Should I close the lid before flushing the toilet?

When it comes to using the bathroom, everyone has different habits and preferences. Some, like the popular over vs under of the toilet paper roll, have sparked debate for years, but remain harmless, while others, like leaving the toilet lid open when flushing, can actually be quite hazardous.

Is there a way to see the particles that are invisible to the naked eye?

Scientists have known for decades that flushing the toilet without closing the lid sends particles that are invisible to the naked eye shooting into the air, but now, with the help of bright green laser and camera equipment, they can actually see these airborne particles and measure how fast they spread. According to recent reports, it only takes eight seconds for the particles to reach more than four feet above the toilet. Smaller droplets tend to linger in the air for minutes or longer before falling, while bigger droplets land on surfaces within seconds.

If that’s not enough to settle the debate, consider this: The invisible mist that is ejected from an open toilet during flushing can carry pathogens such as E. coli, C. difficile, noroviruses and adenoviruses that can make people sick, so do yourself and everyone else a favour, and close the toilet lid before you flush.

Even with toilet lids closed, public bathrooms still pose a high risk for the transmission of viruses and bacteria, so be sure to follow proper cleaning and disinfecting protocol. Moreover, given that most public toilets don’t actually have lids, disinfecting areas around the ‘splash’ zone becomes extremely important.