Marilyn's Photos - Oct 2 2025 - A Toilet is cleaner than this things

 

How do we know that a toilet is cleaner than these things? "A kitchen sponge, kitchen sink, pet food bowls, computer keyboards, carpets, cutting boards, and even cell phones are often dirtier than a toilet seat, as they are breeding grounds for bacteria that are rarely cleaned as aggressively as toilets." That's the summary of a study done comparing various common surfaces for bacteria levels.  Chlorox sponsored the study.  I particularly wondered what it meant  to "clean their toilet aggressively." How would we clean our desk more aggressively.  I imagine scenarios of getting out a toilet brush and scrubbing the desk with it.  We are meant to be alarmed when finding out that a standard desk is 400 times germier than a toilet seat. I guess the "so what" implication occurs with the scenario of eating at your desk.  That is a scenario for "Norovirus: A highly contagious virus that spreads easily through contaminated food, water, or surfaces and is a common cause of gastroenteritis."  But then don't you have to put your hands on the surfaces like the keyboard and desk and then put them in your mouth?  Do you usually put your hands in your mouth to eat?  I don't know.   I guess it depends on table manners and what foods people are eating.   I don't see the likely scenarios of the other two bacteria that could be involved: Staphylococcus aureus: A common bacterium that can lead to skin infections, sinusitis, and, in severe cases, life-threatening conditions like sepsis or meningitis. Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Found on surfaces like keyboards, this can cause pneumonia, especially in people with weakened immune systems. These two seem extremely rare to me, more like thoughts and ideas to ponder. We do have a societal toilet fixation, though.  I consider the presence of so many toilet hacks to be the sign for this: "using common household items like vinegar, baking soda, and cola to clean and deodorize the bowl and tank, applying baby oil to shine fixtures, or preventing rust with fingernail polish on toilet screws. Other hacks involve using Kool-Aid for cleaning the tank, placing a container in the tank to conserve water, and using shaving cream to eliminate odors at the base of the toilet." And all Chlorox probably wanted from their study was for us to buy more wipes for our desk rather than have people try all kinds of things to clean their toilets. This picture of a garden bench at Winterthur came up from a search of my computer for "toilet" - is it the handkerchief petals of the Dove Tree on the ground that caused the system to think this might be toilet tissue? There's AI lurking in there, I'm sure of it.

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Marilyn's PHotos - Oct 1 2025 - Using this on the toilet

 

This question comes from the New York Times this morning: "Does using your phone on the toilet cause hemorrhoids?" Coming from the New York Times, I can assume it isn't click-bait material.  That's why I want to know the source - who says smartphones cause hemorrhoids?  There's a new study with this finding: "A 2025 study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center published in PLOS One found a correlation between using a smartphone on the toilet and a 46% increased risk of hemorrhoids, according to multiple sources including Healthline and Prevention. While the study doesn't prove causation, researchers, including gastroenterologist Dr. Trisha Pasricha, suggest the association stems from extended toilet time, which puts pressure on the rectal tissues." So that's the New York Times version of the question.   Here's the CNN headline: Using the phone while you poop greatly raises hemorrhoid ... Here's the Guardian headlines: Set a two TikTok toilet limit to reduce haemorrhoid risk ... Toilet scrolling: how bathroom phone use plays havoc with ...A Youtube headline from Straight Arrow News: Get off the throne: Study claims smartphones could increase ... NBC News: Smartphone overuse linked to a new pain in the butt Yahoo: If you're reading this while on the toilet, here's why that ... Times of India Take your phone to the toilet everytime? Beware, it can ... And the CBC? New study shows smartphone use in bathrooms could lead ... What are the guidelines on writing headlines?  We know there are stringent approaches in the industry.  Here they are:  Eliminate unnecessary words (e.g., a, an, the).  Omit forms of the verb ‘to be’ (e.g., is, are, was, were).  Use numerals.  Abbreviate days of the week and months.  Use present tense verbs (i.e., historical present tense).  Use strong verbs but avoid commanding verbs.  Follow a subject/verb-object structure.  Capitalize only the first word and proper nouns.  Don't use a period at the end.  Use single quotes to quote material.  Use a comma as a substitute for "and."  Use specific details if they are available.  Use only widely known acronyms and abbreviations.  Use names only when they're prominent and use only notable nicknames. Here's a sense of humour at the CP24 news station headquarters.