Viral Video Shows How Far Germs Travel When Flushing Toilet

A viral video circulating online showcases a fascinating experiment by a researcher. Posted on X by user Massimo, the video reveals how flushing a public restroom toilet sprays toilet water, potentially carrying harmful germs, into the air.

This "invisible plume," which includes microscopic particles of urine, faeces, and other contents from the toilet bowl, can be a health risk for users. Using bright green lasers and cameras, the researchers were able to, for the first time, visually capture the rapid ejection of these particles from an open public restroom cubicle.

Along with the video, the caption read, "Germs travel a lot when flushing a toilet. This video shows how far and how rapidly the invisible plume is ejected from a lidless public cubicle."

Watch the video here:

Fun fact

Germs travel a lot when flushing a toilet.

This video shows how far and how rapidly the invisible plume is ejected from a lidless public cubicle.

[📹 IYMAN_PRO]pic.twitter.com/Ku9olIn8JO

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) June 27, 2024

The video gathered over 3,30,000 views on X with an array of comments. 

A user requested, "Put the lid down."

Another user wrote, "My science teacher in 5th grade told me the exact same thing. She told me to cover the lid before flushing."

The third user commented, "That's wild! It's a potent reminder to always close the lid before flushing. I wonder how many public toilets have lids though?"

"The problem is that people are very careful and when they take a shower they wash their ass before their hair lol," the fourth user commented.

The fifth user wrote, "It that wasn't enough, as a kid I used to wonder why would anyone puncture the stalls of washrooms. I don't see it as often these days but back then, it was insane. Those are the germs you got to watch out for!"