This is the one bathroom cubicle you should never use

Public toilets and bathrooms in cafes and restaurants are not the most hygienic places to do your private business and yet, we couldn't manage without them. But, according to this ex-janitor, you can reduce your exposure to germs by picking the ‘right’ cubicles. The young woman reveals the shocking truth she learnt ‘a hard way’.

Which bathroom cubicle is the cleanest?

TikTok user Jen, who posts as @the_jenc and is believed to be from the US, explained which stalls in a bathroom are used the least - and thus, are the tidiest.

The 26-year-old who now studies anthropology and human behaviour used to clean the loos for a living, and her work included hourly bathroom checks and replacing toilet paper.

Jen claimed in her video:

The biggest thing is to go to the farthest stall from the door to the bathroom.

This, she explained, is because people typically tend to choose the first couple of stalls nearest to them. They don't go farther in, so the ones in the back, especially in big bathrooms, never get used.

For public restrooms with cubicles on either side, the student was advised to pick the ones on your left.

She commented:

Most people go right. I think that might have to do with like a left right-handed thing, so go left.

Jen also advised against using handicapped stalls as they get messed up by 'gross kids'.

Read more:

⋙ This public toilet lets people know if the stall is too stinky to be used

⋙ Why are public toilet seats U-shaped? Here's the interesting reason

The video started a toilet debate online

Since being uploaded on TikTok, the clip has caused quite a debate online.

Hundreds flocked to the comments section to share their go-to tips for choosing the cubicle.

One user wrote:

I just choose by picking up on the vibes of the stall.

Someone else was left confused after watching the video, writing:

I’ve read the opposite? That most people avoid the first & second stalls as they feel they’re the most used?

A third person commented:

I remember reading a study about this. It said the first stall was the cleanest bc people avoided it assuming the first one would be the most used.

One more follower added:

Bonus: the farthest stall is often a fun, weird shape due to space optimization, and can also be bigger!

Read more:

⋙ People are shocked to find out why there are two buttons on your toilet flush

⋙ Robot vacuum cleaner took pictures of woman in toilet, and it was on FB

Sources used:

- The Sun: 'I cleaned loos for two years and here’s the reason you should never pick the cubicle closest to the door'