When we think about germ-filled environments, we tend to think of places with a lot of people passing through, such as the subway or a public bathroom. The scary thing is, some of the most germ-filled items we come in contact with are in the comfort of our own homes.
Smartphone
A 2018 study from Initial Washroom Hygiene found that phones are more than six times dirtier than toilet seats, according to the Daily Mail. The company swabbed 50 phones for germs and found that the average phone had 1,479 bacteria “hot spots,” compared to 220 on toilet seats. A leather phone case that doubled as a wallet was the biggest offender, carrying 17 times more germs than the toilet. Another uncomfortable detail: In a 2016 survey of 1,000 U.K. employees, about one-third admitted to using their phones while using the toilet. “A smartphone which is brought into a washroom will invariably end up with invisible traces of feces and urine on it,” hygiene expert Lisa Ackerley said in a report. “These will then transfer to the owner’s hands.”
Cutting boards
You use cutting boards when preparing many meals in your kitchen — from fruits and vegetables to raw meat. The gross part? University of Arizona researchers found that the average cutting board has 200 times more fecal bacteria than a toilet seat. Fecal bacteria originate in animals’ internal organs, and the knife grooves you leave when you are cutting meat are the perfect conditions for germs to live and fester.
Kitchen cloth or sponge
Dishcloths and sponges are dirtier than any other item in the average home, harboring the largest amount of E. coli and other fecal bacteria—mostly because they aren’t replaced as often as they should be. Each square inch of these items contains 456 times more bacteria than a toilet seat.
TV remote
If you combine the germs from your hands, food, dust, and getting sat on, you easily can picture why your remote is super germy. The shape and buttons make it particularly difficult to get germ-free.
Pet’s food bowl
One square inch of your pet’s food bowl harbors about 2,100 bacteria, whereas the average toilet seat has about 295 bacteria per square inch.