at the New Hanover County Health Department said public sinks tend to be more infested with bacteria than toilets.

“You know people go to the bathroom, use the bathroom, and then wash their hands. They actually touch the faucet themselves to turn the water on,” said Grimsley.

When you wash your hands, one of the biggest mistakes would then be grabbing a door to leave the bathroom.

Grimsley said, “Proper hand washing means you use soap and water for 15-20 seconds. You wash your hands, you actually take a clean paper towel to turn the faucet off, and use a fresh paper towel to open the door. It’s always a good idea to have a trash can right at the door so you can toss the paper towel into it as you exit.”

Grimsley said that what actually makes a difference in removing the germs is the friction of your hands rubbing against each other. “Warm water will help, but it’s actually the friction from the hand rubbing that removes the bacteria.”

Some other points to ponder from research:

1) Women tend to wash their hands more than men.
2) You are best off using public bathrooms with automatic flushing and hand washing devices.
3) Don’t let your belongings touch the floor. There are high concentrations of germs on the floor.