The 8 everyday items that are so dirty you must wash your hands instantly

You might think the bathroom is the grossest place in your life, but statistically speaking, you are dead wrong. While we obsess over scrubbing the porcelain throne, which, FYI, is usually one of the cleanest spots in the house, we happily rub our faces against devices teeming with fecal bacteria. According to “Dr. Germ” himself, microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba, the average toilet seat only hosts about 50 to 172 bacteria per square inch because we sanitize it so often. 

Compare that to the items below, and you’ll want to grab the sanitizer immediately. Here are the 8 everyday items that are actually hazardous to your health.

The kitchen sponge

If you think you’re cleaning your dishes, think again; you’re likely just spreading a layer of E. coli around. The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) found that the kitchen sponge is the single germiest item in 75% of households.

Why is it so gross? It’s wet, warm, and full of food scraps, a perfect resort for pathogens. Dr. Gerba’s research shows a sponge can hold up to 10 million bacteria per square inch, making it about 200,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat. If it smells like mildew, pitch it immediately.

Gas pump

Ever wondered who touched that pump before you? A study by Kimberly-Clark Professional found that 71% of gas pump handles are “highly contaminated” with microbes associated with disease.

It makes sense; nobody cleans them, and everyone touches them.

• The Stats: Gas pumps harbor an average of 2 million bacteria per square inch.
• The Risk: That’s roughly 11,000 times filthier than a public toilet seat.
• The Fix: Use a paper towel to grab the handle, or sanitize your hands as soon as you get back in the car.

Your kitchen sink

This one hurts my soul, but the place where you wash your food is often dirtier than where you do your business. Dr. Gerba has famously stated that there is more fecal bacteria in a kitchen sink than in a flushed toilet.

Food particles from raw meat and dirty produce create a breeding ground for Salmonella and E. coli. Since 45% of kitchen sinks test positive for coliform bacteria (compared to 9% of bathroom handles), you should probably stop dropping your 5-second-rule food in the basin.

Cell phones

We take them everywhere, including the bathroom, and we never clean them. A study from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine revealed that one in six mobile phones is contaminated with fecal matter.

Because our phones generate heat, they act as warm little incubators for bugs like Staph and Strep. Considering we touch our phones about 47 times a day, we are constantly re-infecting our hands. I wipe mine down with an alcohol wipe every evening; do you?

Shopping carts

Next time you lean on the cart handle while browsing the cereal aisle, remember this: that handle has touched raw chicken juices and leaky diaper hands. University of Arizona researchers found that 72% of shopping carts had fecal bacteria markers.

That is significantly higher than what you’d find in a public restroom. I always grab the complimentary wipe at the entrance; it’s not paranoia, it’s survival.

Money and credit cards

Cash circulates for years, collecting genetic material from every person who touches it. The “Dirty Money Project” at NYU identified more than 3,000 bacterial types on $1 bills, including skinand oral microbes.

Switching to plastic? That might be worse. Recent data suggests credit cards can have higher “germ scores” than cash because they are durable surfaces that never get washed. Treat your wallet like a biological hazard zone.

Your keyboard

If you eat at your desk, you are part of the problem. Crumbs fall into the cracks, feeding a bacterial colony that grows undisturbed. Research by microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba and others indicates that the average desktop has 400 times as many bacteria as a toilet seat.

• Keyboard count: ~3,300 bacteria per square inch.
• Mouse count: ~1,600 bacteria per square inch.
• Toilet seat: ~50 bacteria per square inch.

Toothbrush holders

We finish this list back in the bathroom. The NSF ranks the toothbrush holder as the third germiest item in the home.

Gravity pulls water and bacteria down the brush handle, creating a stagnant sludge pool at the bottom of the cup. Since it’s often near the toilet, it also catches the “toilet plume” (aerosolized spray) from flushing. Run it through the dishwasher weekly, or you’re essentially brushing your teeth with that sludge.

Key Takeaway

We live in a microbial world, but you don’t have to live in fear. The data proves that our intuition about “dirty” is often wrong; smooth, dry toilet seats are safe, while damp sponges and high-touch phones are dangerous.

The Bottom Line: You can’t avoid these items, but you can control the aftermath. Wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds after handling these “filthy eight,” and maybe stop texting on the toilet.

Read the Original Article on Crafting Your Home.