# Do you close the lid on your toilet when it is not in use? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 19, 2011, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418 "2011-11-19T04:07:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/101 "2011-11-21T21:25:40Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Slight hijack, how many people actually have to go in the middle of the night? I would estimate that I have to do that less than once per year. How old are you? I’m 45 and more and more I find myself getting up at 3:00 AM to take a whiz. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/102 "2011-11-21T21:45:55Z")
I don’t think my toilet seats have ever even been closed before. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/103 "2011-11-21T21:48:35Z")
Closed. My daughter knows not to play splash in the potty anymore (and my son knows better now than to egg her on), but I’m still scarred for life. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/104 "2011-11-21T21:59:09Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Slight hijack, how many people actually have to go in the middle of the night? I would estimate that I have to do that less than once per year. I’ve always had to pee in the middle of the night, ever since I can remember. It got worse when I was pregnant, and then after I gave birth I peed when I had to get up anyway to feed my daughter. I’ve never been a good sleeper, and if I wake up, I go pee so that I won’t have to wake up because I have to pee, if you understand what I’m saying. My husband has always been quite a sound sleeper, but as he’s gotten older, he’s had to get up and pee just about every night. And of course diabetics are famous for peeing. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/105 "2011-11-21T22:28:17Z")
Closed. Lots of reasons to close it, no reason not to. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/106 "2011-11-21T23:03:20Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > My now-ex-roommate, a dude, always put it down because he was deathly afraid of spray. Only problem was that he would take these huge dumps, shut the lid and run away. Then I would go in the bathroom and lift the lid only to find the remnants of his huge dump that severely needed a second flush. He never knew he needed a second flush because he closed the lid and ran away. > > It made me want to puke every time and it’s reason #2 why he’s my now-ex-roommate. Yuck. Eeewww. I don’t care about the plume and always wait to make sure everything flushed, and flush a second time if need be (my toilet especially likes to occasionally spit out a wad of TP just after you think everything has gone down–grr!) before I put the lid down. I’ve encountered remnants of a previous user’s turd in the bowl before and it grosses me right out. > [@twickster](#): > > For the pet-owners who keep it down so their pets won’t drink out of it – why do you care if your pets drink out of it? I like to hold and pet and kiss my cats. I don’t want to think that their paws/mouth has been where I shit. And yes, I know they climb in the litter box with those paws, but that doesn’t bother me as much as imagining human shit particles on them. And these days (for the last year or so) we have Kaboom tablets in the tank to help keep the toilet clean and I’m certain that those chemicals would not be good for the kitties to ingest. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/107 "2011-11-22T00:42:56Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Closed. Lots of reasons to close it, no reason not to. Like a fire-breather, I assume you hold half a can of lysol in your mouth and exhale it steadily on the underside of your toilet seats. Fire optional (not recommended). ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/108 "2011-11-22T03:27:49Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Slight hijack, how many people actually have to go in the middle of the night? I would estimate that I have to do that less than once per year. It’s not unusual for me to have to go in the middle of the night, especially if I’ve had some beer in the evening. The wife does it less often but still not unusual for her. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/109 "2011-11-22T14:54:34Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > We have cats, so of course. Ditto. Miss Widget is entirely too curious about the noisy white thing and all that swirly water. That, and I saw that episode of Mythbusters!!!:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/110 "2011-11-22T20:37:25Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > How old are you? > > I’m 45 and more and more I find myself getting up at 3:00 AM to take a whiz. 50 years old. The more I read here, the more I see how different we all our. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/111 "2011-11-22T20:59:00Z")
I sometimes get up in the middle of the night to pee, and I don’t see how it’s any harder to lift the lid than not. I’ve been closing the lid all my life, though, so it’s not as though I’m likely to “forget” just because I’m sleepy and sit on the lid. Lifting the lid is just part of my automatic process when it’s time to use the toilet. ---
**Author:** ![coffinjumper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@coffinjumper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffinjumper)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2011, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/112 "2011-11-22T21:41:15Z")
I always did until decent times when the hinges of the lid broke so it no longer stays on. But my instinct says to do so ---
**Author:** ![The\_Lovely\_Margo\_Lane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/34f0e0/32.png) [@The\_Lovely\_Margo\_Lane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Lovely_Margo_Lane)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/113 "2011-11-23T00:33:19Z")
> [@Jaledin](#): > > Like a fire-breather, I assume you hold half a can of lysol in your mouth and exhale it steadily on the underside of your toilet seats. Fire optional (not recommended). It’s easier to just wash my hands. I touch waaaaay grosser stuff than a toilet seat, it all washes off. My ‘ick reflex’ isn’t overly strong either. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/114 "2011-11-23T00:58:16Z")
I keep it closed. I don’t have any pets, but I do have a curious toddler. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/115 "2011-11-23T01:19:50Z")
> [@The\_Lovely\_Margo\_Lane](#): > > It’s easier to just wash my hands. I touch waaaaay grosser stuff than a toilet seat, it all washes off. My ‘ick reflex’ isn’t overly strong either. Fine, it’s on. What, exactly, do you touch than a high-shit-density material of a rarely-if-ever scrubbed surface regularly? Do you smell your crotch and eat the taint off your fingers? I want to know what. I know, every blade of grass in every park in the world is literally covered with a fine layer of dogshit or hoboshit, but…OK, I’m a bit bored, but I do want to know statim! ---
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/116 "2011-11-23T01:31:46Z")
Yes, I close it. It contains the spray from the flush (as mentioned). I have a shelf over the toilet and I’d rather not have items dropping into the toilet (flushed or otherwise). I also have cats, who although aren’t known for drinking out of the toilet, I’d rather not have to be concerned with them slurping down some Tidy Bowl. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Lovely\_Margo\_Lane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/34f0e0/32.png) [@The\_Lovely\_Margo\_Lane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Lovely_Margo_Lane)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/117 "2011-11-23T01:41:57Z")
> [@Jaledin](#): > > Fine, it’s on. What, exactly, do you touch than a high-shit-density material of a rarely-if-ever scrubbed surface regularly? > > Do you smell your crotch and eat the taint off your fingers? I want to know what. I know, every blade of grass in every park in the world is literally covered with a fine layer of dogshit or hoboshit, but…OK, I’m a bit bored, but I do want to know statim! I think you’re being a bit rude. ---
**Author:** ![Madame\_Joy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@Madame\_Joy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madame_Joy)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/118 "2011-11-23T03:05:57Z")
> [@Jaledin](#): > > What, exactly, do you touch than a high-shit-density material of a rarely-if-ever scrubbed surface regularly? Hey, what’s with this? Are you saying that you think it’s _normal_ to never clean one’s toilet, that we all have a crusty layer of fecal matter on the exterior surfaces of ours? Excuse me, sir or madam, but I clean all visible surfaces of my toilets at least weekly (more frequently for the seats and rims). ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/119 "2011-11-23T21:21:41Z")
I keep mine open, seems to reduce mildew in the bowl. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418/120 "2011-11-23T21:37:59Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Slight hijack, how many people actually have to go in the middle of the night? I would estimate that I have to do that less than once per year. I have to go in the middle of the night, pretty much every single night. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-close-the-lid-on-your-toilet-when-it-is-not-in-use/603418.md?page=7)