More than half of Irish refuse to use public toilets

Would you rather hold it in than use a public toilet? If so, you're not alone. More than half of Irish people (62pc) would rather hold it in than use a public toilet, and three-in-four (76pc) refuse to sit directly on public toilet seats if they do have to use one, a survey has found.

When choosing a cubicle from the row, a whopping 93pc of those surveyed said they will work their way down the row until they find what they think is the cleanest one.

However, according to Initial Washroom Solutions, who conducted the survey, it is actually the first stall in the row that harbours the least bacteria, as studies have shown they are used the least. Only 7pc of those surveyed currently use the first cubicle.

When navigating their way in, out and around their chosen cubicle, only 24pc carry on as they would in their bathroom at home.

Germ dodging tactics employed by Irish people once inside the cubicle include using their sleeve, foot or elbows to open and close the door (36pc), using toilet paper to cover the handle when flushing (48pc) and discarding the outer layer of toilet paper before taking some to use (66pc).

“Hovering over the toilet seat can be extremely damaging,” said Dr Colm Moore, Technical Manager, Initial Washroom Solutions Ireland.

“Squatting on occasion won't lead to problems, but doing so more often can lead to issues. As your bladder isn’t fully relaxed it may not empty completely, and the residual urine can breed bacteria, leading to a urinary-tract infection or causing incontinence later in life.”

“In order to avoid bacteria on seats caused by the toilet ‘sneeze’ it is best to wipe it with toilet paper or a sanitising wipe before sitting.”

Nitty gritty

When getting down to business, once again only 24pc carry on as they would at home, sitting directly on the toilet seat. Germ dodging tactics for getting down to the nitty gritty include putting layers of toilet paper on the seat before sitting (51pc) and ‘hovering’ over the seat (21pc). A small percent (4pc) of more organised public toilet users even keep disposable toilet seat covers in their bags for the occasion.

Of those surveyed, only 51pc say they thoroughly wash their hands in public washrooms. The other 49pc say they press the tap with as little of their hand as possible and give them a quick rinse.

However, according to previous research carried out by Initial Washroom Solutions, only 67pc of those who say they wash their hands actually do. Of those, 33pc use soap, and only 16pc really wash for long enough. 10-15 seconds is the recommended amount of time to spend washing your hands, and should be done so with soap and warm water in order to kill harmful bacteria.

Also according to the survey, the air hand-dryer is the drying method preferred by Irish people, with 44pc choosing it over toilet paper (26pc), wiping their hands on their clothes (22pc) and material towel dispensers (8pc). However, Initial Washroom Solutions recommend avoiding most conventional hand dryers, as they will only blow the room's germy air right onto your hands.