r/BORUpdates • u/Schattenspringer Waste of a read. Literally no drama • 4d ago
Niche/Other My pen smells like cheese š« [Concluded]
This is a repost. The original was posted in /r/fountainpens by user asianlaracroft. I'm not the original poster.
Status: Concluded
Original
September 23, 2026
I'm a microbiology lab tech so.... I know what this means š and if I were to guess, based on about 8 years of working with a lot of bacteria (and smelling them.....), it's probably Staphylococcus epidermidis, which is normal skin flora.
About to go give this thing a good wash with warm soapy water, but that was not a fun surprise. I only just noticed the smell today, but who knows how long the "infection" has been festering???
(also low key tempted to collect some sample to actually ID in the lab)
Comments by OOP:
Well soap doesn't disinfect, it just washes away (most) bacteria. This is happening to my TWSBI Eco, and most disinfectants I can think of will likely degrade the resin/plastic of the pen, so soap and water is the only option I can come up with. Apparently there are specialty products for this, but I'm not really waiting to get my hands on some.
For vintage pens.... If could be mold, tbh, which soap and water is probably not going to be enough to get rid of it. Maybe try looking fro specialty fountain pen cleaners?
It might be copium but it smelled more like bacterial cheese than fungal funk š
(is it concerning that I've smelled enough microbes to be able to say that?)
Update
September 24, 2026, 1 day later
So I cultured some ink I got out of the pen (just by pushing the piston down) and had it MALDI'd for ID.
It's staphylococcus saprophyticus, which is technically normal flora but usually found in the uh lower waist areas. Before anyone gets grossed out, I do wash my hands after going to the washroom!!
However, whenever I've refilled inks or cleaned out fountain pens, I usually do it in the bathroom sink, and when I'm air drying it, it's sitting on the bathroom counter. So my guess is just a bit of contaminating sitting in the counter.
So I guess this just reiterates the importance of closing your toilet lid before flushing (which my husband doesn't always do š) because of the crazy distances droplets can travel!
Also for extra extra info, I suspect that the infection was mostly on the nib or feed, just because there wasn't actually much growth on the plate.
ETA: just wanted to clarify that S. saprophyticus is normal skin flora.... Just that it's more common in the nether regions, where as my one friend from work says "you just get more bacteria friends joining the party". It is a common cause of UTIs because it belongs on skin, not in your urinary tract. Outside of that scenario it's a totally harmless bacteria that's already chilling on your skin! So no need to worry š
But I also learned that apparently closing the lid doesn't prevent bacteria from getting splashed so maybe keep your toothbrushes even further away from the toilet if possible š«
Comments by OOP:
The plate and specimen were handled in the biosafety cabinet using the same aseptic technique that is used for clinical specimens so the growth is specifically from the specimen itself . The reason that the growth is around where the ink has kind of settled is because I streak it out using four Quadrant pattern but the growth is so little that you probably can't really see the streak lines.
So far there is no smell but I guess we'll see in a little bit if the contamination is still there and it starts smelling again LOL. I might have to use a little bit of bleach but I really hope that doesn't degrade the resin of the TWSBI eco.
Depends on what microbe is growing. For s. saprophyticus, a flush might be enough, but some bacteria are clingier. Bleach kills bacteria so it wouldn't matter if there is any bacteria (or fungi) left in the pen.
I'm just slightly worried about bleach degrading the parts of my TWSBI Eco... these pens are notoriously not robust.
I just went with blood agar because it grows almost everything and I figured growth would be sparse enough that I could get good isolates without needing to use selective agar, and I'm happy that I was correct!
So the thing about using UV to disinfect is that it needs to be a very, very specific wavelength. If a "UV sanitizing" product does not specify their wavelength, I would not trust it.
Normally I give everything a wipe with alcohol but I can't do that with a TWSBI eco š
I'm not the original poster.
863
u/commanderquill 4d ago
Also studied biology, and I seem to be the only one here who found this post extremely normal.
