TikToker Warns Of 'Faecal Fountain' You Get From Flushing Toilets Without Closing Lid

A TikTok user has shared an old TV clip that proves 'why you need to put the lid down before you flush', saying it traumatised her so much she's never forgotten about... the 'faecal fountain'.

Canadian TikToker Kristin (@xxiamkristinxx) shared the clip from an old Discovery series called Curiosity, which featured an episode called 'World's Dirtiest Man'.

In the episode, presenter Mike Rowe was joined by an expert to see how germs travel in the bathroom.

Posting the clip on TikTok, Kristin said: "Here's why you should always put your toilet seat down before you flush.

"I saw this video 10 years ago and I have never forgotten it."

TikTok/@xxiamkristinxx

In the snippet from the programme, the expert explains to Rowe about how bacteria gets splattered across the bathroom when you flush the toilet.

He says: "When you pee you get this splatter, this sort of fountain of life splattering back out from the toilet.

"And when you poop it's worse. It's kind of a faecal fountain."

Discovery

To prove the point, he gets Rowe to urinate in a toilet, before turning the bathroom light off and switching on a UV black light.

Upon flushing, we see an unnerving mist of illuminated dots spread their way out into the room - landing on a razor and a toothbrush.

According to the programme, the germs can travel up to 10ft (3m).

Kristin appears again in the clip and says: "Now if that video doesn't traumatise you enough, think about the fact that public bathrooms don't have toilet seat lids."

Later in the programme, Rowe says: "Therein lies the contradiction of the modern toilet - a contraption made to whisk germs away is actually spewing them right back at us.

Discovery

"As you can see with these graphic enhancements, the mist from this bowl can spread staphylococcus and e-coli up to 10ft, landing on my razor or my toothbrush.

"On rare occasions, staph infections can lead to inflammation of the brain, while e-coli can damage your kidneys."

Many TikTok users were equally mortified by the revelation, with one commenting: "Oh hellll no. Thank you for this. Never leaving it up again."

Another added: "I knew I shouldn't watch this and I did it anyways. I'll never see it the same."

Topics: Viral, World News, News, TikTok

Jess Hardiman

Jess is a journalist at LADbible who graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics - indecisiveness at its finest, right there. She also works for FOODbible and its sister page Seitanists, which are both a safe haven for her to channel a love for homemade pasta, fennel and everything else in between. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

@Jess_Hardiman