How to Disinfect Something That Fell in Your Unflushed Toilet? In our regular life, everyone has once dropped things such as phones, toothbrushes, and many more in the toilet and then looked for ways to clean them. Sometimes you are lucky and you can pick the item from the toilet bowl or else the chances are high that you won’t get to see it again.
Read on – How to Disinfect Something That Fell in Your Unflushed Toilet?
Table of Contents
How to retrieve things from the toilet bowl:
If something falls in the toilet bowl accidentally, you should be quick and take out the item immediately from the toilet especially if the item is too small otherwise it may disappear in the pipes.
- 1. The first step is to wear a pair of gloves before reaching for your lost item in the toilet.
- 2. Then you should reach for your item in the toilet bowl then quickly grab it and take it out from the toilet bowl. Toilets contain many kinds of viruses and bacteria, so whether you are wearing gloves or not you shouldn’t expose your hands in the toilet bowl for a longer time.
Cleansing the retrieved item
Before cleansing the item, make sure to remove the gloves and wash your hands properly. If the item you dropped was not any electrical item then scrub it with soap and hot water thoroughly for a few minutes.
How to disinfectant the dropped items
Disinfecting means making any item germ free which further makes it safe to use. Every item which may get dropped into the toilet bowl cannot be made germ-free completely, such as Plastics, Glass, and Metal. But there are a few things that can be disinfectant completely by following a few techniques.
Use a quality disinfectant spray:
Use a chemical and potent disinfectant to wipe out the germs and bacteria attached to dirty items. If items are smooth and have a solid surface then scrub them using a good disinfectant wipe. In case the item has an irregular surface use a chemical cleaning spray to make sure that disinfectant is properly distributed all over its surface area.
Many good products can be easily found in local stores and the job will be done without damaging the item. Always try to look for a disinfectant that doesn’t contain bleach as it can cause discoloration of the item.
Clean all exposed parts of the retrieved item:
Make sure to cover all parts of the item while applying the disinfectant. The disinfectant cleansers’ fumes are overpowering. You must always handle them in an open and well-ventilated area.
Rubbing Alcohol: for home use and non-personal use items:
1. Ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol is a commonly used disinfectant in Singapore, it kills most germs including viruses, fungi, and bacteria.
- Remove the cap of the rubbing alcohol and dip the cotton ball into the alcohol. After the shake the cotton ball to remove excess alcohol.
- Use this soaked cotton ball to clean the item. This will kill the bacteria from the outer surface without damaging the item.
- After that pat the item with a clean cloth or towel and let it dry.
2. Using Hydrogen Peroxide:
Hydrogen peroxide is also a great disinfectant. It works best with glass and most types of plastic such as a toothbrush. Do not use hydrogen peroxide for metals as it is a strong oxidizer and can easily damage the metals.
3. Boiling the item:
- Fill a pot with some amount of water and place it on medium flame heat until the surface of the water starts to bubble.
- Then use a tong or a strainer and submerge the item into the water and let it stay there for 1 to 20 minutes depending on the size and material of the item.
- Take the item out of the pot and give it a shake to remove excess water and let it dry.
- Boiling is a good process to disinfect solid objects that cannot be easily broken.
How to clean and disinfect a mobile phone?
- After pulling it out from the toilet bowl quickly dry it with a cloth or a hair dryer if possible.
- Now submerge it in a container containing 99% isopropyl alcohol and leave it for a few hours.
- Afterward, dry it with a cloth and keep it overnight.
How do disinfect personal items?
- Retainer – Use an antibacterial soap to scrub it. Then soak it in a bowl of Listerine for 15 to 20 mins. Do not boil, the heat will damage the retainer.
- Electric toothbrush – Use a dishwasher to clean it or boil it thoroughly. If possible, remove the batteries and dry them. Soak the base in isopropyl alcohol to disinfect it.
- Glasses- Use soap and hot water to wash them. Then clean it with glasses and cleansing spray. Do not use harsh cleaners as they may damage the lenses of the glasses.
The article presents a detailed idea about the common ways of disinfecting objects. These are very common ideas that can be implemented in case there is a sudden need to disinfect any object which accidentally falls in a toilet bowl. The main reason for providing this article is to help you know the several ways.
So far, we have seen various ways to disinfect the fallen product. Now the reason is why? Although everything is not to be picked up once it falls off in the bowl, some may be expensive too. The most common example is a cell phone which consists of contacts, messages, and various important data. Retrieving them in any other alternate way is not possible every time, hence the need to pick them up from the toilet bowl.
How to Disinfect Something That Fell in Your Unflushed Toilet? – Conclusion
Now anything that falls inside a toilet bowl gets in touch with the water in the toilet bowl. There comes the need for disinfection as the water in the toilet bowl contains a lot of germs. As the objects come in direct contact with the harmful bacteria which may be present in the toilet bowl, it needs to be disinfected. Disinfecting objects makes them safe to use and is an important requirement in this case that everyone should follow.
