22 bathroom mistakes you never knew you made

These seemingly harmless bathroom habits may impact your personal health and hygiene from washing your face incorrectly to sitting on the toilet too long.

Faecal matter and urine can fly as far as 1.8 metres away from the toilet bowl during each flush, according to Charles Gerba, a microbiologist. Close the lid before you flush to keep those gross particles in your toilet and out of the air.

Here are 10 more ways you’re using the toilet all wrong. 

Many “flushable” wipes aren’t as toilet-friendly as they claim to be. In fact, tests conducted by Consumer Reports showed that some personal cleansing wipes still couldn’t break down in the water after ten minutes compared to regular toilet paper which disintegrated within seconds. These “flushable” wipes have been well known for clogging sewer systems in major cities. Other toiletries that should never be flushed down the toilet include: sanitary napkins, tampons, condoms, band-aids and dental floss.

A recipe for tangled knots includes shampooing a pile of wet hair on top of your head, especially in people who have long hair. The best way to shampoo is to lather your hair in its natural position, whether that’s straight down your back for long hair or flat on your head for close-cropped hair, to give you softer, smoother locks.

Earwax may be gross, but it’s your eardrum’s best natural defence against dust and dirt. Chewing and talking help your jaw move the wax from your inner ear outward. But the moment you shove a cotton bud in your ear canal, you undo all of your body’s hard work! Cotton buds push the wax back into your ear where it can get stuck. Limit your swabbing to just the external crevices of your ear and leave your ear canals alone.

Some people like to use their toilet time to catch up on a good book or scroll through their phone. But there is a common health risk associated with sitting on the ceramic throne for too long: haemorrhoids. The seated position places a lot of pressure on the veins in your lower rectum which can swell or bulge and cause haemorrhoids. The most common symptom of haemorrhoids is rectal bleeding but you may experience itchiness or discomfort around the rectal area. Fortunately, haemorrhoids typically clear up within a week. Just remember that the toilet isn’t the time or place for “me” time.

Along with your mobile phone – especially if you take it to the toilet with you – here are 11 germ-spreading items you’re probably carrying around right now. 

Moist things like your washcloth are the perfect paradise for bacteria to latch onto. The only surefire way to keep bacteria at bay is to grab a new washcloth before you wash your face each time. If a new washcloth seems a bit excessive for your daily routine, use your hands to scrub your face. And make sure you switch your towel out every couple of days too. Damp towels also harbour lots of bacteria.

This is why dermatologists never use a loofah – and you shouldn’t either. 

One study said that pathogenic organisms may be hiding out on bar soap during and after use, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But research shows that the bacteria from a soap bar are unlikely to transfer onto your hands. Just to be safe, you should always rinse your bar soap under running water to wash away the germs before lathering up and store the soap in a dry place to keep the bacteria away since they love moist environments.

Don’t miss these 23 subtle ways your home may be making you sick. 

Heating your bath, sink and tiles just five degrees above the normal air temperature “doubles the effectiveness” of alkaline cleansers, Jenny Botero, resident manager of Crystal Gateway Marriott told hgtv.com. For the best results, fill your bath or sink with the hottest water you can run from the tap. Let the piping hot water sit for a few minutes before you start scrubbing and cleaning surfaces.

Learn more about the best ways to clean the most popular room in the house. 

Toothbrushes should be stored about 1.2 metres or more from the toilet because, as noted above, faecal matter and urine can propel from the toilet bowl when you flush with the lid open. The sink is another area that’s off-limits, since soap and dirty water can splash onto your toothbrush. It’s recommended you store toothbrushes separately in an upright position in a dry area to prevent the risk of harbouring bacteria and cross-contamination with other toothbrushes.