Your toilet and personal health: What’s the connection?

Adrianna Mejia

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Your toilet and personal health: What’s the connection?
Germs stay in your bathroom after you shower or use the toilet. These can lead to illnesses

MANILA, Philippines – You may not give it much thought, but when you step into the bathroom to do your business every single day, you are exposed to many kinds of germs.

Perhaps you don’t think about germs because you don’t feel sick or get allergies every time you use the toilet or sink. But imagine if you can see the number of germs or bacteria you’re surrounded with – especially in public bathrooms

Did you know that every time you flush the toilet with the lid up, germs from the toilet can spew out in the air and stay airborne long enough to settle on countertops, sinks, and yes, even your exposed toothbrush?

Furthermore, the bathroom is a ripe breeding ground for bacteria because of the moisture that settles after a long, hot shower or after your beauty regimen over the sink.

So are you doing your part to keep your bathroom clean? Don’t wait until you feel sick or when you see dirt and grime (or anything that starts to look like it has a life of its own, really) growing on your walls, in between floor tiles, shower heads, and of course, your toilet bowl.

Stay guarded against germs: Start with the bathroom

Some studies claim that your cellphone and computer have more microbes on the surface compared to your toilet. But the bathroom is still where your body gets most exposed to every day, so you should keep this space clean and disinfected. 

Now, not all germs in the bathroom are harmful. But the “bad” germs, or pathogens, that are present could pose a risk to your health and may cause colds, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. These can even be the reason why you have those “off days,” when you feel like your body is starting to give up on you and you just want to stay in.

Bacteria from fecal matter, for example, is a prime example of bad bacteria that can stay on the toilet seat – or as mentioned, in your toothbrush – and cause the aforementioned infections. If you’re suffering from diarrhea, your frequent toilet trips can also release bacteria like Norovirus and rotavirus, as well as Escherichia Coli or E.Coli, which stay in the air even after you flush.

Always flush the toilet with the lid down, don’t share towels, and air out the bathroom after a shower. Don’t forget to disinfect the toilet regularly with a specialized toilet bowl cleaner that has sodium hypochlorite, a substance can kill up to 99.9% of disease causing germs. 

A clean home is a happy home

Prevention goes hand in hand with good hygiene in maintaining overall health. Washing your hands regularly is a good first step. But eventually you have to take it up a notch, especially if you share bathrooms with your family.

A clean environment helps prevent the spread of germs in your home. Germophobe or not, It doesn’t take much to clean up after yourself.

Getting sick costs time, effort, and money. When your home is clean and germ-free, you and your family can stay better protected from illnesses. So don’t let germs get in your way. – Rappler.com

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