Do you rely on those paper toilet seat covers in a public bathroom? You’re wasting your time...

Covering that public toilet with a paper seat cover or toilet paper is a waste of time...

According to University of Arizona’s Dr. Germ, Charles Gerba, the only thing those seat covers are good for is a false sense of security. That’s because disposable seat covers are porous, one-ply and super thin. They have to be in order to be flushable. Any unmentionables on that seat will be absorbed by the cover and administered to your skin the moment you sit down. 

There is one type of toilet seat cover that does offer some protection. The non-porous plastic covers that rotate around the seat with each new customer. Of course any germs they might protect you from will probably be waiting for you on the lock and handle of the stall door.