Call (206) 219-5306 to speak with a licensed insurance agent.

Call (206) 219-5306 to speak with a licensed insurance agent.

7 Tips for Using Public Restrooms Safely

Posted by Nate Root, September 4, 2020

A public restroom is probably the last place you want to be during a pandemic. But when nature calls, we all must answer. Luckily, most stores and other businesses are taking special care with cleaning at this time, so restrooms might not be as threatening as we imagine. Still, it makes sense to take precautions to avoid coming into contact with germs.

Spritz the stall. Toilets in public restrooms flush vigorously, sending up a plume of droplets (and germs) into the air. Since stalls are self-contained, using the restroom after someone else has flushed could put you at risk of inhaling infected air.

Some people have chosen to carry disinfectant with them during this time. If you fall into that category, spritzing the stall with Lysol or another approved disinfectant, then waiting a few moments before entering, could help you to avoid germs.

Don’t linger. Up to three-fourths of us tend to use a smartphone while on the toilet. Save that habit for your home bathroom. Lingering in public restrooms only extends the time you spend exposed to any potentially lurking germs.

Flush and rush. If you can, exit the stall quickly after flushing the toilet, to avoid unnecessary exposure to the toilet plume.

Clean your hands… twice. After washing your hands, applying a layer of hand sanitizer can offer extra protection.

Avoid the air dryer. Use a paper towel to dry your hands, rather than air dryers. Dryers suck air from the restroom and blow it all over your hands, potentially exposing you to anything lurking in that environment.

You might wish to carry a few paper towels or restaurant napkins for this purpose.

Use a paper towel to open the door. Avoid touching door handles and other surfaces that others may have touched. Use your paper towel for this task instead, then dispose of it immediately afterward.

And of course… don’t touch your face. Many illnesses are transmitted when we touch infected objects and then transfer germs to our eyes, nose, and mouth. Avoid touching your face any time you’re in public, but especially after using the restroom or other high-traffic areas.

Need more information?

Contact us online to learn more

Contact Us

Close Accessibility Tools
Accessibility Controls Reset
Content Adjustments
Font Size

Default

Line Height

Default

Content Scaling

Default

Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Highlight Forms
Align Left
Align Center
Align Right
Focus Mode
Color Adjustments
Desaturate
Monochrome
Contrast

Default

Saturation

Default

Accessibility Statement

Despite our attempts to make this website accessible for everyone, there may still be some pages or sections that are not completely accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or do not have a suitable technological solution to make them accessible. Nevertheless, we are always striving to enhance our accessibility by adding, updating, improving its options and features, and incorporating new technologies.

We want to provide our users with the best experience possible, so we strive to support as many browsers and assistive technologies as possible.

If you wish to contact this website's owner, please use the contact form on the website.

Our User Interface Adjustment Options

Font adjustments - With this tool, users can modify font size, style, letter spacing, and line height for improved alignment and readability.

Color adjustments - Users can customize their color contrast profiles to light, dark, desaturated, and monochrome.

Content highlighting - Users can prioritize key elements such as links, forms, and titles.

Content focus - Users can enable focus mode to highlight the current page information based on their mouse movement.

Close