# Can sitting in public toilets really hurt you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 6, 2013, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211 "2013-01-06T00:31:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/1 "2013-01-06T00:31:49Z")
Is it proven that it is actually a health hazard? Is it any worse than for example eating out (since it is often said that there are more germs in your kitchen than on your toilet seat, so I don’t think tables at restaurants are really that sanitary)? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/2 "2013-01-06T01:00:39Z")
> [@Qwertol](#): > > Is it proven that it is actually a health hazard? Is it any worse than for example eating out (since it is often said that there are more germs in your kitchen than on your toilet seat, so I don’t think tables at restaurants are really that sanitary)? I’m not sure if it’s _proven,_ but I’m willing to bet what’s on the toilet seat isn’t nearly as foul as what I’m intending to drop into it when I sit down. So, I don’t worry about it. germophobia is counterproductive, to a point. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/3 "2013-01-06T01:11:23Z")
\*\*Can sitting in public toilets really hurt you? \*\* Yes. You should sit _on_ public toilets, rather than\* in \*them. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/4 "2013-01-06T02:22:49Z")
How is the sitting supposed to hurt you? Are there “butt cooties” you can pick up from sitting on a public toilet seat? FWIW, I found this WebMD article: [What Can You Catch in Restrooms?](http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/what-can-you-catch-in-restrooms) I suspect it may not be the most up-to-date info, since it leads off with a reference to Ally McBeal. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/5 "2013-01-06T04:38:34Z")
If the seat is cracked, it could pinch your ass. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/6 "2013-01-06T23:12:28Z")
My ass is cracked, will it pinch the seat? ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/7 "2013-01-07T01:17:11Z")
Just pinch it! ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/8 "2013-01-07T01:19:11Z")
Is that post as vulgar as I think it is? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/9 "2013-01-07T03:29:01Z")
**Can sitting in public toilets really hurt you?** Obviously it can, or the people who stock the “Rest Assured”\* dispensers would go out of business. \*is there some sort of double entendre here? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/10 "2013-01-07T03:40:34Z")
> [@Qwertol](#): > > …since it is often said that there are more germs in your kitchen than on your toilet seat… Who the hell has ever claimed _that?_😕 ---
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/11 "2013-01-07T03:56:02Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Who the hell has ever claimed _that?_😕 Just google it. Your kitchen sponge is probably the dirtiest thing in your house… ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/12 "2013-01-07T04:04:09Z")
> [@Qwertol](#): > > Just google it. Your kitchen sponge is probably the dirtiest thing in your house… If by ‘dirty’ you mean ‘covered in bacteria’, I seriously doubt it contains more bacteria than the inside of my mouth. ---
**Author:** ![sansan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@sansan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sansan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/13 "2013-01-07T07:38:24Z")
> [@Qwertol](#): > > Is it proven that it is actually a health hazard? Is it any worse than for example eating out (since it is often said that there are more germs in your kitchen than on your toilet seat, so I don’t think tables at restaurants are really that sanitary)? All restaurant surfaces are wiped down with quaternary sanitizers. The strength of the solution is monitored through Haccp programs. The towels used to wash the tables need to be kept soaking in the solution between uses. Therefore, if the table has been washed, it’s clean. As far as public bathrooms go, the cleaning schedule can vary quite a bit, and certainly doesn’t get sanitized after every use unless there is a UV sanitizing light installed. The bigger health risk is touching the handles and backs of chairs. As for the kitchen sponge, if you are still using them in your kitchen… STOP IT!!! Use washcloths and change them at least daily, more frequently if needed, or after cleaning up a mess like raw chicken juice to prevent cross contamination. ---
**Author:** ![listedmia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e0b2c6/32.png) [@listedmia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/listedmia)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/14 "2013-01-08T09:38:38Z")
> [@sansan](#): > > All restaurant surfaces are wiped down with quaternary sanitizers. The strength of the solution is monitored through Haccp programs. The towels used to wash the tables need to be kept soaking in the solution between uses. Therefore, if the table has been washed, it’s clean. As far as public bathrooms go, the cleaning schedule can vary quite a bit, and certainly doesn’t get sanitized after every use unless there is a UV sanitizing light installed. The bigger health risk is touching the handles and backs of chairs. > As for the kitchen sponge, if you are still using them in your kitchen… STOP IT!!! Use washcloths and change them at least daily, more frequently if needed, or after cleaning up a mess like raw chicken juice to prevent cross contamination. The restaurant/bar where I work is a bit lax, apparently. Solutions are pretty much never tested. Towels dipped in either plain or bleach water for cleaning tables, bathroom is scrubbed once a day with dish soap and rinsed with bleach water, and touched up if it looks really gross. We’re not the cleanest place in town, but somehow we manage to pass the health inspection. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/15 "2013-01-08T11:06:31Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Who the hell has ever claimed _that?_😕 [Cecil.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1317/does-flushing-the-toilet-cause-dirty-water-to-be-spewed-around-the-bathroom) SDSAB article more relevant to the OP: [What diseases can you catch from toilet seats? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1598/what-diseases-can-you-catch-from-toilet-seats) ---
**Author:** ![yelimS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/54ee81/32.png) [@yelimS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yelimS)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/16 "2013-01-08T11:19:52Z")
[This guy](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Atelier_de_Nicolas_de_Largilli%C3%A8re,_portrait_de_Voltaire,_d%C3%A9tail_(mus%C3%A9e_Carnavalet)_-002.jpg/220px-Atelier_de_Nicolas_de_Largilli%C3%A8re,_portrait_de_Voltaire,_d%C3%A9tail_(mus%C3%A9e_Carnavalet)_-002.jpg). Discussing public toilets. Wow. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/17 "2013-01-08T16:06:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Jackmannii** : > > Obviously it can, or the people who stock the “Rest Assured”\* dispensers would go out of business. The logic is unsound. Such a company staying in business proves only that some people believe that toilet seats are dangerous, not that such beliefs are correct. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/18 "2013-01-08T16:12:59Z")
I suppose if you happened to have an open sore on your butt, you might possibly pick up something from the toilet seat if the person before you was a slob… but as long as your skin is unbroken, the chances of catching anything from a public toilet seat should be very, very remote. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/19 "2013-01-08T16:13:33Z")
Given the state of a lot of the restrooms that I’ve had to use while on road trips, I’m partial to saying yes. When you have to go REALLY bad, but have to spend several minutes cleaning the toilet because some asshole decided to mark territory and piss all over the seat, then walk away without flushing, it makes you wonder if they were raised in a barn or under one. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211/20 "2013-01-08T16:16:59Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > Just pinch it! Just pinch it and leave! Don’t loaf around in there! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sitting-in-public-toilets-really-hurt-you/646211.md?page=2)