Contrary to popular belief, paper toilet seat liners don’t protect you from germs.
In fact, they are nothing more than a restroom security blanket – there to provide a little emotional comfort.
So, why are paper liners useless at preventing the spread of disease?
“That’s because toilet seats are not a vehicle for the transmission of any infectious agents – you won’t catch anything,” said Dr William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, to the Huffington Post.
Of course, ‘that’s not to say that there aren’t disease-causing bacteria – such as E.coli and streptococcus – on a toilet seat,’ noted an article in the European Cleaning Journal. ‘But as Dr Philip Tierno pointed out to Everyday Health, the skin on our behinds serves as an effective, protective barrier.’
‘What does help to impact on the spread of gastrointestinal illness is good old-fashioned hand washing.’