With the lid down , the toilet in your picture looks great .

Lid up has it moments if it is , I think , this way

Toilets are ugly anyway, but a lid up makes me cringe.

Down always, my biggest pet peeve in real estate pictures is seats left open in the pics.

Down- it's common courtesy.

In the powder room, it's visible from the main hallway so, down. The master is usually up, mainly because those who use it couldn't be bothered. It definitely should be closed for photos. Always.

No jokes here as don't do toilet humor.

Oh no!!!! There was a toilet paper poll for weeks on the first page now open toilet seat -photos encouraged??! Eeeew.

@Emily Hurley-can we move away from these polls.

Down looks better, but I voted up because it's more handy and convenient.

nastiness goes in the toilet, up just reminds me of that.

It is amazing how many women will argue that the seat should be down, but the lid should be up. I just wonder where that rates on the hypocrisy scale. It's pretty easy to train them to put the lid down if you start leaving the seat up :D

Fred, the lid should always be put down before flushing! The spray throws germs all over the bathroom. It is not just an aesthetic opinion or preference.

Tell that to the 30% that the pole says leave it up.

Doesn't matter about the POLL, I am talking about sanitary conditions in the bathroom

Don't tell me. I am the one always telling women to put it down!

If you have a dog then leave it down. Some dogs like licking your face, and...well, you get the idea

Up is fine, down is fine, up or down and wet is not fine.

All I know is that "if you sprinkle when you tinkle, be a sweetie and wipe the seatie!"

Down, down, down. Same reason as @gamakate - EW. (This is also why I don't leave things like my toothbrush in open holders. Goes IN the medicine cabinet for preference, more protection against icky spray if someone doesn't put the lid down.)

come on people down is the only answer!

DOWN - especially for photos!

Auto open and close on mine...and auto flush...love technological advances :)

It is bad feng shui to leave it up. It means that you are throwing out money, I believe. The only problem is you get more "mold".

Well then I must be broke and not sure how I am affording all the updates in my house because my toilet seat has been up a lot. LOL

Down! I don't want any of my cats splashing water in there, and they would love to get a good look (and their paws) at the water spiraling downward. Neva gonna hoppen.

Emily! Stop it now! 14% of people will get this one wrong too : )

The mention of cats reminded me to take a moment to be thankful that the current pooches in my life are not of the 'drink from the toilet bowl' variety. Ew.

Down, down, down. Always down. When guests come over, they sometimes leave it open. Bugs me.

Down. That way my dogs can't use it as a water bowl. Also, safety with small children or animals dictates keeping the lid down.

Emily- please think up a more stimulating and inspiring poll.

I grew up with a dog that drank from nothing but the toilet. I didn't know better as a kid but no dog of mine is going to have access now that I'm older. Mind you, I have a dog that's too small to reach! I always put the lid down. Before flushing. That way all the nasties splash on the bottom of the lids instead or around the room, onto wall, towels, soap. You get the picture I'm sure. (I disinfect the back of the lid every day) Also, it's fair play, Men in the house have to put the SEAT down, so we women have equal opportunity and put the LID down. Fair is fair.

Hey, if this polls isn't to your liking, try not opening it. I think it's fun.

Necessary evil.

What's the point of having a lid if you don't use it.

I recently had to remove the wallpaper in my powder room because the lid was left up when flushing. There was a mold (or something like it) that could not be removed from the paper, that was apparently a result of the splashing. We all put the lid down now for sanitary reasons.

Think about it you big people.....If the thing was supposed to be left open to everyones view, they never would have designed it with a LID, now would they ? : D

Always down!! Biggest pet peeve EVER!!

Down...now if I can just train my family.

Nothing tells me your lack of good breeding than leaving the lid up in my half bath off the living area.... it is rude and crude.

rosecafe, that's a good point (the lid is there for a reason). I'm guilty though of leaving it open 99.97% of the time, and my lady does the same. Now, if i had a dog, i vote for closing the lid.

I'm a man and I always put it down. My wife, she leaves it up. Of course I follow behind her and put the lids down. LOL

down. my trailer-trash husband leaves it up. really pisses me off (pun intended)!

I reminded my grandson, Jayden, to put the seat down on the potty this morning- he just turned 7 last month (:

As a real estate broker, I made sure I was at the photo shoot of a listing. Why? A bathroom looks tacky with the seat up! A PET PEEVE!

I always leave mine down.....that's why they come with a lid!
I get so irritated when I have company and they leave the seat up.
Honestly, how hard is it to put it down?!? I even have the ones that lower themselves!! It just looks better down.

depends on the toilet.