I am not a germaphobe at all. I’ve gotten through the great NYC Swine Flu Debacle of 2009 without much more than a hand washing, and I have yet to hear one story of one person getting any illness whatsoever from a public toilet seat. That said, I know that having a kid can do wacky things to a parent’s imagination, so I do understand the urge to lay down the seat covers for the children in public restrooms. If that’s you, you’re going to want to stock up on CootieGuards, which are made to cover a toilet seat pretty much completely.
I haven’t tried it myself but it does seem smart enough, mainly for toddlers of potty training age. And I especially like the idea that the hole in the center is small person size, so it eliminates that toddler fear of “falling in” like my daughter had.
May that be your biggest obstacle to potty training. –Liz