Why you shouldn't use your phone in the bathroom, especially the worst here
Jun 26, 2025
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According to the British media Daily Mail, Primrose Prieston, a professor of clinical microbiology at the University of Leicester, recently argued that mobile phones could be the main carrier of fecal bacteria. She stressed that "the moment you use your phone in the bathroom, it's very likely that you'll be contaminated with intestinal bacteria.'
According to her, the so-called 'toilet plume' phenomenon occurs in the bathroom, in which invisible microscopic water droplets splash out from the toilet. This is a phenomenon in which small liquid particles containing feces and bacteria are ejected into the air as soon as the toilet is flushed.
A study by the University of Colorado Boulder in the U.S. found that small liquid particles in toilets can spread up to a distance of about 1.5 meters in just eight seconds, and some eruptions still occur even when the toilet lid is closed.
Professor Preston warned that "not all surfaces, such as floors, walls, and window frames near the toilet, are free from bacterial contamination" and that "bacteria can be transferred as soon as you put your phone there.""
She pointed out that bacteria such as E. coli and Pseudomonas are particularly easy to find in bathroom environments. These are bacteria that can cause diarrhea and abdominal pain, lung infection, and sepsis, respectively.
Professor Preston also emphasized that even if you wash your hands with soap after using the bathroom, the contamination can return to your hands as soon as you touch your phone again.
Professor Preston advised "It is recommended that you do not carry your cell phone to the bathroom as much as possible, and if you are forced to take it, it is the safest way to keep it in your pocket." In particular, he argued that the act of putting down a cell phone on the floor next to the toilet was the worst.
"The floor around the toilet is where bacteria from the stool can fall off and survive for a long time," she said, adding that "putting a cell phone there is like putting excrement and germs directly on the smartphone."
She then advised "Cell phones are also high-risk contact items that are frequently touched, such as handles, taps, and light switches, so periodic disinfection is required."
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
