Half of UK adults take their phone to the toilet, study says

Half of the adults living in the UK take their mobile phones to the toilet, according to a new report.

The data also found that 16% of people took their tablet with them and 4% their games console.

As well as the health and hygiene risks, the survey of more than 2,000 people found that many people also suffer financial loss by taking expensive items with them into the bathroom, due to items being lost or broken and having to call out a plumber.

The study, from Direct Line Home Insurance, showed that two-fifths (40%) of respondents have accidentally dropped an item down the toilet or sink, with mobile phones and jewellery being the most common items, followed by money, keys, debit and credit cards, and wristwatches.

Nearly a quarter (22%) of those who dropped a piece of jewellery down a sink plughole or toilet could not retrieve it.

While the vast majority of people who dropped their mobile phone were able to retrieve it, in 43% of cases it was damaged or broken.

Read more: Smartphone output to fall as coronavirus shuts Chinese factories

Dan Simson, head of Direct Line Home Insurance, suggested people should check the terms of their insurance to see if they are covered for accidental damage.

He said: “As a nation, we are so addicted to our mobile devices that we even take them to the toilet.

“Alongside the health risk of using these devices on the lavatory, taking them to the bathroom will be costly if they are dropped down the toilet or into the sink.”

Read more: Samsung unveils new Galaxy S20

Percentages of people surveyed across the UK who take their mobile with them to the toilet

– Belfast, 54%

– Birmingham, 54%

– Brighton, 51%

– Bristol, 49%

– Cardiff, 49%

– Edinburgh, 55%

– Glasgow, 50%

– Leeds, 60%

– Liverpool, 48%

– London, 54%

– Manchester, 47%

– Newcastle, 50%

– Norwich, 39%

– Nottingham, 36%

– Plymouth, 41%

– Sheffield, 52%

– Southampton, 45%