It seems like one of the most basic habits of a lifetime – use the toilet, and then flush. Unfortunately, if you haven’t been closing the lid before pushing down the flushing handle, you could have been subjecting yourself to years of ‘toilet plume’. ‘Toilet plume’ is actually a cloud of bacteria, and often includes fecal matter, that is sprayed from a bowel when the toilet is being flushed. Speaking to Women’s Health, Amesh Adalja, M.D., an infectious disease specialist in Pittsburgh explained: “The toilet plume may contain fecal bacteria, as well as other microorganisms that may be present in these substances, such as certain viruses.” The main bacteria in toilet plume is E.coli, which is one of the main causes of bacterial gastroenteritis – resulting in diarrhoea and cramping. Share a bathroom with a sick family member or roommate? Adalja recommends asking the patient to stick to just one toilet and clean it after each use – otherwise you could be subjected to “residual remnants” in the bowl that aren’t reached by the water stream after someone flushes. Those remnants can then make their way into the plume – making you the next person in your house to fall sick. Need more convincing to trap that plume with the lid before you flush? The bacterial spray can spread to your towels, face cloths and even toothbrushes. Might be time to move that toothbrush into your bedroom.