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Disposable toilet seat protector

(56 Posts)
Serendipity22 Wed 31-May-23 10:33:59

I have to share this. I'm quite cock-a-hoop about it.

Ok here's the background to it......I thought absolutely NOTHING of popping into a public toilet. Never sat upon the seat, swarmed with invisible germs, always hovered above the seat, not a problem.

Fast forward to recent years.

Hovering is out of the question ( no need to blather on explaining why ) so I used lengths of loo paper to lay upon the seat for protection this enabling me to sit and wee. That was until for some unknown reason, when standing up a strip of loo paper ended up tucked into my bloomin pants!

Sooooooo ( yes i will get to the punchline) I thought they must sell disposable toilet seat protectors AND THEY DO.... AMAZON....

SOOOOOOOO I ordered some and made a special little pouch for them to go in... pop it in my bag and now visits to a public loo are noooooo longer a problem ( and no more dangling strips of loo paper protruding from my attire !!!!)

Yeahhhhhhhh I'm cock-a-hoop.... 😃

B9exchange Wed 31-May-23 13:09:21

'DolphinDaisy' I agree I hate the "hoverers' who leave the seat wet, and I have sometimes sat on it before realising. It is really inconsiderate to leave it like that. Agree with everyone above, no need to panic about germs on loo seats (even other peoples urine is sterile unless they have an infection, and it won't go through the skin), just wash your hands properly afterwards. But I have to confess if I have sat on a wet seat, a shower when I get home is needed! grin

ParlorGames Wed 31-May-23 13:16:29

Serendipity22

Well for me they work... I'm happy about them and that's alllllll that matters.... 😃

I'm with you on this Serendipity22. Countless times I have gone into a public loo and the seats are splashed with goodness knows what so please don't try to convince me that there's no cross contamination risk GNetters!

I have seen the loo seat covers in the USA, in a dispenser at the back of the loo - and they are flushable too.

Might have to look on Amazon now. Thanks Serendipity.

AreWeThereYet Wed 31-May-23 13:24:18

I've always wondered what people are doing when I hear them pulling streams and streams of loo paper out - now I know.

SueDonim Wed 31-May-23 13:34:06

Disposable loo seat covers are known in the US as ‘ass gaskets’. 🤣🤣.

They were still in evidence on my last visit in March although more places had sprays that could be used on toilet paper to wipe the seat first.

Serendipity22 Wed 31-May-23 13:36:17

Llamedos13

They are still available in some public toilets in Canada.I did try using them during covid but found they got all twisted and fell into the loo before I could sit down!*Serendipity22*, you keep on doing what you do if it makes you feel safe. I like the idea of the little pouch you made specifically to carry the covers around.

Thank you, yes I made a fancy little pouch especially for them, slip it in my bag and visits to public toilets are hassle free.

😃

M0nica Wed 31-May-23 15:30:15

I am another who doesn't use any protection from loo seats, nevertheless I see no reason for so many people to be so nasty to the OP.

I am sure all of us have at least one hygiene habit that other people would consider laughable, or if we have none we would be condemned as irredeemable sluts. I undoubtedly fall into the slut slot. so let us accept the OPs habit and the solution to it she has found, which will be of great help to others like her.

Remember many of these hygiene habits were ground into us in child hood by our mothers. Mine taught me to hover, and at times, after inspecting the loo seat, I still do.

dogsmother Wed 31-May-23 15:37:19

JackyB my mother always sat on her hands too even at home. The habit was never passed to any of us as much as she tried to encourage us. She always insisted you could always wash away anything from good hand washing. She would have been 108 if she lived long enough.

Dickens Wed 31-May-23 16:03:05

I vaguely remember a time when there were attendants in public conveniences.

The one I remember (in Lincolnshire) always had clean seats because the attendant went around wiping them over.

She had a little dish for tips, and a bunch of fresh flowers in a vase on a small table.

But Capitalism doesn't work too well when we spend money on public services - well, not for those who want to capitalise anyway, so they're privatised (or disposed of all together) and to cut costs we can do away with such niceties as clean seats and attendants.

halfpint1 Wed 31-May-23 16:04:18

Confused here. Most replies seem to be saying that sitting on a public toilet seat is without risk and at the same time complaining that those who don't can leave urine splashes which they are then sat on by others. Thats right?
I'm definately with the OP and my mother who taught us never
ever to sit on a public toilet seat and I have followed that piece
of wisdom all my life. Tobe clear I check the seat before leaving and clean with toilet paper if I see any splashing but that still doesn't mean the seat is clean .

