Rough pictures show why you should always close the toilet lid...

Research has found that more than half of Britons don’t close the toilet lid when they flush – but a series of rough pictures shows why you shouldn’t be one of them.

To highlight the dangers, Harpic used high-speed specialty camera technology to show that flushing a toilet without closing the lid can bring droplets of bacteria and viruses on surfaces up to two meters away to your bathroom.

What looks like colorful fireworks are aerosol droplets catapulted out of the toilet pan – which could even hit you in the face if you lean over to flush the toilet.

Harpic showed that toilet water can remain contaminated for multiple flushes after exposure to harmful pathogens.

If you unknowingly touch a surface that has been contaminated from flushing the toilet bowl, then if you touch your nose or mouth, Harpic says you could become infected.

A study of 2,000 people found that the main reasons the lid wouldn’t close when flushing a toilet were because of ignorance of the risks involved, fear of touching the lid, and general forgetfulness.

After 95 percent of participants received evidence of the risks of holding the lid open, they said they would now change their habits.

Harpic urges people to always close the lid when doing the dishes, to always wear gloves when cleaning the bathroom and to use a toilet cleaner that also removes limescale as the deposit may contain Bactiera.

It said: “There has never been a more important time to take special care in our homes. While the risks associated with spreading germs in unsanitary bathrooms are high, the solution to keeping them clean is simple.

“As a hygiene expert, Harpic helps everyone stay safe at home.

“We hope our new #CloseTheLid campaign inspires people to make simple changes to their cleaning routine that can have a lasting impact on the health of the country.”