Importance of Washing Your Hands After Using a Porta Potty

It’s no secret that hand-washing is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself from illness and infection. Did you know how important it is to wash your hands after using a porta potty? Believe it or not, portable toilets can be breeding grounds for bacteria and other contaminants. In this guide, we’ll discuss the importance of hand-washing after using a porta potty, and we’ll provide some tips on how to do it properly.

 

What you should know about porta potties

In the interest of being environmentally friendly, many businesses and individuals are turning to porta potties instead of traditional bathrooms. However, porta potties can be unhygienic and unsanitary, so knowing how to use them properly is essential.

Porta potties are also called portable toilets. They are temporary toilets that people use in different places, including highways, recreational areas, etc.

If you’re hosting an outdoor event, chances are you’ll need at least one portable toilet to accommodate the number of guests. These portable restrooms are a common amenity at construction sites, festivals and other events with large groups of people.

Porta potties come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, but all of them have one thing in common: they can be unsanitary. In fact, porta potty sanitation is so important that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published specific guidelines on how to use them safely.

One of the biggest dangers associated with porta potties is contact with raw sewage. If you don’t take proper precautions, you could easily become infected with bacteria, viruses or other parasites. To avoid these risks, it’s essential to wash your hands thoroughly after using a portable toilet.

 

Why should you wash your hands after using a porta potty?

Avoid germs and bacteria

While most people won’t touch anything in the toilet stall aside from the seat, there are other areas that have been touched by those who have used the toilet before you. If you don’t wash your hands thoroughly, these germs can spread throughout your body and make you sick.

It’s not just the door handle that has germs on it. The toilet seat itself also has germs on it, so touching it can lead to illness as well. Toilet paper is another area where germs tend to grow and spread, so this should be avoided at all costs.

When portable toilets aren’t emptied or cleaned regularly, they can become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella. These bacteria can cause many illnesses in humans, including diarrhea, food poisoning, urinary tract infections and kidney failure. In addition to bacteria, viruses such as norovirus can also be spread through contact with human feces. Norovirus causes symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

So if you must use a porta potty, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

 

Remove contaminants from your skin

In addition to bacteria and viruses, porta potties can also contain other contaminants like pesticides, herbicides and heavy metals. These contaminants can enter your body through your skin, so it’s important to wash them off as soon as possible.

Washing your hands after using a porta potty will help to remove any contaminants that may be on your skin, and it will also help to prevent them from spreading to other parts of your body.

 

To avoid bad odors

One of the main reasons why people choose to use porta potties is that they can be smelly places. However, the bad odor can also be caused by the build-up of bacteria and other contaminants. If you don’t wash your hands after using a porta potty, you could end up spreading the bad odor to other areas of your body.

 

Makes you feel good

Washing your hands is simply good hygiene. It’s a habit that we should all be doing on a regular basis, regardless of whether we’ve been using a porta potty or not. Washing your hands can help to remove dirt, grease and other contaminants from your skin, and it will also leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

 

How to wash your hands properly

Now that we’ve discussed the importance of washing your hands after using a porta potty, let’s talk about how to do it properly. The CDC recommends that you use soap and water, and scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.

If you don’t have any soap or water, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. However, hand sanitizers are not as effective as soap and water, so be sure to scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds if you choose this option.

The best way to wash your hands is with soap and water.

  1. Wet your hands completely, lather up with soap for 20 seconds (or longer if you’re in an especially grimy situation).
  2. Rinse off and dry completely with clean paper towels or a hand dryer.
  3. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer instead.
  4. You may also want to consider carrying antibacterial wipes with you so that you can wipe down your seat before using it.

How bad is not washing your hand after using porta potty?

It may not seem like a big deal, but if you don’t wash your hands after using a porta potty, you could be in for a world of hurt. Here are just some of the reasons why it’s so important to wash your hands after using a porta potty:

  • Germs: If you don’t wash your hands after using a porta potty, you’re essentially bathing in germs. Not only is this gross, but it can also lead to some serious health problems if you’re not careful.
  • Bacteria: Porta potties are full of bacteria, and if you don’t wash your hands after using one, that bacteria will end up all over your hands. This can lead to some nasty skin infections, among other things.
  • Colds and Flu: Believe it or not, but the cold and flu viruses can survive for a long time on surfaces like porta potty handles. If you don’t wash your hands after using one, there’s a good chance you’ll end up getting sick.

Tips for washing your hands

If you’re going to use a porta potty, it’s important to know how to wash your hands properly. Here are some tips:

  1. Make sure that you have plenty of soap and water available.
  2. Wet your hands thoroughly and add soap.
  3. Rub your hands together vigorously for at least 20 seconds.
  4. Rinse your hands well with clean water.
  5. Dry your hands with a clean towel or air dry them.
  6. Use a hand sanitizer before and after entering a porta potty.
  7. Make sure you have your shoes on and that the floor is dry before entering.
  8. Keep the door closed when you’re not in the porta potty.
  9. Only flush toilet paper in the porta potty.
  10. Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after leaving the porta potty.
  11. Don’t use your cell phone in the porta potty. If you’ve got to, at least use a plastic baggie to protect it from any splash-back that might occur.
  12. Don’t use the hand sanitizer that’s attached to the porta potty, since it’s often not strong enough to kill anything.
  13. If all you have access to is a porta potty, and no way of washing your hands, then you’d be better off using your shirt or pants as toilet paper than using your bare hands.

Frequently Asked Questions


Do I need to wash my hands after I pee?

You may have heard that it’s important to wash your hands after you use the bathroom, but what about if you just pee? While the answer may vary depending on who you ask, we think it’s always better to error on the side of caution and wash your hands after using the restroom—no matter what.

Not only is washing your hands after using the restroom considered good manners, but it’s also an important way to help stop the spread of germs and illness. When you flush a toilet, microscopic droplets of water are sent into the air and can land on surfaces in the bathroom—including your hands. If these droplets contain bacteria or viruses (like COVID-19), they can quickly transfer to anything you touch, including your face.

So even if you didn’t directly touch anything dirty in the restroom, it’s still a good idea to wash your hands afterwards to help avoid getting sick.

 

How long do I need to wash my hands for?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. 

 

What should I do if there’s no soap and water available?

If you can’t find soap and water, the CDC recommends using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Just be sure to read the label first, as some hand sanitizers may not be effective against all types of bacteria or viruses.

 

Can I use a paper towel to dry my hands?

You can use a paper towel to help dry your hands, but it’s important to remember that paper towels can also spread germs if they’re not disposed of properly. If you choose to use a paper towel, make sure you throw it in the trash after you’ve dried your hands. Alternatively, you can air dry your hands by shaking them off or rubbing them together.

 

Conclusion

Now that you know the importance of washing your hands after using a porta potty, be sure to always follow these guidelines. By doing so, you can help keep yourself and others healthy and safe.

If possible, try to avoid using porta potties altogether by avoiding crowded areas or choosing an alternate restroom location. However, if a porta potty is your only option, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

Washing your hands after using a porta potty may seem like common sense, but it’s one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself from harmful bacteria and viruses. Follow these simple tips, and you’ll be good to go.