Using public toilets can be a disgusting experience. Toilet seats are hotbeds of bacteria and disease, not least for lice, scabies, coli bacteria and staphylococci.

You should always sanitise a public toilet before using it.

Even if you cannot protect yourself against all bacteria, the following suggestions for disinfecting toilet seats will certainly help.

• Cover the toilet seat with strips of toilet paper before you sit on it. This method is not safe, as the paper can slip, but it is better than no protection at all if you have nothing else to hand. Sit carefully on the seat or squat over it without touching it.

• There are disposable paper toilet seats available to buy. Instead of having to sit on strips of paper, the paper toilet seat can cover the entire seat so that you can sit down comfortably.

• Plastic covers are another alternative. Plastic is waterproof and provides protection if there are damp residues on the seat.

• If you need to touch the toilet seat or other fittings in the public toilet, you can wipe them with disinfectant wet wipes beforehand. This applies in particular to the flush button or door handles, which are teeming with bacteria.

• Wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap after using the toilet. If there is no sink available, use a hand sanitiser.