Germaphobes Rejoice: Everyday Items We Touch That Are Dirtier Than A Toilet Seat
What do you think of when you think of a toilet? Actually, I don't want to know because I think I already have a guess. But, you might be disappointed to know that the toilet isn't even close to being the dirtiest item in your house.
There are several less obvious things that you use every day that carry a plethora of bacteria. If you're a germaphobe, prepare the bubble wrap.
Office Desks
If the fact that your office desk has 400 times more bacteria than a toilet doesn't gross you out, I don't know what will.
That will make you not want to go to your place of work even more than usual. This is very devastating for all of us office workers.
Computer Keyboard
Look down right now if you're on a computer. That keyboard you love so dearly has 200 times more bacteria than a toilet.
When was the last time you cleaned your keyboard? My guess? Probably never. I know I haven't. The bacteria ends up lingering for hours and even days.
Toothbrushes
You know that thing that you put into your mouth? That toothbrush? Yeah, well it contains an incredible amount of bacteria.
I know you might think that it's incredibly clean when you brush your teeth, but it's not. That's a really sucky realization to have, I'm not going to lie.
Ice Cubes
You want to know something that is absolutely disgusting? The ice that comes served in your drinks at a restaurant is usually dirtier than toilet water.
Ice machines aren't cleaned and it actually creates a breeding ground for E. coli. If that isn't enough to make you order your next soda without ice, I don't know what is.
Cell Phones
You handle your phone a lot so it shouldn't be too surprising that there is a whole bunch of bacteria on it.
In fact, there's 10 times more bacteria on your phone than there is in a toilet. As much as we turn a blind eye to how gross our phones are, we need to stop.
Light Switches
It might shock you to know that light switches have up to 217 bacteria per square inch. They're turned on and off by fingers. Finger carry bacteria. Fingers get you sick.
I think now that I know about how much bacteria is on a light switch, I'll be hanging out in the dark from now on.
Door Knob
There's a reason that people who are germ conscious don't touch doorknobs. You'll see them putting their sleeve over their hand, or even trying to open the door with their feet.
Doorknobs are crucial for spreading illness throughout homes and offices. They should be cleaned at least every week.
Mattresses
You might be able to clean your sheets a lot, but you probably don't clean your mattress. It's a huge dust collector.
If you have a mattress for over 10 years, it's going to weigh almost double because of all the dust mites and dust mite poop that it collects. Ew.
Bathtubs
Get ready to puke in your mouth. The drain of a bathtub can have up to nearly 20,000 bacteria per square inch.
Yes, it seems counter-productive considering it's supposed to be the area where you clean yourself. Just stay away from the drain when you're in the bathtub.
Pet Food Bowl
If you're a good pet owner, you probably try to keep their stuff as clean as possible. Pets are very prone to different illness and bacteria, so it's an important step to take.
It's even more important when you realize that the inside of the bowl contains 2,110 bacteria per square inch.
Pillows
I think that it's safe to say that there's no better inanimate object at the end of a long day than a pillow. The problem? It's really dirty. It doesn't matter how much you clean it.
There are an incredible amount of dead skin cells, fungal spores, and many other bodily secretions hanging around your pillow.
Curtains
Curtains are basically magnets for pet fur, debris, and other bacteria. While they provide a great service by keeping the sun out of your kitchen, they do you a disservice by collecting all that stuff.
If you have any allergies, it's important that you know just how bad curtains can be for your health.
Money
This isn't even a surprise. Money is absolutely disgusting. Bank notes contain up to 200,000 bacteria on their surface.
Many of that bacteria is fecal matter and drugs. Yes, drugs. Once you handle money, it should be mandatory that you clean your hands off before you touch anything else. Please.
Showerheads
If you think that the little device designed specifically to clean you was actually clean, you're in for a world of hurt.
This is why we have trust issues. When the showerhead is dirtier than the toilet, we are going to have some serious problems. The warm, dark, moist area inside of the showerhead is perfect breeding grounds for bacteria.
Kitchen Sink
It shouldn't really surprise you that the kitchen sink is disgusting. I mean, think about all of the gross stuff that goes into it on a nightly basis.
From raw meat to dirty dishes to fecal bacteria, this sink gets it all. Yes, you heard me correctly. There's more fecal bacteria in a kitchen sink than a toilet.
Kitchen Sponge
It should come without saying that the kitchen sponge is the most disgusting item in your house. It has close to 10 million bacteria per square inch.
Yes, you read that correctly. The sponge is nearly a quarter of a million times dirtier than your toilet seat. Go home and change your sponge, right now.
Purses
This should scare some women around the world. Yes, your purse handle and inside of your purse is probably dirtier than the toilet you feel gross sitting on.
When you put coins, cash, and other bacteria-filled things in your bag, you're asking for a petri dish of bacteria and gross things.
Reusable Bags
This is an important notice that you should be cleaning your reusable bags every time you use them. Most people just throw them away in a closet until the next time they go grocery shopping.
Raw food products that have a lot of bacteria sit in those bags and linger if you don't clean them.
TV Remote
If you're going to a hotel, it's important that you're aware of how dirty that TV remote is. Surprisingly, or not so much, it's not much better at home.
I'm not a germaphobe by any means but you should maybe bring some disinfectant wipes with you wherever you go.
But How Clean Are They?
It's actually bizarre, but we do clean our toilets. I mean, a toilet has the potential to be really gross, but that point is so obvious that we overcompensate and clean it a lot.
Things that we touch with other parts of our body we end up overlooking and they become VERY dirty.
