11 Things Dirtier Than Your Toilet

No matter how clean you think your house is there are germs breeding in your home and on everyday items that you use everyday. When cleaning we often think about the more common items like the bathtub and refrigerator. We make sure that are floors are vacuumed and the shelves are dusted. The counter tops all get wiped down with disinfectant and we feel good about our efforts to a clean and sanitary home. According to a British research group, several everyday things get looked over creating bacteria worse than found on the average toilet.

 

First on the list is your computer keyboard. Researchers chose 33 random keyboards to sample and came up with 4 that were actually bad enough to be considered a health hazard! Another harbored 100 times more bacteria than a normal toilet seat. Spending all day at the computer you're bound to have snacks and drinks near by. Dropping crumbs down into the cracks of your keys is the starting point for all those germs and bacteria. The other major contributor is poor hand washing skills. 

 

The next major culprit is your kitchen. Items like your kitchen sink, dish towels, dish sponges and cutting boards are easy to over look. Keep your kitchen up to par by washing out your sink with bleach on a regular basis. Dish towels that are used in the kitchen should be replaced regularly rather than keeping the same one around for a day or two. Dish sponges usually get used for more than just doing your dirty dishes. How many times have you caught yourself using it on other surfaces like the kitchen table and counters after preparing raw meat? You can bleach them a couple times to kill bacteria but should still be replaced frequently. Cutting boards also need to be thoroughly cleaned every time they are used. When using them to chop veggies and meat, grooves are in the wood and plastic. These little nooks and crannies are prime targets for bacteria to grow and thrive while stored in kitchen drawer.

 

Guess what gentlemen, even you are toting germs worse or equal to your toilet at home. The wallet that you keep in your back pocket is festering with bacteria. Everything that you have touched has also touched your wallet. Remember when you sneezed into your hand but didn't have a chance to wash? Yep, you can find those germs on there. Then add when you shook hands with the new guy at work who used the rest room with out proper washing? Chances are you left for lunch later that afternoon, continuing to pick up germs on your hands, pulled out your wallet to pay for your meal, then continued to eat it. Everything from days past to current transferred from wallet to hand to your lunch and mouth. 

 

Women are by no means innocent either. Researchers found that women's desks contain 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat! They were also found to be 3 to 4 times worse off than the men's desks. This is due to the fact than women tend to keep food in and at their desks. Food is a huge contributor to mold and incubate bacteria. You know all those lotions and moisturizers that you keep on your desk and use regularly? Oh, and your make-up that you bring for touch-ups? These are all bacterias best friends. Each one of those items helps in the transfer of bacteria from surface to surface.

 

Several other common things that you might want to put on your regular cleaning and sanitizing list includes things around the house as well as things you take everywhere with you. Things around the house that need an extra wipe down include your home telephone, TV remote, doorknobs and your light switches. On the go items include your cell phone, iPod and ladies, our purses. Rule of thumb, if it gets touched by hands or placed on dirty public surfaces on a regular basis, they are probably dirtier than your toilet.