I'm a microbiologist – why you should close toilet lid before flushing

The great household debate settled! Microbiologist reveals how dirty your bathroom can get if you flush with the toilet lid open

• Tim, 32, from Utah, has revealed just how dirty your toilet bowl really is 
• The microbiologist conducted an experiment that left germaphobes squirming
• He discovered that it was better to flush your toilet after closing the lid 

A microbiologist has revealed just how dirty your bathroom is before and after flushing, and the results have germaphobes squirming. 

After testing his bathroom air for bacteria, Tim Call, from Utah, found an alarming amount of bacteria that would make people think before they flush. 

The microbiologist, 32, came up with the idea to conduct the experiment after becoming curious about how air quality was affected by bathroom activities.

In viral clips on TikTok, which had amassed almost 25,000 views at the time of writing, Tim revealed why you should always cover the toilet before flushing by conducting a series of tests in both his private bathroom and a public restroom.

Tim Call, from Utah, is a microbiologist who has revealed just how dirty your bathroom is before and after flushing, and the results have germaphobes squirming

After testing his bathroom air for bacteria, Tim, 32, found an alarming amount of bacteria that would make people think before they flush

Tim began the experiment by placing a petri dish on the tank that stores the water above his toilet and left it open for 10 minutes without flushing. 

When he did this, he found just two bacterial colonies on the petri dish. 

He did the same test again but this time with flush and feces in the bowl.

And this time he found five bacterial colonies. 

He conducted the experiment again, but this time with a clean bowl. Again it yielded the same results as the last one.

Of his results, Tim said ‘two to five bacteria’ was ‘surprisingly clean’ for a bathroom and it really depended on the flush.

To do further research, the microbiologist conducted more tests on a public toilet with a ‘stronger flush.’

He placed one petri dish each on the front and back of the toilet.

The one that was placed at the front ‘had crap in it,’ adding there still was not that much bacterial growth.

It had six bacterial colonies.

Meanwhile the one from the back of the toilet seat only had two.

‘It appears to be not nearly as gross as I and probably you originally believed. Sorry to disappoint,’ Tim added at the end of the video.

The microbiologist conducted two tests in his private bathroom (left) – one was for 10 minutes without flush and second was one with flush and feces in the bowl. The second test yielded five bacterial colonies (right)

The second location for his experimenting took place in a public bathroom where he placed petri dishes at the front and the back of the toilet 

The microbiologist came up with the idea to conduct the experiment after becoming curious about how air quality was affected by bathroom activities. Pictured is the bacteria found on the petri dish that was on the back of the toilet seat in the public bathroom

Tim explained he decided to conduct the experiment because he wanted to find a ‘visual’ answer to the many questions he had about germs floating around.  

‘I make this content because I’ve always been curious about what was growing around me and I wanted to visually see it. It’s starting to visually answer many questions that people have had,’ he said.

The microbiologist added that he was surprised by the findings and he hoped to perform the tests again. 

‘This time, I discovered that the air was not nearly as dirty as I thought it would be,’ he said.

‘While this was a sample size of one, and I plan on testing more, the results are still very surprising.’ 

Tim added that the next time he conducted the tests, he would use a larger sample size.

‘I am extremely interested in increasing my sample size to determine if this test was just an outlier or if bathroom air isn’t nearly as dirty as we perceived,’ he said.

Tim’s 255,000 TikTok followers have been left horrified – both by the results and the idea that anyone would flush a toilet without first closing the lid

On his TikTok account, Tim also tested the amount of bacteria in strawberries (pictured left), a used mask (pictured right) and more

On his TikTok account, Tim has also tested the amount of bacteria in strawberries, a used mask and more.

Tim’s 255,000 TikTok followers have been left horrified – both by the results and the idea that anyone would flush a toilet without first closing the lid.

‘People don’t close the lid before flushing?!’ one horrified user wrote.

Another TikToker added: ‘I close the toilet lid then flush!’

A third person said: ‘I’m disappointed! I am adamant that the seat lid should be down before flushing.’

‘It means my college roommate who told me flushing the toilet would get poop on her toothbrush was wrong, I win,’ someone else added.

Tim replied, ‘With this initial test, it would appear she may have overreacted,’ followed by a laughing emoji.

Another TikTok user said: ‘I’ve gotten in several fights with my husband because he will not put the damn lid down! However, I’m SO happy to learn I have virtually no argument lol.’

‘I flush it even if I’m still sitting on the toilet,’ one person wrote.

‘Who doesn’t close the lid?’ another user added.

‘I always wear a mask in public restrooms for this reason,’ someone else said.

‘This is why I said NO to having my toilet in the same room as my bathroom with my toothbrush and towels in it,’ one comment revealed.

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