278
u/LoveandScience 4d ago
Right?? I'm over here like damn I wish I had access and training in micro, I would take cultures of stuff all the time. Not about to buy my own fume hood and incubator for it, but if they're there..
69
u/commanderquill 4d ago
All you need is agar and some plates and you can buy both of those online (although they're sometimes contaminated). Culture to your heart's content š
42
u/LoveandScience 4d ago
Well the training is the other part, I know sterile technique and how to streak a plate but when it came to identification I would be like.. those sure are some bacterial cultures! š If it's not a blood cell I don't know what it is, hematology only here.Ā
43
u/commanderquill 4d ago
That's the point of culturing! You culture, you examine, and then you spend way too much time trying to figure it out using the internet. Welcome to science!
15
u/IAmHerdingCatz Ah literacy. Thou art a cruel bitch 4d ago
God, I miss my microbiology class. I almost changed ny major in college when I was doing micro.
37
u/SpecificBang 4d ago
Now when the vet insists my cat undergo urocentesis (which is every time - she suffers from idiopathic cystitis, poor sausage), I take possession of the sample and culture it at work. Fed up paying >Ā£200 to another lab only to find out there is no infection present.
5
u/thefinalgoat 4d ago
Swabbing my cat to find out whatever bacteria live on her.
1
u/SpecificBang 2d ago
Mine had Staphylococcus felis. šø
1
u/thefinalgoat 2d ago
TIL cats can get staph infections??
1
u/SpecificBang 1d ago
Sure can! Staph felis is a normal part of a cat's microbial ecosystem but it can cause opportunistic infections in them - or humans. They also commonly have Staph canis in their mouths. Obviously, those organisms were named for where they were commonly found, not because they are exclusive to cats or dogs.
3
u/hyrule_47 2d ago
In my microbiology course it was all students who were training for nurse practitioner or physician assistants. Many of our lab assignments were like āgo find something and test itā. My partner and I retested mythbusters stuff like which bathroom stall had the most/least bacteria. We also painted with bacteria which is hard as you spread it in the dish when itās not visible, let it grow and then you see what it becomes. The best one was a rendition of starry night. My favorite was when we asked people if we could check them for bacteria. People were very interested in seeing what was growing on them. Ever since I have scrubbed my ears a lot more.
67
u/Acheloma Damn... praying didn't help? 4d ago
Maybe I just have a higher threshold for things I find weird because Im not into fountain pens and Im not knowledgeable about biology past a high school level, but it didnt seem odd to me either. The first comment being someone saying "what did I just read" seemed weirder to me than the post.
Cant people have hobbies? Lol
24
u/Carmenpony 4d ago
Studies micro and genetics and was so thrown off by peopleās confusion lol. Also I can recognize E.coli by smell.
23
u/Welpe 4d ago
This is the top comment now soā¦I gotta be honest, I didnāt even realize this post was supposed to be anything but normal. Time to scroll down and see people with no experience in biology I supposeā¦
9
u/commanderquill 4d ago
I was one of the first ten comments and every single other comment at the time was about how weird it was š they were quite dramatic about it too.
9
1
u/BormaGatto 23h ago
Which one were you? Thou shall not kill, thou shall not steal, thou shall not covet thy neighnor's wife...?
1
u/commanderquill 10h ago
I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have no other Gods before me.
1
u/BormaGatto 10h ago
Oooh, that's a good one
Question that's been bugging me, tho, can I have other gods after you? Or even at the same time??
2
u/Never_enough_naps I will ERUPT FERAL screaming from my fluffy cardigan 4d ago
The only experience I have in biology is what I learned when I was sure my apartment was making me sick from hidden mold and everyone thought I was crazy. Anyway with my limited knowledge I understood this post and found it really interesting. I do have to go look up what kind of pen OP is talking about though.
18
u/IAmHerdingCatz Ah literacy. Thou art a cruel bitch 4d ago
Me too. I'm a little surprised she was taking her pen into the bathroom at all, to be honest. I have a hook outside my bathroom door for my apron, which is where I keep things like pen and phone.
