The Herbal Home: Toilets Part Deux

I received alot of mail about closing the toilet lid before flushing. Mostly, it was in agreement and thanking me for affirmation for what they already knew, and were doing. Some good points were raised, and I thought it best to address them here on the blog...

I have some questions as to just how many problems this actually causes. Seems to me that we should all be a lot sicker if we're talking millions of nasty little wee-beasties landing daily on our toothbrushes. Can we really stop spreading these germs? We touch the tp, the toilet lid, the faucet, the soap, the faucet again, the towel, the door--the list is endless.- Saralyn

Most healthy immune systems can supress any outside invaders (i.e. virus, bacteria, colds). But most colds lie dormant in the body until the immune system is compromised. Adding millions of invaders into the air with each flush seems foolish to me. :-)

The same reasoning we use when we tell kids to cover their mouths when they cough, or cover noses when they sneeze can be applied to the toilet seat. We do it to keep the germ-ridden spray from being expelled into the air.

The research is there concerning the bacteria counts on toothbrushes, toilet paper, and sinks due to the aerosol effect. Many findings have been posted in the journals and internet to back up Gerba's findings. Be investigative and search the evidence. Search your local university/college medical library or google to read more.

What I'd noticed from your letter is another big problem: cross contamination. It may not seem like much, but I'd be interested to know if most of you turn off the faucet with your clean, wet hands?

How about opening the door of the restroom? Use your clean hands, or something else? If at home, are you disinfecting the doorknobs?

I'm totally grossed out now. I mean it. I sometimes flush during my bathroom trips- sometimes while I am still sitting on the thing. That can't be good, right?

Um... well... uh... ok... this is hard to say. You are right. I wouldn't do it- flush while sitting that is. Although your body has plenty of ways to help keep the sprayed-on invaders from entering any openings (i.e. unfavorable pH terrain, good bacteria in colon), you might brush your hands on the... um... contaminated area (your butt), and then if proper handwashing is not rendered, you've got problems. You would also be at increased risk of the invaders entering the body if you have any cuts, lesions, or sores.

What about those automatic toilets in restrooms? The ones that autoflush when you stand up? How can you avoid the spray then?

Get out of the restroom, or at least the stall, as fast as possible. And use the nasal spray I talked about in this post. Another suggestion would use an atomizer, or mister, or even a diffuser in your car, to add a few drops of organic essential oils shown to be antibacterial and antiviral. These wonderful plant oils help protect the respiratory tract from invading pathogens. More about the different essential oils and their effectiveness on destroying pathogens can be read in this very informative medical study in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

According to you, I should be the toilet police and stand guard at the door. I haven't done anything like this so far, and we've been moderately healthy this year.

Praise YHWH, from whom all blessings flow! I am not trying to turn folks into obsessive compulsive toilet watchers. I'm simply sharing some tips on keeping you and your family healthy. I'm very happy that you have had a healthy year! Keep up the good work!!!

What do you use to clean and disinfect your toilet?


Now remember I'm at my sister's home for a few months, so I have the standard toilet with tank and bowl. For this, I would use a few drops of bleach in the tank each week, and then for cleaning and disinfecting, I'd use a natural, homemade cleaner which contains borax, white vinegar, the oils of lavender, tea tree, and a few drops of eucalyptus. It's going to be strong in scent, but work.

What can I use to clean the sink faucets, and then to wipe the doorknobs and toilet knob that will disinfect?

I make my own homemade disinfectant wipes, like those clorox ones. See the recipe for them here.

You mentioned that in your RV, you had a toilet that does not use water. Can you explain?

I was showing that we are used to having a RV toilet, which only uses water when you add it, and instead of a flush, it is a rinse. For going pee, we do not flush everytime, instead adopting the 'when it's yellow, let it mellow' motto. For number two's, we only add enough water (by pressing small lever which adds water) to fill bottom of tank. Flushes are not actually flushes, but instead it 'drops' into the black water tank. For composting, no flushing is involved, just top cover like sawdust is applied.