Have you ever wondered if there was a specific way to use a toilet seat cover? Or have you ever wondered why it’s important to use a toilet seat cover, especially in a public bathroom?
Thankfully, most public bathrooms use the same brand or style of toilet covers. If you choose to buy your own, however, it’s essential to take note of the style cover and if there are manufacturer instructions for applying the toilet seat cover.
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How to Use a Toilet Seat Cover
- First, use both hands to pull the toilet seat cover out of the dispenser. Use caution when pulling the toilet seat cover out of the dispenser, they are often made of thin paper material and break apart easily. The dispensers housing the toilet seat covers will instruct you to lift upwards and then lift downwards to free the toilet seat cover.
- The toilet seat cover will have a middle flap section that is attached by 3 small pieces of paper. Using your fingers, pinch the inside joints along the “bowl” of the toilet seat cover. There is one joint in the middle, one on the left side, and one on the right side. As you break the paper joints, avoid using excessive force and tearing the entire flap.
- You can now place the toilet seat cover on the actual toilet seat. The paper flap that you released should be hanging from the toilet seat cover. Align the paper toilet cover so that the flap falls inside the toilet bowl and the outer paper ring covers the toilet seat completely. The part of the paper cover where the flap is still attached should meet the front edge of the toilet bowl, opposite the flushing mechanism.
Note: If you put the toilet seat cover on backward, don’t fret! The main concern is that the toilet seat is covered.
- When you are finished relieving yourself, simply flush the toilet. There is no need to pick up the paper cover and drop it into the bowl. The toilet seat cover is made from a thin paper material that breaks down in the water.
Now that you know how to use a toilet seat cover, you should also know when it’s time to apply a paper cover.
When Should You Use a Toilet Seat Cover?
1. The toilet seat, toilet bowl, or bathroom stall is obviously dirty.
Note: If there are several available bathroom stalls, inspect each open stall to find the cleanest one. Public toilet seats are often not a threat for germs or disease unless they are extremely dirty or in a rough state.
2. The toilet seat has remains of feces or urine.
Note: If this is the only bathroom stall available, it would serve as a good idea to layer 2-3 paper covers on the toilet seat or wait until another stall opens up.
3. If you have an open wound or blemish on your rear, you should cover the toilet seat.
Note: While toilet seats may not be a large threat for exposure to germs or diseases, having an open wound come in contact with the toilet seat and could potentially put you at more risk for contracting a sickness.
4. You’re potty training a little one.
Note: Using a toilet seat cover, whether it’s in a public restroom or at home, can help young children potty train without the mess. There are fabric and paper toilet seat covers available online for you to purchase.
Why Use a Toilet Seat Cover?
It’s been proven by several public health persons, such as the CDC or Dr. William Schaffner, a professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, who said that using a toilet seat cover doesn’t necessarily stop you from developing diseases from a toilet seat. It’s also been proven by these very people that you aren’t likely to catch an infection or sickness from toilet seats either.
Several studies have found that using a disposable toilet seat cover does nothing to protect you from contracting a sexually transmitted disease, e coli, or another infection and that in all reality, it’s virtually impossible. You would have to sit down on the exact spot where the bacteria was deposited immediately after it was deposited.
However, if you find yourself in a situation with a dirty toilet seat, instead of using a wad of paper towels or toilet paper to clean the seat off by hand, it’s far safer to use a paper toilet seat cover. Dr. Rita Browne, an Australian doctor, observed the case of an 8 year old girl who presented with a sudden onset of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
It’s believed that the little girl contracted the disease during a flight. She used a wad of toilet paper to clean off a dirty toilet seat instead of using a toilet paper cover. The little girl had gotten her hands dirty while doing so, causing the spread of the disease.
Nowadays, it’s becoming more and more popular for people to find a hand sanitizer dispenser and other cleaning products in a public restroom stall as well as disposable toilet covers. Should you find fecal matter or urine on a public toilet seat, you have the option to clean it off yourself.
It’s a rather easy task to apply paper toilet seat covers to a toilet seat but using disposable covers may not make much of a difference at the end of the day. You should use your discretion and what’s available to you at the time.
I am John Kluge, co-founder of Toilethackers.org. With 10+ years of experience working with toilets, I have garnered a lot of understanding about resolving toilet-related issues. Knowledge is meant to be shared and I am passionate about teaching people the right way to keep toilets clean and also fix toilet-related issues. I co-founded this blog to share my experiences and keep readers updated about toilet-related issues. Knowledge sharing is my forte and I always do so with ease. With exceptional writing and analytic skill, I use my skill to simplify complex terms and ensure readers grasp more understanding about toilet issues.