Why a toilet seat cover is required in the public toilet?
Using a public restroom can be associated with a sense of discomfort due to the high volume of people using it. Users feel more confident when the restroom is clean and smells pleasant. Unfortunately, the truth is that sometimes after the initial impression, the moment you step into the toilet stall, you stop feeling comfortable and don't want to touch anything. And how does this relate to sitting on a toilet seat that many people have used?
Facts and myths about the toilet seat
Most people fear and believe that the toilet seat is the most bacteria-laden spot, but this is a myth. The truth, however, is that despite this knowledge, it is not a place we can sit on without worry. The largest bacterial clusters that threaten our health can be found on mobile phones, kitchen countertops, refrigerator doors, TV remotes, doorknobs, and public transport handrails. Unfortunately, public toilet seats also contain dangerous microorganisms. For example, you can encounter the dangerous Trichomonas vaginalis, which can survive outside the body for several hours. It can also host bacteria such as salmonella and E. Coli, so it is always essential to adhere to hygiene requirements to avoid infection.
What is a toilet seat cover? 
A toilet seat cover is a specially designed, paper protective layer placed on the toilet seat to provide protection against infections while using the toilet. After use, the cover can be flushed down the toilet as it is easily dissolvable and does not clog drains. It is a hygienic solution that gives a sense of cleanliness to users of public toilets. Using a toilet seat cover reduces the risk of infection from fecal bacteria and viruses that can attack the urinary or digestive systems.
How does a toilet seat cover work and what does it protect against?
Besides minimizing the threats present in public toilets, a hygienic cover provides convenience when using the toilet. It only requires a specially designed toilet seat cover dispenser in the stall. You need to pull out one cover from the dispenser and place it entirely on the toilet seat. If the disposable cover has a central cut-out section, it should be inserted into the toilet bowl, as this facilitates hands-free disposal of the used cover when flushing. Paper toilet seat covers are environmentally friendly, dissolving faster than toilet paper (usually within a few seconds) and do not clog the drain. Using a public restroom becomes much easier.
Economic benefits of using toilet seat cover dispensers
Economic reasons also support the installation of toilet seat cover dispensers. Many people avoid sitting on the toilet seat. When there are no toilet seat covers in a public restroom, they improvise by creating a protective layer from available toilet paper, leading to its wastage. The usage of toilet paper will thus be significantly higher than in the same restroom equipped with toilet seat cover dispensers.
Toilet seat cover dispensers in the workplace 
An employer should provide appropriate sanitary conditions for their employees, remembering that this is in their best interest as well, because by taking care of the staff's health, productivity is increased. Additionally, in some industries, there is a concern for the health of third parties, such as clients or patients. So why is such a useful toilet accessory as disposable toilet seat covers often overlooked?
If a production or restaurant worker has direct contact with food products, it is the employer's duty to eliminate all threats that could negatively impact food safety. Between 2001-2004, 78 samples of frozen vegetables from cold stores in the Lublin region were tested. Indicator bacteria of fecal contamination were present in most of the tested vegetables: coli group bacteria were found in 93.6% of samples, fecal coliforms in 83.3%, E. coli in 69.2%, and enterococci in 78.2% of the frozen samples. Currently, the microbiological quality of food products is subject to the requirements of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 of 15.11.2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs, which does not include frozen fruits and vegetables. The regulation only specifies safety and hygiene criteria for the production of sliced, ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables, which should not contain Salmonella bacteria.
In the employee restroom, it is therefore essential to regularly refill soap dispensers and paper towel dispensers or hand dryers. An excellent addition to the WC equipment would be the aforementioned dispensers with disposable toilet seat covers. However, we must face the bitter truth that not everyone always washes their hands. Therefore, it is crucial to educate and eliminate all threats.
Hygiene while traveling
Work trips or leisure travel involve visiting public restrooms, some of which may be inadequately equipped. This is inconvenient while traveling or staying temporarily.
Hygienic toilet seat covers can make life easier during travel. Not everyone likes using small WC stalls on buses or planes, so the toilet visited before the journey is very important. Most often, this is a restroom at a station, airport, or gas station. Besides standard sanitary equipment, it is essential to ensure that each stall has toilet seat cover dispensers. This is very important because many people use it. Bacterial urinary tract infections can carry many dangerous complications, which can rule out longer travels and lead to unnecessary treatment costs.
Essential hygiene for children and the elderly
Using the toilet can be difficult for small children because the toilet bowl and regular-sized seat are usually not adapted to their needs in terms of size or height. Adult assistance is therefore necessary in places like gas stations, restaurants, hotels, airplanes, or trains. Dispensers with disposable toilet seat covers could protect children from unwanted infections also in schools. Students, especially in elementary school, usually have to rely solely on themselves in the restroom.
Elderly people often struggle with various ailments that make daily functioning difficult, causing them to move slower and more carefully. When using the toilet, an elderly person usually sits on the toilet seat because they lack the strength to squat over it. In such circumstances, a bathroom handrail and the use of a hygienic toilet seat cover will be a great help. Dispensers for disposable covers should also be present in medical clinics and hospitals, as these places have a higher risk of contact with microorganisms, which can cause infections, and this can be very dangerous for people with weakened immune systems.
The conclusion, therefore, is that a toilet seat cover is often an overlooked piece of public restroom equipment, but it should really be used wherever there is a risk of infection from foreign pathogens. Toilet seat cover dispensers should be found in preschools, schools, universities, offices, production plants, healthcare restrooms, restaurants, hotels, stations, and airports. Besides daily cleaning of public restrooms, it is also important to ensure the overall comfort of the user, which is undoubtedly provided by a disposable toilet seat cover.
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