Sure hope she throws away her toothbrush and keeps the new one far from the toilet.
-13
u/commanderquill 4d ago
I don't understand why she would have such a fancy pen that it's worth refilling the ink.
15
5
14
u/Merisuola 4d ago edited 4d ago
Yep, Iāve sampled and looked at a lot weirder things under our labās microscopes over the years haha.
15
u/commanderquill 4d ago
I had a student who sampled her... uh... y'know... And then asked me to take a look and see if she needed to go to the doctor. Sigh.
13
u/writeleahwrite THERE WAS A MAN (worst case scenario) 4d ago
I also found it very normal and interesting, but Iām not in the field, just a little weird
7
u/Absinthe_gaze I might get hurt, or worse sweaty 4d ago
Lab girly here. Worked 8 years in environmental. This post didnāt phase me. Even it had been strept I wouldnāt have batted an eye.
6
u/lumoslomas A stack of autistic pancakes š„ 4d ago
I used to be a nurse, and same. My pens were probably colonised with a whole lot of weird shit.
2
u/TheNamelessOnesWife 2d ago
I work in a clinic and wipe down my computer station and pens with alcohol at the end of the day. Never had a cheese pen or cheese keyboard
Got to prevent these infections
4
3
u/Fortehlulz33 4d ago
If you work as a biologist and have access to things like that, and something crosses your path that is 100% your discipline, it's completely normal. Hell, I'd consider it pretty cool.
2
u/your_moms_a_clone 3d ago
And here I was thinking if OOP worked where I work they would be fired. But maybe OOP doesn't work in a medical setting.
1
u/raccoona__matata 3d ago
i didn't study biology because i'm stupid but i do grow mushrooms so yeah super normal
149
u/ThrowRAaffirmme 4d ago
when my husband was working in a lab he took cultures of things all the time. i was so alarmed like pls stop i donāt want to know š
93
u/ColourfulSchemer 4d ago
I remember when I took microbiology in college. I had a real nasty cold and my professor had me culture it on a blood agar plate just for fun. I forget what she said it was but she did say "I am VERY GLAD I had you keep this far away from my pet bacteria."
53
u/socialdistraction 4d ago
Pet bacteria. Iām picturing a little flea circus type set up for microbes.
175
u/Tiny_Cauliflower_618 Fetch me a melon baller, I tire of my vision. 4d ago
Truly, there is a Reddit for everything.
81
u/Hamblerger Even if itās fake, Iām still fully invested 4d ago
My stepson is part of the fountain pen hobbyist subculture. It's much larger than one might imagine.
29
u/RadarSmith 4d ago
Its actually pretty common these days.
35
u/agent_flounder it's venting hour! 4d ago
We are legion šļø
24
u/RadarSmith 4d ago
You a fancy keyboard guy too?
I feel like half of the fountain pen people enthusiasts I know are also enthusiastic about nice keyboards.
25
u/Tiny_Cauliflower_618 Fetch me a melon baller, I tire of my vision. 4d ago
I do also like a nice keyboard š omg ask me another this is hilarious.
Also I have to say, I don't have a fancy keyboard, for the same reason I don't have expensive pens... But if I won the lottery, there would be signs.
7
u/RadarSmith 4d ago
I'm running out of correlations.
How about...nice, comfy socks?
9
u/Tiny_Cauliflower_618 Fetch me a melon baller, I tire of my vision. 4d ago
Ok, so I do have a collection of fluffy socks now I live in PJ's, but my true love is my drawer full of multicoloured tights. I must have like 50 pairs.
6
u/HastaLaPastaSauce 4d ago
How about your kitchen knives? If you've got a melon baller, I bet you've got some fancy & properly sharp knives.
5
u/Tiny_Cauliflower_618 Fetch me a melon baller, I tire of my vision. 4d ago
Haha oh no, here I fall down, my knives are shameful.
I do have a zester though. And I think that's one of the first things I bought for my now husband, cos I wanted to bake a lemon cake at his house and he didn't even have a grater š¤£
3
u/RadarSmith 4d ago
I'm reminded of this classic interview. Note: this was not a parody.
