To Pee or Not to Pee (In Public)?  That is the question—

By Cori Diamond

In response to the continued changes in today’s world, Snyder Diamond can advise you on how to create a cleaner and safer living environment within your home kitchen and bath space.  From microbial or touchless hardware and faucets, or self-cleaning and automatic flushing toilets, to health promoting steam showers and Zerobody floating beds—we have everything you need to create a “safer-at-home” wellness haven.  

So, what happens once you leave your bubble?

Last week, Fortune Magazine published an article titled: “Urinals and toilets may spread COVID-19, new research shows, adding fuel to the mask debate,” giving us one more thing to worry about amongst this never-ending pandemic.    

Let’s be clear:  Using a public restroom has ALWAYS posed some kind of hygiene risk even in the best of times.  People tend to exhibit gross behaviors when a place is not their own as we have all experienced.  So, it really comes as no surprise that evidence now supports that COVID-19 can spread through use of public restrooms.  I’m sure like us, your reaction to this statement elicits a bit of an eye-roll, like “yeah, no @$%!,” but it’s important to talk about nonetheless.   

In our opinion?  We try to avoid using public restrooms whenever possible.  The same surface hazards exist with any public place during the pandemic: door handles, faucets and any other tangible surface.  But, if the act is unavoidable and nature calls, follow this list for the best public restroom practices:

• Make sure to keep your mask on.
• If there is a lid, ALWAYS put the lid down before flushing.
• Best to use a single-stall bathroom you don’t need to share.
• Forgo the use of any urinal (sorry, gentlemen).
• Wear disposable gloves you can throw away once you leave.  You can even slide a clean plastic bag over your hands.
  • If without gloves-wash your hands under warm water for at least 20 seconds!
• Dry your hands using paper towels.  Not only can air-dryers spread particles around the room, paper towels have been shown to remove any residual viruses more effectively than air.  
• Use a paper towel to turn off the germ-laden faucet handle and open the bathroom door, then throw it away as you leave.