Mythbusters was one of the most fascinating TV shows, with the premise being that it proves or disproves popular myths and theories. One of the most disturbing episodes focused on a popular myth you have likely heard or even believe in, and that is when flushing a toilet, it sprays fecal matter onto your toothbrush; it sounds disgusting, right?
The thought of fecal matter getting onto your toothbrush and other items is an incredibly disgusting thought. But, before you reach for a scrubber and alcohol to sterilize everything in your home, did the Mythbusters episode back up this claim and prove that it is true? Let’s find out by checking out the worst thing ever discovered on Mythbusters.
This Is Something I Wish I Didn’t Know
You have probably heard this myth many times over the years, and unfortunately, it is very much real. During the experiment, Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage set up several toothbrushes that were varying distances away from the toilet but out in the open rather than stored in a closed environment. Two of the toothbrushes were stored in the bathroom and used daily for the month-long test, just like they would be by viewers.
The other brushes were placed elsewhere in the home, including the kitchen and even an office on the other end of the building, and all of the other ones were rinsed daily but not used for brushing. At the end of the month-long experiment, the toothbrushes were analyzed by a microbiologist, and they found that every toothbrush had a microscopic amount of fecal matter on them, regardless of the distance from the bathroom. This showed that the bacteria is spread throughout the home and not confined to a single room.
What You Can Do
Unless you sterilize yourself and every item in your home multiple times a day, there isn’t really a great deal you can do but accept it. While this might not be the news you wanted to hear, there is a silver lining to the episode. While the test was fairly worrying about watching unfold, there is little reason to panic, which the end of the episode does state. However, if it does worry you, then you could put the toilet lid down, which will at least lower the number of particles that spray into the air.
The show did discover and confirm that the level of coliforms found in the experiment corresponds to the normal level that is found in the water you get into your home through your taps and other appliances, and that is considered safe to use, so there isn’t really any need to be worried. While I agree that fecal matter on everything sounds gross, unless you carry around a microscope, you’d never know.
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