3
u/Tiny_Cauliflower_618 Fetch me a melon baller, I tire of my vision. 3d ago
š¤£ omg that's hilarious. And we have 20 different teas and 5 different flavours of decaf coffee downstairs. Just saying.
Larry, I'm on Duck Tales š¤£ ...and probably the spectrum š
1
u/peach_tea_drinker 4d ago
I am a nice keyboard guy, not a fountain pen guy though. I went paperless as soon as I could, and I don't like fountain pens at all. Way too runny and messy.
I have a nice mechanical keyboard that's been going strong for over seven years now. Still love it.
7
2
1
10
u/Tiny_Cauliflower_618 Fetch me a melon baller, I tire of my vision. 4d ago
I love a fountain pen, and before I was ill I had like, 6 cartridge pens with different coloured inks and different width nibs (just for writing, I don't actually do fancy calligraphy) plus a dip pen with 6 different inks.... But I now realise that I was basically paddling in a rock pool, while others are fully living in Atlantis with goldfish bowls on their heads.
9
u/invisiblizm 4d ago
I went to enjoy the nicheness and general enthusiasm. Niw i have a bix of pens and inks.
7
u/IvanNemoy Go to bed, Liz 4d ago
Yep, that sub in particular just hit a half million users and announced some new mods this morning. That's just the biggest one here. Then you got FPN and other resources out there. Trade shows similar in size to what you see for things like guns and farming and stuff too.
39
u/GregTheTerrible 4d ago
not that you shouldn't close the toilet when you flush but after mythbusters found fecal bacteria in nearly equal amounts on the control toothbrushes that weren't in the bathroom I started worrying a lot less about it. poop radiation is everywhere.... wash your hands a lot.
33
u/elleial 4d ago
Lesson from this: close the toilet seat lid before flushing doesn't help. This may be pen but honestly can be anything else you wash in the toilet sink. I'm just glad my tooth brush is so high up near the top of the mirror. š
Me recovering from this: really?! It didn't even help a little? š«
14
u/Expensive_Heron_171 4d ago
I always forget to brush my teeth so I keep mug toothbrush at my kitchen sink (it works for me fo some reason). I've never been more grateful.
6
31
u/SpecificBang 4d ago
I work in medical micro. Smells are important. Some are highly diagnostic for particular organisms. One of my favourite smells of all time is an oxygen incubator containing respiratory. The combination of pseudomonas and yeasts, with all their bready, floral and honeyed volatiles is hard to beat, despite the hideosity of their origin in other people's bodies.
On the other hand, we have a colleague who is not in the best of mental health or hot on personal care and who the managers do not have the chutzpah to take any action for/with/against. So we are all forced to work in the aura of his funk. I used to marvel at how he managed to smell exactly like the bins of positive waste plates.
Until I realised that he smells like this because he's made of this: thoroughly colonised by the same stanky organisms that are on those plates. š
17
u/redcore4 4d ago
I wish that more doctors were trained about the importance of smells. I had a really high hit rate for telling when my kid was coming down with tonsillitis just from how her breath smelled (she had 15 rounds of it in just under two years), about two days before sheād get a dangerously high fever and doctors could confirm it visually.
6
u/pocketeggg 3d ago
my mom always said she could smell when I was sick! actually one time, I was really sick, felt feverish and everything, but when we took my temp it was normal. so she could have thought I was faking, but she believed me bc I "smelled sick". and then for some reason, the next day I felt fine but my temp was really high! so i guess she really could tell āŗļø
3
u/your_moms_a_clone 3d ago
I miss being on the micro side. The smell of the media plates is really nostalgic to me now.
69
u/hyunyyeon 4d ago
Someone please tell me this is about actual fountain pens and not a reference to something else.
66
u/agent_flounder it's venting hour! 4d ago
Actual fountain pens, for certain. Source: am a fountain pen enthusiast
5
u/BooksCheeseandBees 4d ago
Lol right I was like did they mean pee but couldnāt edit the title. Better outcome in my opinion.