Washerwoman Wed 31-May-23 16:31:34

I got sick of finding wet toilet seats particularly in service stations .I now carry some wipes and give the seat a clean first .If the toilets are quiet and free cubicles I get a handful of loo roll and get soap and water on wipe over as first choice rather than use a wipe.I put any wipes in the sanitary bin as don't believe anything but loo roll is truly flushable. Then obviously a very good hand wash after.I can't understand why so many women wee on the seat in the first place!

rite Wed 31-May-23 16:54:04

I'm with you Serendipity. I have no wish to sit on other peoples dried or wet wee (or worse) whether it is full of germs or not!
Fortunately I can still hover without falling over! but I have a pack of Wilkos Kids toilet wipes in my bag for the grandchildren and always use the toilet seat covers on long haul flights. My mum taught me never to sit on a toilet seat too!

BlueBelle Wed 31-May-23 17:05:16

I ve never worried about it and never caught anything as long as you wash your hands after you’re fine
Yes I too never touch the door handles because some woman don't bother to wash their hands I guess you are germ phobic Serendipity do you just have a problem with loo door handles or all door handles it must be a bit debilitating if it’s all handles if it’s not it’s a bit unnecessary because the germ ridden women in front of you might have touched loads of doors or surfaces before you

Hetty58 Wed 31-May-23 17:07:54

I can still hover, thankfully - but I don't pee on the seat, I just put it up. As kids, we were taught to line the seat - with reams of paper - before sitting on it. At that time, there was little understanding of germs - but much anxiety about them.

Pixieboots Wed 31-May-23 17:14:19

Im with you too Serendipity. I hover or wipe with loo roll and then put strips of it on the seat if my knee is being awkward and not happy to hover. I always wipe the seat after too. I cant think of anything worse than sitting on a toilet seat that may have dried wee or whatever on it even if you cant catch anything from the seat. Yes handles are probably worse which is why most service stations now dont have doors to go into the toilet area. No handles to touch after hand washing.

MaizieD Wed 31-May-23 17:21:10

I'm afraid that every time I see the title of this thread I wonder what the toilet seats need protecting from...

Sorry..

kittylester Wed 31-May-23 17:26:02

BlueBelle

I ve never worried about it and never caught anything as long as you wash your hands after you’re fine
Yes I too never touch the door handles because some woman don't bother to wash their hands I guess you are germ phobic Serendipity do you just have a problem with loo door handles or all door handles it must be a bit debilitating if it’s all handles if it’s not it’s a bit unnecessary because the germ ridden women in front of you might have touched loads of doors or surfaces before you

Exactly what Bluebelle said.

I wouldn't use a toilet with a wet seat.

Bossyrossy Wed 31-May-23 17:28:15

I do wipe the toilet seat down if it's wet but I've always sat on the seat in public loos and never caught anything. How uncomfortable to hover.

SueDonim Wed 31-May-23 17:36:14

dogsmother

JackyB my mother always sat on her hands too even at home. The habit was never passed to any of us as much as she tried to encourage us. She always insisted you could always wash away anything from good hand washing. She would have been 108 if she lived long enough.

How do you then rearrange your clothing, having sat on your hands on the loo seat? Do you touch your clothes with your dirty hands or waddle to the basins with your knickers round your knees?

Grannynannywanny Wed 31-May-23 17:37:48

I’ve stopped worrying about toilet seats now I’m way to old to become pregnant 😃

sodapop Wed 31-May-23 17:48:55

I was doing my nurse training in the early 60s and one student asked our nurse tutor if you could catch an STD ( known as venereal disease then ) from a toilet seat. The tutor replied ' yes you can but what a strange place to have sex' smile

Maggiemaybe Wed 31-May-23 18:08:50

My DD1 was fascinated when a friend's mum took the two girls to the toilet on a trip to the park and carefully lined the seat for each of them in turn before she let them sit down.

When DD came home with this tale I felt I'd discovered at last why the queues in the ladies' toilets move so painfully slowly.

dogsmother Wed 31-May-23 18:14:33

SueDonim, pretty sure it was only bare skin they worried about and clothing too can be washed. The idea of my mother waddling is hilarious.

Serendipity22 Wed 31-May-23 18:19:05

Whoaaa some of these replies make me laugh.... I can assure you that I have no phobia of door handles in general.... the thought of me wiping down every door handle that is necessary to touch brings forth a chuckle

.. maybe it does stem from childhood, I don't know anyway whether it does or whether it doesn't is really immaterial, its what I do and with my little homemade pouch packed with protection, I'm 1 happy gal. 😃

CanadianGran Wed 31-May-23 18:30:10

I know of others that keep the lid liners in their travel bags, and they are happy that they are so conveniently available. I don't, but we all have our level of comfort.

Salti Wed 31-May-23 18:40:20

I have never taken any precautions on public toilet seats, with no bad consequences. This thread has made me consider my actions... or reactions. In my handbag, post Covid, I have lots of wipes for every eventuality and antibacterial gel. If I considered there was any risk I would use one..... or another of them. But I would never waste yards of toilet paper to "line" a toilet seat.