“Please wash your wands after going to the bathroom.” – Everybody knows that. Our parents, teachers, and older siblings have taught us; we see stickers and signs like that all over public restrooms. Our common sense also tells us that we need to clean the sink, keep the surface sparkling, and sanitize the toilet bowl. While many of us have our own cleaning routine in the bathroom, there may be areas that we are missing. This blog will talk about some common problems and mistakes we make in the bathroom, and the solutions to solve these problems.
- Toilet Lid
Do you shut the toilet lid before you flush? If not, then it is highly recommended to start shutting the toilet lid. Flushing the toilet with the lid open, can allow dirty water (and whatever else that is in the toilet bowl) to be sprayed across the room – up to six feet from the toilet. Scientists have studied and proven that not only will germy water contaminate a large area around the toilet, but bacteria in the water will also linger in the air long enough to be breathed in, travel further across the room and settle on surfaces such as towels, toothbrushes, handles or people. Sounds gross right? So spread the word, tell your families and friends, ask them to be onboard with the lid-down-flushing habit; it is a major step towards a healthy, clean, happy bathroom.
- Towels
How often do you launder your hand towels and bath towels? If the answer is less than once a week, there might be a problem. Closing the toilet lid before flushing will reduce the number of germs in the bathroom significantly, but it cannot make the bathroom germ-free. Louis Pasteur's swan flask experiments in the 1860s proved that microorganisms in the air caused people to get sick. And what better place for bacteria to grow than the fluffy and moist towels in the bathroom? To make things worse, often hand towels are hung on hooks or rings. Thus, it creates a dark and not ventilated environment for bacteria to thrive in. It is recommended that bath towels should be washed every 3 days, and hand towels daily. For larger household or super-busy families, a good idea to consider is to have plenty of addition towels to replace the dirty ones in between laundry routine.
- Phone
Do you take your phone with you in the bathroom? This might sound like a ridiculous question twenty years ago. Unfortunately, it has become a real problem as phones and tablets have become inseparable from us. Most people, at some point, took their phone with them in the bathroom without even thinking about it, to either play a video game, or read the news, or chat with a dear friend, or scroll through Facebook…and the list goes on. Many studies have shown that cell phones are a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. In fact, they are even dirtier than toilets. We are used to washing our hands after going to the bathroom or taking a shower everyday to take care of our personal hygiene, but we often neglect cleaning our phones. Since electronics and liquid are not compatible, to safely clean our phones, we can either use an alcohol wipe (make sure it is not too damp), or a UV light product. But seriously, no more bringing your phone to the bathroom.
- Toothbrush
Do you know that there can be millions of bacteria and viruses living on your toothbrush? The most common germs on your toothbrush include E.Coli, Staphylococcus Aureus, Streptococcus Mutans and more. Fecal particles are also found on most toothbrushes. And guess how they get there? – not closing the lid when flushing toilets! Because of the health hazard posed by dirty toothbrushes, researchers have been looking for practical solutions to reduce bacteria growth. A 2015 study proved that “UV rays treatment was more effective, when compared to CHX and normal saline”. Since then, engineers have improved the ultraviolet light technology, making the UV light more powerful and durable, while reducing the size of the device and its cost. Nowadays, UV toothbrush sanitizers are being used in many households, especially households with children and older family members. They are not only the most convenient and efficient method of sterilizing our toothbrushes, but also cost-effective and help us stay organized. Normally, it is recommended to change toothbrushes every three months. With the use of UV toothbrush sanitizers, our toothbrushes can last six months, or even a year. By hanging our toothbrushes in the sanitizer, we can also free up space on the counter.
In conclusion, a healthy bathroom is essential to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Other than washing our hands, we also need to keep our toiletries and other bathroom items sanitized to minimize the spread of germs. Thanks to the advance of modern technology, more and more UV disinfecting devices are made available and affordable to the public.