Toilet Paper Covers Only Make Toilet Seats Dirtier

A lot of us feel pretty grossed out about public restrooms. While some certainly look cleaner than others, there's a lot of room for suspicion when you have to poop in the same place as a bunch of other people. Sadly, not everyone takes their hygiene as seriously as you do, right?

Still, when you've got to go, you've got to go, so what can you do? Like many others, I always thought a had a pretty clever solution when a toilet seat didn't look right to me. I'd take out some toilet paper and cover the seat with some strips to make a little barrier.

Unfortunately, it turns out I was living in a fool's paradise because that's not such a good idea after all.

SHARE this and let others know why it's time to face the seat head-on.

Firstly, most toilet seats are actually cleaner than we think.

Some testing by the Arizona College of Public Health found that they tend to have 1,000 bacteria or less living on them. While that seems like a lot, you're still unlikely to catch any infectious diseases from a seat.

To put it in perspective, the bottom of your shoes carry millions of bacteria.

It turns out the floors of public bathrooms are way dirtier than the toilet seats. Also, we step in more animal poop than we realize.

That said, some potentially harmful bacteria do live on toilet seats.

In particular, they can play host to some E. coli and streptococcus strains. That being said, the skin on the butt is still very good at keeping them away.

Unless you start licking the seat, you probably won't have a problem.

Still, a bit of coverage should offer some extra protection, right?

Sadly, it looks like it's not that easy.

Even the slips designed to cover seats don't really do anything.

They're more for reassuring people using the restroom than disease prevention. Again, there's nothing they can do that your butt isn't already doing.

In fact, toilet paper may even make things worse. 

There's 150 percent more bacteria in the toilet paper dispenser than on the toilet seat because people with poop on their hands are more likely to touch it. 

Most of what you'll encounter comes from the acinetobacter genus.

These bacteria are associated with urinary tract infections, pneumonia and womb infections. However, there is one way to prevent contracting any of the illnesses.

You just have to remember to wash your hands.

Simple soap and water have been found to cut diarrhea-related illnesses and deaths in half. To be extra careful, you can then turn the tap off with a paper towel.

Don't forget to SHARE this and help others break this habit.