 | Bath tissue is the first line of defense against transmission of disease between family members. Use an adequate number of tissue sheets to protect your hands from accidental contamination. |
| Close the toilet lid before flushing to help prevent germs from being ejected onto nearby surfaces. |
|  Use bath tissue to wipe toilet seats, as a barrier against germs for your hands when lifting or closing the toilet lid, and when grasping the handle to flush the toilet. |
| Use bath tissue or paper towels to wipe up accidental spills and drips in the bathroom. |
| In public restrooms, wipe toilet seats with bath tissue and line the seats with sanitary toilet seat covers or bath tissue as an added barrier to avoid accidental contact with germs. Use your foot or bath tissue for the flusher handle. |
|  When potty training, teach children to use enough tissue to help protect their hands from germs when wiping. Most importantly, teach children to wash their hands with warm, soapy water and dry them thoroughly with paper towels after each visit to the toilet. |
| Never place bath towels on the toilet, where they may become contaminated with surface germs. |
| Since bacteria breed in moist environments, keep the bathroom ventilated and dry to reduce the possibility of bacterial multiplication. |
| Clean bathroom surfaces regularly, particularly the toilet seat and flusher handle, to reduce risks of cross-contamination. Increase cleaning frequency if someone in the household is ill. |
| Avoid using communal cloth towels for drying hands, especially when a family member is ill — use paper towels instead. Consider putting a paper towel holder in the bathroom. |
|  Make sure family members wash their hands with warm soapy water after using the toilet. Dry hands using disposable paper towels, which can help wipe up and throw away the germs. |