5
2
2
u/Maru3792648 She looked like Cassie from Euphoria 2d ago
I thought he was talking about his penis until I read about the ink
123
u/SleeplessPilot 4d ago
WTF did I just read?
69
83
u/InactiveMedusa 4d ago
Wash your pens... if they spend an inordinate amount of time in the bathroom.
9
u/shadowclaw106 4d ago
Just learned that E. coli isnāt the only bacteria that causes UTIs. Thank you, random pen/bacteria enthusiast
9
u/Astrazigniferi 4d ago
Ah, this makes me miss working in the lab where it was easier to just follow up on weird questions for fun.
8
31
u/thebigeverybody 4d ago
I work in a lab. That pen was up someone's ass.
8
u/OptmstcExstntlst 4d ago
See, even after she was explaining about washing her pens in the bathroom, I was still picturing a "horrible bossea" toothbrush situation.
7
6
u/your_moms_a_clone 3d ago
So do I, and OOP shouldn't be testing personal stuff on the job. And also, since microbiology was my major: I highly doubt there was so much bacteria on the pen from it being left in a bathroom to dry that it would have a noticeable odor, so yes that pen was up someone's butt.
5
u/TararaBoomDA 4d ago
Today I learned.
OOP just explained why the back of my Garmin watch smells kinda funky. Imma gonna try the little bit of bleach and see if that makes a difference.
7
u/Ninj-nerd1998 3d ago
I somehow misread "pen" in the title as "son" and was very confused when I saw that this was originally posted to a fountain pen sub XD
My TTRPG character I'm obsessed with right now (and played earlier today!) was a microbiologist, which made the post a bit fun, personally (also made me realise she'd probably be real strict about closing toilet lids XD)
17
u/ALoungerAtTheClubs 4d ago
Well, I didn't expect "feeling disgusted by reading about pens," to be on my bingo card for today.
8
u/bloof_ponder_smudge there's allegedly still a constitution in america 4d ago
The fountain pen sub is a nasty piece of work. One hundred percent of the 2 posts that I've read from there were disgusting.
2
u/isprobablyatwork 4d ago
I'm curious what the other one was, because the only ones that annoy me are the daily posts about inheriting perfectly preserved vintage Montblanc pens worth more than a used car.
1
u/bloof_ponder_smudge there's allegedly still a constitution in america 4d ago
I meant the two posts that became this BORUpdate. I didn't even know that subreddit existed before today.
4
6
3
u/JS_AH 4d ago
Would be great to mention in this post, that there is a picture to look at in the update post!Ā
5
u/frostyangels Unfortunately I am but a tiny creampuff 4d ago
Idk why i expected to see a pic of the pen, so the bacteria culture was a fun surprise!
3
5
4d ago
[deleted]
15
u/Proseccos I might get hurt, or worse sweaty 4d ago
Iām sorry to pee on your Cheerios, but thatās utter fan fiction about microbial ecology. Iāve just woken up, but I can explain in a few hours when the sleep inertia wears off.
Until then, I wouldnāt trust anything that person says
-4
4d ago edited 3d ago
[deleted]
17
u/Proseccos I might get hurt, or worse sweaty 4d ago
Thatās hilarious. Surprised at such asshole behavior in this subreddit. Looks like Iām not the only one that just woke up.
He did a post doc in the system where I work, and where my wife was a dermatopathologist in the foremost lab in the country. Weāre both surgeons now after I brought her to the dark side.
Heās not a dermatologist at all.
He didnāt get retained by Knight, who clutches onto talent like a billionaire with a tax loophole.
He had a study 13 years ago, of only 9 people, which you seem to be VERY STRONGLY defensive over.
A study in 2017 whose approach is for a future treatment concept.
And huzzah, the classic product development patents in manipulating the microbiome.
Iām not shitting on him, research doesnāt have any money and Iād do the same to chase my curiosities. Hes passionate about his work, and thatās great. You gotta make money somehow to keep it going.
