Gallery: Here's Why You Should NEVER Put Toilet Paper On The Toilet Seat Before You Sit Down

Ugh. Just the thought of going into a public restroom is enough to make you want to hold it until you get home. But sometimes our bodies have other plans, we have to suck it up and walk into a random stall, hoping that nothing too crazy is waiting for us.

Here’s the deal, though. If you’re the one who always puts toilet paper down before sitting or squatting (for the record, sitting is actually smarter; we’ll get to that in a minute), you might wanna rethink that.

First up. The toilet seat that you’re afraid to sit on doesn’t have as much bacteria on it as you might think. The curve of the seat along with the smooth texture of it keeps bacteria for latching on. And you need to sit down because that’s what keeps “everything” where it needs to be. Squatting increases the chances of splashing.

As for the toilet paper itself, as much as you might like to think that it’s sterile, there’s nothing further from the truth. It’s leaning against a stall and who knows when it’s been cleaned last. To add to the grossness factor, dozens of hands (including kids) have touched it. So, if you’re considered about anything that carries germs, the toilet paper roll would be it (yeah, you might want to carry a roll around if all of this is creeping you out).

As if we couldn’t make you want to run any farther away from a public bathroom, not all hope is lost. There are some things that you can try that will actually make using a public toilet not the worst thing in the world to do.