8 Tips To Use a Public Toilet Safely

Even before COVID-19, public toilets were a cause of anxiety for a lot of people. You never know what the person in the room before you has been doing in there and what germs may lurk on surfaces. Considering the recent pandemic, we wanted to share our top tips for using public toilets safely, and how we can support your council to ensure they are as clean as possible to use.

Get Some Perspective

You can pick up germs absolutely anywhere, both inside your house and outside it. You’re more likely to catch coronavirus from having a conversation with an infected person than by encountering it in a public bathroom. Essentially, don’t worry too much about using a public bathroom, your number one priority should be washing your hands and keeping a safe distance from other people.

Choose your facility wisely…

When selecting which public toilet to use, we definitely recommend looking for a Healthmatic sign, a lot of our facilities are completely contactless, and we are aiming to provide even safer options like this to all our customers. If all else fails, look for a toilet where you have to make a small payment, a paid for toilet is likely to be better maintained and cleaned as the resources available are higher. This can make a world of difference.

Touch what you need to

On your way into the toilet, touch what you need to touch, just don’t then touch your face! One way to achieve this is with the clean hand, dirty hand method. Use one hand on your surroundings and use one hand for yourself. This means less chance of cross contamination but doesn’t work well for everyone. Remember, you’re going to wash your hands on leaving so don’t worry too much at this stage (just don’t touch your face!).

Use the first cubicle

If you’re using a cubicle, research has shown that usually the first one you come to is the one that is least used. Try not to flush the loo before you go, and if you must, close the lid first. This traps the air inside the toilet and stops germs being spread around the room.

Don’t put your bags/coat etc. on the floor

Healthmatic toilets are cleaned regularly but the same can’t be said for every public toilet and even in between cleanings, the floor can get grubby with that many people walking in to use the loos. If you can, put your bags, coat, anything else you have with you on a raised surface, or better yet, ask your friend to hold them outside for you.

Flush with the Lid closed

This one is important, so it bears repeating. When you’ve finished your risky business, close the lid before you flush. When you flush the toilet, it can expel germs into the air around you, which then land on available near surfaces. Unless surfaces have been treated with anti-microbial film, these then become a hazard. Close the lid and close the problem.

Wash your hands!

This one seems like a no brainer, but you would be amazed at the amount of people who skip this step and head straight outside to use hand gel and wipes to clean up. Hand gel has been proven to be less effective at killing germs than good old soap and water so wash your hands for at least 20 seconds before you leave! Most Healthmatic toilets have automatic hand wash systems (we use Wallgate) so you don’t even need to touch anything.

Leave carefully

As you’re heading out, now is the time to be careful of touching things with your lovely clean hands. Be aware of door handles and other items on your way out, use elbows, sleeves, and anything else you can to avoid touching the door. Of course, if everyone follows our safety tips, the door will be nice and clean as everyone has just washed their hands!

We hope you find these hints helpful and reassuring for using public toilets when you need to. Healthmatic have developed a range of toilet services and products that will enable local councils to provide safe, clean, and well-maintained toilets to the general public. If you haven’t heard about our new range, please get in touch today.