Closing the lid before you flush could help to protect you and your family from the norovirus, also known as the winter vomiting bug, say experts.

That’s because flushing with the lid open can release a cloud of bacteria into the air as soon as you flush.

According to Professor Mark Wilcox, Clinical Director of Microbiology at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, bacteria from inside the loo can settle on nearby surfaces, making it easier for viruses to spread from person to person.

A team of researchers, led by Professor Wilcox, conducted study to see how a toilet lid could affect the spread of disease, particularly in hospitals.

They used a sterilised toilet cubicle and created a ‘diarrhoea effect’ in the toilet bowl using stool samples that had been infected with the hospital superbug C. difficile.

They found that the bacteria was transported to 10 inches above the toilet seat when the lid was open and was still detectable in the air up to 90 minutes later.

When the lid was closed, none of the bacteria was found on any surface, but when it was open it was found on the cistern, to the left and right of the toilet seat and on the floor.

Professor Wilcox said that although it’s unlikely that keeping the lid up would be a “huge” health hazard, he explains: “It would be prudent if there is a lid to put it down after flushing.

“This contains smells and droplets that can become aerolised. Some bugs spread more easily to surfaces this way and the norovirus is thought to be one of them.

“Our advice – put the lid down if it’s there and wash your hands afterwards.”

AOL