The mystery of the horseshoe-shaped toilet seats in public restrooms has finally been answered. Henryk Sadura – stock.adobe.com “Open front seats and elongated toilet bowls for public ...

Open-front toilet seats — sometimes referred to as “U-shaped” or “split” seats — are almost exclusively affixed to toilets in publicly accessible bathrooms or commercial spaces.

But the lavatory mystery has been solved. “Open front seats and elongated toilet bowls for public restrooms minimize the risk of the user coming in contact with possible contamination from a ...

Experts, including Hugo Aguilar of the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), explained that open front toilet seats were designed to keep people from spreading ...

And if it’s a public bathroom, it’s also where one of the great mysteries of the universe can be observed. Open-front toilet seats — sometimes referred to as “U-shaped” or “split” seats — are almost ...