Your Home Bathroom Is Grosser Than You Think

Gross-Out: It’s pretty common to avoid public restrooms or do elaborate hovering routines to avoid touching anything when forced to use them. A new study published in Hygiene, however, indicates that this germaphobia may be misdirected.

The Study: Researchers at the University of Arizona sampled surfaces across four household and four public office restrooms and tested them for bacteria. Overall, the levels were 10 to 100 times higher in home bathrooms than in public ones, likely because home toilets are cleaned far less frequently. The countertop was the most contaminated surface in both settings, and the biggest culprit is something called a toilet plume, the invisible aerosol released from the bowl with each flush. Those microscopic particles settle on nearby surfaces and objects.

The Takeaway: Toilet seats from both environments actually showed similar results. So the next time you’re stress-hovering in an airport stall, know that what you should actually be focusing your energy on is your bathroom counter at home.

Keep in Mind: If that idea still makes you uncomfortable, you can wipe a toilet seat with an alcohol wipe or use a toilet-seat cover. And watch out for public toilet handles – those are also a vector for germs.