re: Harris County hospitals will be removing “men” and “women” signs from their bathrooms

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Germs are microscopic, and it should come as no surprise they are plentiful in restrooms. That contamination directly affects hygiene even if it looks clean. Would you believe it if we told you scientists have discovered more than 77,000 different types of bacteria and viruses in bathrooms? 77,000! That figure is almost too much to comprehend, but just know the main culprits are fecal bacteria, influenza, streptococcus, E. coli, hepatitis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), salmonella, shigella and norovirus. Let’s just concentrate on coliform, the bacteria found in fecal matter, and E. coli, also an intestine-borne bacteria. A study by the Cleaning Industry Research Institute (CIRI), swabbed sinks, toilets and floors in men’s and women’s restrooms, as well as sanitary napkin disposal areas. In all categories, women’s restrooms had more bacteria present by a rate of about 2:1. Some reasons for this could be that women’s restrooms get more use, women are more likely to bring germy children in with them, women need to dispose of sanitary napkins, and there may be more bacteria in women’s sinks because they wash their hands more often. Regardless, from a germ standpoint, men’s restrooms are by far the cleaner of the two.

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