Bathroom-goers have long-wondered why public restrooms often feature toilets that are missing the front portion of the seat, but now the mystery has been solved.
Experts, including Hugo Aguilar of the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), explained that open front toilet seats were designed to keep people from spreading their germs and bodily fluids to others.
‘Open front seats and elongated toilet bowls for public restrooms minimize the risk of the user coming in contact with possible contamination from a previous user,’ Aguilar said in a statement obtained by Nexstar.
Other reasons behind the open front toilet seat include easy wiping, simpler cleanup for the maintenance staff, and saving money.
Bathroom goers usually see toilets with open front seats in public spaces because they lessen the chance of someone spreading germs or bacteria
IAPMO senior director of code development Lynne Simnick explained the importance of the design for women while speaking with Slate in 2013.
Simnick pointed out that the open seat would allow women ‘to wipe the perineal area after using the water closet’ and have a lesser chance of going to the bathroom on an unhygienic seat.
She added that men also benefit from the design since it ‘eliminates an area that could be contaminated with urine’ and takes away one’s ‘genital contact.’
Indeed, the IAPMO Uniform Plumbing Code states, ‘Seats, for public use, shall be of the elongated type and either of the open front type or have an automatic seat cover dispenser.’
However, not all US regions have the same plumbing code, and varied toilet styles can be found in public restrooms nationwide.
Social media users on Reddit have debated the mysterious for years, and one person speculated that damage from uric acid would make a plastic toilet ‘impossible to completely disinfect during normal cleaning.’
International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) senior director of code development Lynne Simnick explained how the seats are helpful for women
‘If people «dribble» their urine as it comes out, it would fall on the seat front if it was closed. If it’s open, it falls on the bowl, from which the seat elevates you,’ a reddit user pointed out.
Other comments seemed to doubt that a U-shaped toilet could do much to save someone from the nastiness of a public toilet.
‘My thoughts, anyone who regularly uses public toilets knows that little part of the seat is the least of concerns over hygiene,’ a Reddit user wrote.
