Have you hovered over a toilet seat in a public restroom, desperate not to touch it?
Chances are good that you have. Americans are so grossed out by the thought of touching things in public bathrooms that 64% of people who use them flush the toilet with their feet, according to a 2013 survey, and 60% use paper towels to open bathroom doors. Several studies over the years have revealed that scary-sounding bacteria and viruses cover the surfaces of bathrooms.
But there’s a lot you don’t know about the germs that lurk in the bathroom. Here are four surprising facts about the germs you encounter in restrooms at and away from home.
