We spend a lot of time on this blog discussing the disgust of using less-than-sanitary public washrooms.

It’s a fear that’s caused numerous toilet reviewing apps to flood the market, and has even led to some elderly people staying home for fear of being caught short.

But new research in the journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology has revealed shocking news – public washrooms are rarely more unhygienic than the average toilet at home.

Not so dangerous?

The study’s co-author Jack Gilbert said, “The restroom isn’t that dangerous. The organisms that can grow there have a very low probability of being able to cause an infection.”

Despite this, the number of bacteria found in public restrooms was still high, amounting to an average of 500,000 bacterial cells per square inch on all surfaces.

While it’s a heartening study, other tests haven’t proved quite so positive. One test from the University of Arizona in 1997 remnants of fecal bacteria, salmonella and typhoid fever in one in 10 public toilets.

Choose your own study

Which study you choose to listen to possibly depends on your general outlook in life, but it’s a wake-up call for your hygiene. No matter what the risk factor in a public washroom, they should be kept as clean as humanly possible.

We can help with that, providing you with high-quality, hygienic washroom services. Take a look at the rest of our site to find out more.