What’s Dirtier Than A Toilet?

Whenever we talk about how much bacteria is on an item, or how dirty it is, it seems like the toilet is the standard.

So how dirty is a toilet seat? And what items that we’re in contact with on a daily basis are dirtier?

The average toilet seat has 50 bacteria per square inch and according to this BBC article- that’s one of the cleanest areas in the home! With items in the kitchen, such as your cutting board, having up to 200x more bacteria per square inch.

Shook.

It’s still important to continue to clean all parts of your toilet, and prevent spread of germs by flushing with the lid down. The seat, handle and area around the bowl are just important to clean along with the bowl itself to cut down on the germs.

To prevent contamination of other items, keep items like your toothbrush either outside the bathroom or far from your toilet…

I read that when you flush with your lid up faecal particles can travel up to 6 feet, so I just keep my tooth brush outside the bathroom!

So what is dirtier than a toilet?

In the Kitchen:

Photo by Sidekix Media on Unsplash

Your kitchen is one of the dirtiest places.

Your sponge has about ten million bacteria per square inch (200 000x a toilet), a dish cloth has one million bacterial per square inch (20 000 x a toilet) and the faucet handle is up to 44x dirtier.

Cleaning with disinfectant, washing dish cloths regularly and replacing sponges regularly become an important part of preventing illnesses. Don’t forget to wipe down the fridge, as this is another dirty area!

Electronics:

Photo by Christopher Gower on Unsplash

Desktops are 400x dirtier… computer keyboards 5x… Phone and tablets up to 30x and your Desks 100x dirtier!

The same basic principle in my article Remember to Clean Your PHONE can be used to clean your electronic devices.

Laundry:

Your CLEAN  laundry! Because of transfer of a up to 100 million bacteria called e coli from your underwear to the washing machine which can cause illnesses such as diarrhoea.

Curious? Read more here and here and here and here.

The point is, A LOT of things are dirtier than our toilet seat… some ways to circumvent the contamination is by cleaning and replacing often.

I think the overall best way to prevent getting ill from all these dirty items around you is through proper hand washing read Wash Your Hands (With Soap) to learn the proper way to wash your hands.

When you come in contact with these items and others linked, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, avoid eating, avoid touching young children until your have properly washed your hands.

Honestly- now I understand why my mother would do such a thorough deep cleaning of the house on Saturday mornings! Can you relate?

Samantha C. Johnson

Featured photo by Gabor Monori on Unsplash