Most of us would have to admit that we are at least a little dubious about using public toilets even when we are out visiting establishments that are perfectly respectable in all other aspects. How can we be certain that the conditions within their toilets are fully hygienic and we are protected from contact with germs left behind by previous users? Obviously, we cannot be 100% sure of this and we see a need for additional protection when using any toilet that is not our own.
Does Cleanliness Guarantee Our Protection In Toilets?
We have laws regarding public sanitation and hygiene so it is fairly certain that the operators of public toilets will employ maintenance personnel whose responsibility is to keep the bathrooms in a state of cleanliness. However, that still leaves a few things unresolved where our own personal safety is concerned. For example:-
- What is the frequency of the cleaners visits to each toilet?
- What type of disinfectant program is in place to kill off any germs?
- If the place is being hosed down with water as part of the cleaning schedule, what steps are taken to dry floors and toilet seats after washing down?
Even when the answers to the above do meet our expectations, we still harbor lingering fears for our welfare. Maybe somebody made a mess immediately after the cleaners left? Or, the toilet seat might look clean but germs are invisible so how do I know there are none on the seat? Maybe these fears are a little irrational but they do exist.
Cover It Up
One way to expel most of our fears is to use something to insulate our exposed posterior from the actual toilet seat itself. Sheets of toilet tissue or purpose shaped paper covers can be used to achieve this end but these do bring dispensing, positioning and disposal problems into play which might be somewhat counter effective for best toilet hygiene. The perfect answer would seem to lie in the application of automatic seat covers. In such a system, a sensor could detect that somebody is getting ready to sit on the toilet seat. This would activate an automatic dispensing device that would place a cover all over the sitting surface without the user having to do or touch anything. These automatic seat covers would then be hygienically disposed of before the next user wishes to sit down. This should calm the minds of those with even the strongest of phobias.
