Do You Flush Public Toilets With Your Hand Or Foot?

Help me settle an argument with a friend. I won't tell you which side either of us is on, but we do have opposing opinions.

One of us says you should flush public toilets with your foot. One of us says you should flush with your hand.

What do you all think?

I think I'd rather flush with my hand... I'm going to wash them anyways! Plus, when I picture someone trying to flush with their foot, I can imagine them falling over onto the restroom floor or leaving dirt from their shoe on the handle.

Interesting topic by the way

Merlin77 said:

I think I'd rather flush with my hand... I'm going to wash them anyways! Plus, when I picture someone trying to flush with their foot, I can imagine them falling over onto the restroom floor or leaving dirt from their shoe on the handle.

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LOL, exactly this. I don't think I'm flexible enough to get my foot that high. That wouldn't end well. And I'm going to wash my hands anyway.

In some larger places the only place you have to touch is the cubicle door handle. They sometimes don't have an entrance door, designed so you can't see in from outside, sensors on the toilet flush and wash taps. So, you'd wash your hands for whatever you've done and for the cubicle door.
You can dwell on cross contamination too much, just ask the ghost of Howard Hughes. We do need to have contact with some bugs to build up immunity though best not to look under a microscope as to what's there.

mightyboosh said:

In some larger places the only place you have to touch is the cubicle door handle. They sometimes don't have an entrance door, designed so you can't see in from outside, sensors on the toilet flush and wash taps. So, you'd wash your hands for whatever you've done and for the cubicle door.

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Haha, we're assuming non-automatic toilets here. Mostly the kind with the long flush handle that sticks out to the side.

EmmiTemmi said:

Haha, we're assuming non-automatic toilets here. Mostly the kind with the long flush handle that sticks out to the side.

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Ok, in that case it's hand with lots of scrubby dub dub after.

Does whomever(?) really think the average person is going to flush a toilet with his or her foot?

Winchester said:

Does whomever(?) really think the average person is going to flush a toilet with his or her foot?

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I know! Who's capable of that? Maybe skinny 16-year-olds who take gymnastics. Not many other people, especially in the confines of a bathroom stall.

I could see flushing with your elbow. . .but you don't wash your elbows very often .

So...since i get a free shower credit every time i fuel my truck,i no longer use the common area truck stop bathrooms. I use my fuel card to get a shower to use a nice clean personal bathroom. In fact,more often than not i go ahead and shower after using the toilet. Gotta love a clean undercarriage!

Willowy said:

I know! Who's capable of that?

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Well according to a few articles online over 60% of people flush with their foot.

Two-Thirds of Americans Flush Public Toilets With Their Feet

The foot one it just weird to me. I can reach it with my foot but I couldn't imagine it actually is done enough people to say 60%. Just too many older, less flexible or shorter people out there that I doubt the validity of the study (really any study that hasn't been independently verified with duplicated results is questionable).

I didn't the foot grosser then a hand anyways. If you have a germ problem use some toilet paper on your hand to flush.

EmmiTemmi said:

Well according to a few articles online over 60% of people flush with their foot.

Two-Thirds of Americans Flush Public Toilets With Their Feet

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Hmm, when I clicked on the link to the survey, it didn't say anything about flushing, with feet or otherwise. And I wonder how the question was worded, which I couldn't find either :/.

I won't be trying it anytime soon, lol.

Yeah, I'm not so sure about the study either, BUT the 6 of us in our group at the bar that night were divided 3-3 on the topic. So it's possible it's true.

EmmiTemmi said:

Help me settle an argument with a friend. I won't tell you which side either of us is on, but we do have opposing opinions.

One of us says you should flush public toilets with your foot. One of us says you should flush with your hand.

What do you all think?

Click to expand...

I honestly don't know why anyone would use their foot. OK. Fine. You don't want to touch the handle but now others have to touch what you have been stepping in all day. People at work were doing this and they were having to call in the plumber to fix the flush handles (yes really). They put signs up in the stalls asking people to stop doing this (again yes really). The solution is simple. Take a piece of toilet paper, flush the toilet and then toss the piece of paper in the bowl while it's flushing. Problem solved.

Kreatorcat said:

So...since i get a free shower credit every time i fuel my truck,i no longer use the common area truck stop bathrooms. I use my fuel card to get a shower to use a nice clean personal bathroom. In fact,more often than not i go ahead and shower after using the toilet. Gotta love a clean undercarriage!

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I always flush with my foot!!!!

I am kind of tall so I sometimes use one hand on the wall for support.

If I cannot reach the "flusher" with my foot; then, I will take some toilet paper to use to flush with my hand. ....

kind of crazy, but I worked in a hospital.. saw a lot of junk... always using hand sanitizer also..

When I was growing up I was taught to always use my foot to press the handle to avoid germs. I still do it now for non-automatic public toilets.

I use my hand. But I use a piece of TP to flush, then drop that in the commode as it's going down. With a good hand wash after.

I voted "Neither", but that's because I'm in Japan and all the toilets here are automatic, unless you're on a hiking trail where the toilets are the hole in the ground type.

Willowy said:

I know! Who's capable of that? Maybe skinny 16-year-olds who take gymnastics. Not many other people, especially in the confines of a bathroom stall.

I could see flushing with your elbow. . .but you don't wash your elbows very often .

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Well I'm a 68 year old fat cripple and I use my foot to flush
the toilet. I would not let my hands touch that handle no how many times I can wash them.

Some toilets have foot pedals. I feel like they did on the trains in Italy maybe? Or airplanes? There was someplace I was with a foot pedal.

I use my hand. I work with preshoolers - I'm already exposed to all the germs anyway.