A recent study says putting the toilet lid down may not stop the spread of germs. Researchers did research on the aerial activity of germs after a toilet is flushed. The researchers said there was little difference in how germs spread, regardless of whether the lid was up or down. A researcher said: "All that air when you flush goes somewhere, and it carries the viruses that are in the toilet bowl out of it." He said a flush spreads germs to nearby areas.

Researchers tested the spread of harmless germs in two bathrooms. They flushed one toilet with the lid up, and another with the lid down. They swabbed the surfaces in the toilet, but found no big differences in the quantity of germs in the two bathrooms. They said their results show that putting the lid down before flushing does not cut the risk of spreading germs. They recommended disinfecting all surfaces after flushing to reduce germs.