About 30 years ago, I learned to consistently put the toilet seat down after spraying most of my urine into the bowl.

A wife, four daughters, another wife, another daughter, put the damn seat down. I get it.

With the tradies doing renos and using the loo, I had to remind the boys, house full of females, close the lid.

But should people, regardless of gender, close the seat before flushing?

I have anecdotally noticed more media references of a recommendation to close the lid before flushing, so I asked Dr. Don.

That’s Don Schaffner of Rutgers University, podcaster with Chapman, and friend of the barfblog.

(He gets paid to look up this stuff, I don’t, I’m just curious.)

Don replied within hours to say that it looks like there is some pretty good science to show this is more than a theoretical risk.

The potential spread of infection caused by aerosol contamination of surfaces after flushing a domestic toilet.

Microbial biogeography of public restroom surfaces

“On toilet surfaces, gut-associated taxa were more prevalent, suggesting fecal contamination of these surfaces.”

Potential for aerosolization of Clostridium difficile after flushing toilets: the role of toilet lids in reducing environmental contamination risk.

Chapman even chipped with a couple of papers from Chuck Gerba.

My risk-based recommendation?

Maybe.

And be careful (At home, I pee sitting down to minimize the mess, and complaints. That’s minimize, not eliminate).