Toilet Seat Covers

They're good for peace of mind and potty training and that's about it.

You see them in public bathrooms nearly everywhere: toilet seat covers, filmy pieces of white paper sticking out from a wall dispenser. Toilet seat covers purportedly serve to provide greater cleanliness and sanitation in public bathrooms. But do they really work? A closer look at the facts reveals that toilet seat covers aren't even all that necessary.

Can I catch a disease from a public toilet seat?

The logic behind toilet seat covers seems to be that if they don’t do much good, they also don't do any harm. For those who are afraid of catching a communicable disease from a public toilet seat, toilet seat covers provide a mental barrier as much as a physical one. "Now that I have this flimsy piece of paper beneath me," the thinking goes, "I'm safe from infection."

But here's the truth: it's practically impossible to catch a disease from a toilet seat. Urban legends may tell of unwitting public toilet users who contracted an STD/STI or AIDS or perhaps the plague, but it's just not so.

Most microorganisms will not survive for long on the cold, hard surface that is a public toilet seat. Of course, common sense precautions should be taken. If there’s blood on a public toilet seat, don't sit on it.

The final word on the public toilet seat disease issue goes to the Columbia University Health Promotion Program: "Because toilet seats are not major culprits in spreading disease, paper or plastic seat covers offer little more than peace of mind."

What about hygiene?

Some people will raise the objection that toilet seat covers promote greater public hygiene. Perhaps, but here's a pop quiz for you: A microbiology team from the University of Arizona tested numerous surfaces in a public office for traces of bacteria. Guess which items had 25,000 bacteria per square inch?

Give up? It wasn't public toilet seats. It was the telephone receivers. The public toilet seats had a measly 49 bacteria per square inch, making them a virtual Antarctica of bacterial population.

As with most public health scares in America, the use of toilet seat covers has more to do with perception than effective prevention. The greatest danger with regard to bathroom hygiene is not the toilet seat, but your own hands. It's far more likely that bacteria and potentially communicable infections will be passed on via your hands rather than a toilet seat. If you're serious about avoiding infections, always wash your hands before leaving the bathroom.

What about toilet seat covers for children?

The one prudent use of plastic and paper toilet seat covers is for toilet training. Young children are often more likely to dislike using public toilets, and toilet seat covers can make that process easier for them.

Toilet seat covers for children also make hygienic sense. Children are still learning the value of cleanliness, and they're much more likely to shove their fingers in their mouth after touching a bacteria-laden surface. A portable toilet seat cover that you can wipe down after use will help protect your child from bacteria or infections.

More information on Toilet Seats