# When did the whole use-paper-towel-to-open-public bathroom-door thing start? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 15, 2008, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294 "2008-12-15T21:00:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![No\_Wikipedia\_Cites](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@No\_Wikipedia\_Cites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Wikipedia_Cites)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/1 "2008-12-15T21:00:31Z")
Ok, now everybody does it, but it appears that the standard behavior for people when leaving a public restroom is to use a paper towel to open the door, so much so that now the janitors put a wastepaper basket just to catch these towels Yet when I was younger I dont remember this happening as much So – did this have a specific time period that it began? Or were people doing it ‘back inthe day’ – and if so, why dont architechs finally rig things so that people dont have to touch the doorhandles on the way out? ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/2 "2008-12-15T21:04:32Z")
Where the hell is this standard? I’ve never seen it done, and only heard of a few who do it. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/3 "2008-12-15T21:10:55Z")
I have heard of it but I thought it was just Howard Hughes parody. I have never seen it in person at least in a men’s room. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/4 "2008-12-15T21:12:48Z")
I do it but only started recently. And of course, only in public restrooms. I think it’s a good trend overall since door handles are a commonly “Shared” item. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/5 "2008-12-15T21:30:47Z")
I, too, have only heard of people doing this, but never actually seen it. ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/6 "2008-12-15T21:34:06Z")
I sometimes do it. Basically it depends on how much I trust the previous users of the place to have washed their hands, and how convenient it is based on the layout. I see other men do it with some regularity, too. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/7 "2008-12-15T21:44:00Z")
I’ve seen a couple of guys here at work do it in our work bathroom. Can’t recall ever seeing it more than 5 years ago or so. Not sure if it is from the same place, but I remember being surprised relatively recently at hearing about guys using their elbow to flush the urinal. I think that was in one of those **Everything I Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten** books. Well, maybe not all that recently, but certainly well past kindergarten for me! ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/8 "2008-12-15T21:49:33Z")
It probably stems from observations on the number of people who do not wash their hands after using the toilet. I can vouch for some of that, having observed coworkers not washing their hands where I work. ---
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/9 "2008-12-15T21:57:24Z")
In the culinary world, one common “procedure” for hand washing is to use a paper towel to turn off the tap. (Turn on, wash, dry, turn off w/ towel.) I can only speculate that this led to the habit of using a towel to open the door. [Example (PDF)](http://www.co.gila.az.us/DepartmentFiles/Health/EnvironmentalHealth/Handwashing.pdf). As an architecture student, a simple solution to this issue is to design a bathroom with no user-operable doors, just a dog leg at the entrance for privacy. However, this solution comes at the expense of space (and money) which is generally more of a concern then mysophobia (not to mention the issues of air quality and noise). Motion activated doors might also work, but they too cost more then a simple door. ---
**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:** [December 15, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/10 "2008-12-15T21:57:51Z")
I do it, after observing guys come out of stalls and not wash their hands. I even read somewhere that if there’s no trash can next to the door you should drop your paper towel there as a hint. A Chilis I was in Saturday night actually had bathroom door that you push to exit, that works too. As far as when I started hearing about it and doing it, I’d say 10 years ago or so. ---
**Author:** ![unclelem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ac91a4/32.png) [@unclelem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclelem)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/11 "2008-12-15T22:01:28Z")
IIRC it was taught as SOP to youngins during health indoctrination back in the 50s and 60s - so at least that long. I definitely recall seeing a hygeine education film from that era that taught _exactly_ this procedure. Use your paper towel to dry your hands, then to turn off the faucet and tehn to open the door as you exited. I will attempt to find it for those who will immediately cry “cite!”. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/12 "2008-12-15T22:06:04Z")
Considering how many non-hand-washing people then go on to immediately press the elevator button or open another nearby doorway with a still-germy hand, towel-users are perhaps well-meaning but missing the point. You pick up germs from everywhere, but bathroom door handles just stick out in your mind because you see someone go from a stall to right out the door. I work in a hospital and deal with many patients with severely suppressed immune systems, so I wash my hands frequently, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer now and then (with no added antibacterial agents) during the day, and avoid touching my face to cut out a lot of opportunities for infections to take hold. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/13 "2008-12-15T22:44:08Z")
It’s not just an issue of other people not washing their hands. Flushing a toilet will kick a bunch of germ-laden moisture up into the air of the room. So I assume every surface is covered in toilet germs. ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/14 "2008-12-15T22:47:30Z")
Old-west style saloon-type doors. Problem solved, pardner. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/15 "2008-12-15T23:00:54Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Flushing a toilet will kick a bunch of germ-laden moisture up into the air of the room. [The Master speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1317/does-flushing-the-toilet-cause-dirty-water-to-be-spewed-around-the-bathroom). ---
**Author:** ![Iggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/16 "2008-12-15T23:01:09Z")
I work in engineering environments, and I see this regularly. Anecdotally, I have noticed that the people who do it the most are foreign born. Indian and Iranian, moreso. ---
**Author:** ![unclelem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ac91a4/32.png) [@unclelem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclelem)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/17 "2008-12-15T23:07:21Z")
> [@Rodd\_Hill](#): > > Old-west style saloon-type doors. Problem solved, pardner. A lot of public facilities solve the problem by eliminating the doors. Entrance and exit are via a hallway that dodges around a privacy wall (a switchback, sort of). ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/18 "2008-12-16T00:38:03Z")
My dad was doing it in the fifties and kept it up until he died, and not from anything he caught from a door handle, thank you. I’ve only seen it at work in the last year. And that’s the only non-dad sighting I’ve had. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/19 "2008-12-16T01:10:22Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Not sure if it is from the same place, but I remember being surprised relatively recently at hearing about guys using their elbow to flush the urinal. I think that was in one of those **Everything I Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten** books. Well, maybe not all that recently, but certainly well past kindergarten for me! That’s because the flusher handle on a urinal is usually too high to flush with your foot. ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294/20 "2008-12-16T01:17:41Z")
I learned it working in medical offices. If you have a door to open and don’t use the towel, you have just rendered your hand wash obsolete. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-whole-use-paper-towel-to-open-public-bathroom-door-thing-start/477294.md?page=2)