Here's why you should always close the toilet lid when you flush

You really should put the toilet seat down.

The real reason to close the toilet lid is a phenomenon known as a "toilet plume."

When you flush a toilet, the swirling water that removes your waste from the bowl also mixes with small particles of that waste, shooting aerosolized feces into the air.

Philip Tierno, a microbiologist at New York University, says that aerosol plumes can reach as high as 15 feet.

Even with your seat down, Tierno says, it's probably a good idea to store your mouth related items in the cabinet. "Make sure your cups and toothbrushes are tucked away."

And what about the public toilets, which rarely have lids? Tierno suggests that you "exit at the time of the flush."

Yet as gnarly as toilet plumes may be, Tierno insists that proper hygiene is more crucial than any toilet-plume prevention. "It's most important to wash your hands before you exit the toilet," he says.

Ref: Here's why you should always close the toilet lid when you flush (businessinsider)