Which Everyday Items Have the Most Germs?

Reader Contribution by Cleaning Services Group
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Germs are a part of life, and it is no secret that the world can be a dirty place. Many of us tend to avoid the ‘go-to’ germ areas like public toilets and handrails, but you may be surprised to discover that the most common items you touch every day are riddled with germs. This infographic from the Cleaning Services Group showcases the most prominent germ spots you encounter in your home, workplace or on the go.

 

Surprisingly even the cleanest homes can harbor germs, and in some of the most surprising places. The kitchen chopping board is a place where food is prepared, however, there are 200 times more fecal bacteria on the average cutting board than on a toilet seat. Similarly the dishcloth, used to wipe down freshly washed dishes, on average contains about 10 million bacteria per square inch – making it 200,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat. The kitchen may actually be the dirtiest place in the house. There are typically 600,000 bacteria per square inch in the kitchen sink drain alone.

Your workplace may be more germ-ridden than you think. If you’re seated at your desk reading this article right now then you’ll be shocked to learn that the average office desk has 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. Eating lunch at your desk is a bad idea – crumbs of food in your keyboard are a breeding ground for germs. In a study of 33 office keyboards, a shocking 4 were found to be health hazards! Your office phone harbors a whopping 25,127 microbes per square inch, the measly 49 microbes per square inch on toilet seats pales in comparison.

Even outside your home and workplace you can encounter unexpected germs. Many of us use our mobile phones while using the bathroom, so it is unsurprising to find that one in every six phones, comfortable in your pocket has fecal matter on them. Everybody loves money, and wants more and more of it. The same money has been held in different people hands in so many different stats average of  found 135,000 bacteria from washing one bill are found. A recent study has shown that ATM buttons are hotbeds for two types of bacteria, called bacillus and pseudomonads, which are known to cause gastrointestinal diseases and diarrhea.

  • Published on Mar 12, 2015
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
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