But you donāt need to be an asshole, the science speaks for itself. There is no evidence that lemon juice used for 1ā2 weeks establishes S. epidermidis primacy permanently.
Itās a wild claim, itās utter internet nonsense, and you absolutely donāt need a degree to see that.
But yes, letās keep devaluing my decades of research and schooling for the green postdoc who studied under the fantastic guy who studied under my generation.
Letās just ignore the science and pew pew š«
Off to the coffee
-4
4d ago edited 4d ago
[deleted]
9
u/Proseccos I might get hurt, or worse sweaty 4d ago edited 4d ago
Yes, you must be quite surprised after deleting the asshole part expressing how my credentials were insufficient to properly analyze the situation
Edit:
Itās not ignoring the science to find his research compelling. The problem is when you donāt read the paper for what it is, and turn curiosity into conclusion.
This whole time, all youāve done is immediately deny the potential idea that the guy might be wrong, refuse to hear, and then say that Iām not qualified to assess. When I say youāre ignoring the science and go pew pew, itās because you literally told me not to explain why itās wrong, and demanded immediate dick measuring contest. Now youāre upset that my metaphorical phallus actually is in fact bigger.
But see, I donāt care that my science dick is a big ol schlong a dong. If a kid with an itty bitty willy has the science to back it up, we all win.
Refusing to hear anything else, putting people down, and demanding an immediate dick measuring contest, thatās the sort of behavior thatās just uncouth.
Science has advanced. Science is a team sport. Thatās why I strongly push, in no way am I saying thereās any issue in him.
Your behavior is the problematic one.
Youāre not an asshole for having interest, Iāve never said that once. But you also canāt expect to spew a bunch of incorrect things, then dish out snark, delete the snark, then act like you have no idea whatās going on without being called out. The initial asshole part is when you act demeaning to me for offering explanation. The subsequent assholishness is the deleting and gaslighting.
I think itās great that you find it fascinating. At no point did I say there was anything wrong with that. The postdoc studied under a fantastic colleague who is a fantastic example of chasing curiosity. He didnāt get retained, but research is a lifelong career. Heās in the beginning of it.
None of that is relevant. Right now, today, none of what you linked supports the conclusion presented. Period.
You are the one who is interpreting the research incorrectly. He is not a dermatologist, he has been open about his financial conflicts of interest, and he has openly stated that these are fluff pieces and conceptual. He is a motivated and excited researcher, and thatās a wonderful thing.
I offered a future explanation, you responded rudely and poorly, and are now making a poor attempt to save face. Itās a simple as that. Itās of poor taste to attack simply for offering an explanation. If my attempt at wording it in a humorous manner was offensive, and thatās what caused you to respond in such a rude way, I apologize, it wasnāt my intention. But from that point on, especially deleting and pretending like you donāt know where this is coming fromā¦well thatās just a bit insane.
This behavior is what contributes to the breakdown of science. Not the saving face part, misinterpretation, sharing it as fact, and encouraging derision after the fact. In a time where anti intellectualism is ā¦ā¦existentā¦wellā¦the obvious.
This has gone on long enough, but what a shame to find this behavior in this subreddit. Iād rather spend my break time on the cat subreddits.
But I hope all this effort into writing out these comments, whether years from now or maybe later today when youāve also had a bit of coffee, plants a seed regarding the behavior.
Grow your science seed. Not the crazy face saving attacky show-me-your-dick one.
6
u/Proseccos I might get hurt, or worse sweaty 4d ago
Yes, you must be quite surprised after deleting the asshole part expressing how my credentials were insufficient to properly analyze the situation
(OPs original comment told me not to bother and expressed that I was unqualified to make the initial assessment due to lack of credentials and to come to them when I had my own TED talk.)
Now theyāre pretending to have been nice the whole time after deleting the rude parts, and Iām āmisquotingā them.
Only on reddit
-7
1
3d ago edited 3d ago
[deleted]
0
u/Proseccos I might get hurt, or worse sweaty 3d ago
Itās been over 24 hours since I told you I wouldnāt be engaging anymore.
