Toilet plume - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org

It’s called toilet plume.

A toilet plume is the invisible to the naked eye, cloud-like dispersal of raw, infectious sewage particles as a result of flushing a toilet. Flush particles rapidly rise out of the bowl and several feet into the air after flushing. Aerosolized droplets can remain suspended in the air for tens of minutes between users, posing an inhalation risk. These invisible particles go on to coat and spread onto surfaces like floors and counters or objects like hand towels, bathmats, or even toothbrushes.

  • Ellvix@lemmy.worldEnglish
    244·
    8 days ago

    I’ve also heard this was debunked, that there’s not much difference between lid up or down, just clean your bathroom regularly

    • acockworkorange@mander.xyzEnglish
      18·
      8 days ago

      There was a Mythbusyers where did cultures, which is when you put the sample in a growth medium (think ideal environment for microbe multiplication). This can only detect presence or absence of microbial contamination, and which kind.

      As a science experiment, it’s fundamentally flawed. A preventative measure must be evaluated by quantitative methods.

      You know how antiseptic soaps / gels proudly display they kill 99.9 or 99.98% of germs? It’s not 99.9% of species of germs, it’s 99.9% of germs that come in contact with it. Because 100% is impossible, and our bodies can deal just fine with a little bit of foreign invasion. (Incidentally, regular soap is about 99% effective, so use whatever soap you like and leave the antibacterial stuff for only when someone is actually sick.)

      Anyway, closing the lid (or any other measure) will not be 100% effective, but a half-second intervention that significantly cuts exposure. It’s a no brainer, just close the fucking lid.

      • SatyrSack@quokk.auEnglish
        3·
        7 days ago

        As a science experiment, it’s fundamentally flawed. A preventative measure must be evaluated by quantitative methods.

        It was fundamentally flawed by the fact that they contaminated their control toothbrush by bringing it into the toilet room in order to swab it.

    • TWeaK@lemmy.todayEnglish
      11·
      8 days ago

      Anecdotally it’s pretty accurate, toilets smell less when the lids are kept down. Smell strength is directly proportional to the amount of particles in the air.

      • tigeruppercut@lemmy.zipEnglish
        4·
        8 days ago

        toilets smell less when the lids are kept down

        I’m assuming you mean when there’s shit floating in it, because if your toilet just smells in general you need to clean it more.

        • TWeaK@lemmy.todayEnglish
          4·
          8 days ago

          Bathrooms smell after people have had a shit, even when they flush.

          Bathrooms smell less when people flush with the lid down.

    • lmmarsano@group.ltEnglish
      2·
      7 days ago

      As stated in the article

      Lowering the toilet lid has been historically believed to help prevent the dispersion of large droplets, and some earlier studies recommended discouraging the use of lidless toilets. However, a January 2024 study showed that there is no statistically significant difference between having the toilet lid raised or lowered during flushes, instead recommending vigorous brushing of the toilet bowl and associated surfaces with disinfectant as a more effective method to mitigate the impact of toilet plumes.

      OP confirmed for not reading their own article.