Page 10 - CIJ June 2024 - Digital Edition

NEWS TRACK

‘Gender-neutral

lavatories are dirtier’

ccording to a had the highest level of germs.
new research, Researchers felt this may have
the ladies’ toilets been due to heavier overall use.
are cleaner than The research team also
Athe gents’ and found that the floors and high
the gender-neutral lavatories surfaces yielded higher levels
tested in hospital toilets were of aerobic bacteria and fungi
the dirtiest of them all. The
independent study carried out than hand-touch sites, possibly
by a consultant microbiologist because hand-touch sites are
at NHS Lanarkshire examined cleaned more thoroughly than
the bacteria levels in various other surfaces.
hospital toilets. This could also be from

The door handles in the the tiny water particles from
gents’ were found to be around the toilet flush or airborne
eight times as dirty as those in microorganisms. Hence,
the ladies’ while the cleanest hospital toilets should have
facilities were the female staff lids which should be closed
toilets. However, gender- before flushing and patient
neutral toilets, which included toilets should be cleaned more
unisex and disabled facilities, frequently than other toilets.

JUNE 2024•Clean India Journal
10 www.cleanindiajournal.com