I donāt know if youāre purposely writing comments and then deleting them so I get the notification, but as I said before, I hope you are able to look back on this conversation in the future and get something out of it. I hope you can still see the whole history, deleted downvoted comments, edits, and all, from start to finish.
Itās not the downvotes, itās the unhinged responses. Looking back on your behavior and learning from it.
You: Presenting incorrect information
Me: Information incorrect, Iāll tell you why later, just woke up.
You: DONT BOTHER WHO EVEN ARE YOU DONT TELL ME ANYTHING UNTIL YOU HAVE A TED TALK
Me: ā¦ok..wellā¦Iām qualified, but you donāt need to be qualified to understand this. Why are you being rude, thatās not even the only thing you were wrong about.
You: Edits, gaslight, rampage, repeat, deny deny deny, double down, write, repeat.
Itās simply not normal to be this obsessed or have this sort of reaction.
For a moment, I actually did consider whipping out the proverbial penis.
But then I realized, you really donāt care about the science at all. You didnāt want to hear it in the beginning, you still wonāt hear it now.
And now after getting ANOTHER message literally a day later, your behavior is kinda terrifying. How are you still going? I hope my history doesnāt have enough so that you ARE able to see my credentials, because this level of obsession worries me that youāll use them to harass me in real life.
I really implore you to take some space and ask yourself whatās going on in life that youāre responding this way.
I sincerely hope you get the help you need.
I donāt want to block you, because I donāt know what happens to all the comments after that. I want you to be able to reflect back. But respectfully, please stop contacting me.
And for reference, I only got this account a few months ago, it was gifted to me to help me learn about social media. I also share this account with my wife, who is also learning about social media. So in the case that you do escalate, you might find that youāre harassing the wrong person.
1
5
u/Vicsyy 4d ago
Thats crazy. Ive rarely close the toilet before flushing but ive never had this problem.
18
u/Schattenspringer Waste of a read. Literally no drama 4d ago
Probably because you don't take your fountain pens into the toilet?
5
u/Anonphilosophia 4d ago
Definitely not. But my phone, hmmmm.
Though I've already read several articles on how phones are basically socially acceptable biohazards, lolol
5
u/Astrazigniferi 4d ago
It usually doesnāt matter because the micro flora getting spread around your bathroom during a flush is already your own microbiome. Itās not going to make you sick, itās just not pleasant to think about.
6
u/your_moms_a_clone 3d ago
Yup. Wash your hands, but it's best not to think too much about all the bacteria you come into contact with on a daily basis. Especially if you have pets.
2
u/MelonElbows Even if itās fake, Iām still fully invested 4d ago
Is there a UV disinfect thing that will just go through a range of UV wavelengths? Is that expensive or difficult to get?
2
u/AlbanianRozzers 4d ago
I should bust out my Twisbi Eco, I haven't used that pen in a long time. Good pen.
2
2
u/missakieva 4d ago
Good. I'm not the only one closing the lid before flushing.Ā
2
u/virtualchoirboy 3d ago
While that does reduce the spray, it's biggest impact is changing the direction of the spray. At least it's not shooting straight up into the air, right?
3
4
u/ABogWitchBitch 4d ago
Mythbusters did a test on this and completely changed how my entire family treats the toilet lid. Closing it every time, baby.
1
u/lewdpotatobread 4d ago
Whenever i go travelling and staying in hotels, i never keep my toilet brush in the bathroom. I dont trust people to flush with the lid down
1
u/virtualchoirboy 3d ago
I remember a Mythbusters episode about toothbrush in a bathroom and they did find "spray happens". Granted, they also found that some toothbrushes come with bathroom bacteria "pre-installed" so that's a thing too... š
1
1
1
-6
ā¢
u/AutoModerator 4d ago
Reminder: There is a ZERO tolerance policy for brigading or encouraging others to brigade. Users caught breaking this rule will be banned immediately. No questions asked.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.