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 ...

While you’re in there, don’t forget these public restroom etiquette tips. This is an open-front toilet seat, and thanks to the American Standard National Plumbing Code, it’s the go-to for ...

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.

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 ...