Spreading towels in the bathroom
Image Source: Bunnings
Sodiq Ojuroungbe
Spreading underwear and towels in the toilet or bathroom is a habit imbibed by most people, however, experts have warned that such an enclosed space could promote bacterial growth and result in severe infections with adverse consequences, especially for those with skin wounds and immunocompromised people.
They warned that wet underwear can provide a good breeding ground for microorganisms, thus, predisposing individuals to urinary tract infections, genital skin conditions and ringworm infestation.
A professor of Public Health at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Tanimola Akande said some germs found in toilets could be potentially dangerous to humans.
He noted that there is a great likelihood that someone may become infected if a pair of pants or towel picks up any of the bacteria.
The former National Chairman, Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria said abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting are a few of the symptoms of the virus that can be contracted from contaminated towels or underwear.
He, however, argued that toilet disease is sexually transmitted and has nothing to do with bacteria in the restroom.
Prof. Akande said, “When underwear picks up infection from the toilet, manifestation of infection will depend on the type of germ picked up. Let me reiterate that there is no truth behind what is called toilet infection because those infections so labelled could actually be sexually transmitted.
“Pants dried in the toilet don’t necessarily spread infections. It may, however, cause infection if they are used by more than one person. This is particularly more with towels.
“When pants are spread in the toilet, they may not dry properly and could be damp, thereby, easily spreading fungal infection. Again, this is more common with shared towels.”
While encouraging people to expose underwear and towels to high temperatures by having them dried in the sun, the physician emphasized that there is no major health problem associated with spreading them inside the toilets.
“Those that can lead to serious health conditions are those erroneously attributed to toilet infections, which are actually sexually transmitted infections,” he added.
Speaking in the same vein, a toxicologist and environmental health expert, Onaeko Oluwawemimo said a cloth left in the bathroom that is not dry could become contaminated with microorganisms.
The Director, Environmental Health and Management Department at the Ministry of Environment, Abeokuta, Ogun State, noted that anyone, regardless of gender or age, is susceptible to infection from towels and underwear that have been dried in the bathroom.
“Common germs found in the bathroom are bacteria such as E. coli, Streptococcus, Campylobacter, and Salmonella are major culprits.
“Any microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc) have a significant impact on the human body. Even clothes spread in the bathroom that don’t dry properly are a breeding ground for bacteria. So, it’s expected that you wash them and let them dry between 10 a.m. and 4 pm under the sunlight.
“Every infection has its incubation period. There are four main stages in the infection cycle – incubation, prodromal stage, illness, and convalescence. These stages are of varying duration, depending on the type of pathogen. Everyone is at risk. Children and females are at higher risk.”
Meanwhile, a study published in the Journal of Public Health found that poor bathroom hygiene can lead to the spread of infectious diseases such as diarrhoea, pneumonia, and skin infections.
The study found that these diseases can be prevented by improving bathroom hygiene practices, such as cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, using proper hand hygiene, and keeping the bathroom well-ventilated.
The research, which was conducted by a team from the University of Florida and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, surveyed over 1,000 households in the United States to assess their bathroom hygiene practices.
The researchers discovered that the most common areas for the spread of bacteria in the bathroom were the sink, the toilet, and the floor.
They found that the most common way for bacteria to spread in the bathroom was through contact with these surfaces.
The researchers also found that the number of bacteria on the surfaces of the bathroom increased when there are more people living in the household.
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