Throughout seven hours of studying and learning at school, a bathroom break is often a necessity for many students. From personal hygiene to appearance, school bathrooms are crucial to fostering a healthy environment. To keep up with the constant demand for supplies and sanitation, incessant cleaning is often necessary. However, many students argue that conditions are still poor

“Something is broken or missing every time I use the bathroom,” Hugh Moothart, ‘28, said.

Along with the alleged deficit of hygiene products, such as paper towels, soap, toilet paper and pads, many students have noticed an influx in the amount of graffiti that appears in numerous bathrooms across the school. 

“[I’ve seen graffiti] in every bathroom,” Moothart said. 

In addition, public restrooms are perfect homes for germs. E. coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus are commonly found in public bathrooms, primarily in sinks. With hundreds of visitors each day, it’s nearly impossible to eliminate all harmful bacteria. 

Researchers at San Diego State University conducted an experiment to find the quantity and types of bacteria in public restrooms. An hour after a deep clean, the bathrooms studied were flooded with microbes, and after weeks of swabbing toilet seats, soap dispensers, sinks and hand dryers, the researchers found over 77,000 types of bacteria. Many diseases can be spread like this, including cholera and E coli.

“I would rate the cleanliness of the bathrooms a 3 out of 10,” Karter Moss, ‘28, said.

Although many germs infiltrate the school bathrooms, proper sanitation can help prevent harmful pathogens’ effects.