THE GERMIEST PLACES YOU WILL EVER VISIT!
1. The kitchen sink
Kitchen sinks can actually be dirtier than the bathrooms. In a recent study 10 of the germiest places were found in the kitchen! That sponge that you use to clean the counter? It’s crawling with bacteria, as are the sink’s basin and faucet handles. To reduce the risk, clean your kitchen counters and sink with an antibacterial product after preparing or rinsing food, especially raw vegetables and fruit, which carry things like salmonella and E. coli. Sanitize your sponges by securing them in the top rack and running them through the dishwasher’s wash and dry cycle. Clean your sink twice a week with a solution of one tablespoon chlorine bleach and one quart of hot water. Scrub the basin and then do double duty by pouring it down the drain.
2. Airplane bathrooms
It is no surprise to those of us who fly often that airplane bathrooms are the worst. Let’s face it, there’s only one toilet for about every 50 people! There are often traces of E.coli or fecal bacteria on the faucets and door handles because it’s so hard to wash your hands in the little tiny sink. But there is a bigger problem in that tiny bathroom…the volcanic flush of the commode spews particles into the air and coats the walls, floors and other hard surfaces with whatever happens to be swirling around in there. To reduce your risk, use the paper cover, when available, on the toilet seat. After using the toilet, wash and dry your hands thoroughly and use a paper towel to handle the toilet seat, lid, tap and doorknob. Always put the toilet lid down prior to flushing. If there’s no lid, turn your back, flush and run!
3. A load of wet laundry
Surprise! You are probably wondering what could be germy about clean clothes. Dr. Gerba PhD, a professor at the University of Arizona, tells us that “Anytime you transfer underwear from the washer to the dryer, you’re going to get E.coli on your hands. Let’s just all say it together, EEEEWWWW!! Just one soiled undergarment can spread bacteria to the whole load and the machine. Here’s what you can do. Run your washer and dryer at 150 degrees, and wash whites with chlorine bleach (not color-safe), which kills 99.99 percent of bugs. Transfer wet laundry to the dryer quickly so germs don’t multiply, wash underwear separately (there’s about a gram of feces–the size of a small pea, in every pair of dirty underwear), and dry for at least 45 minutes. Wash your hands after laundering, and run a cycle of bleach and water between loads to eliminate any lingering bugs.
4. Public drinking fountains
Drinking fountains are bound to be loaded with germs, but school fountains are the worst. Other school hot spots are cafeteria trays, sink handles, desktops and computer keyboards. We all know that kids are germy creatures and due to their rinse and run hygiene, 22 million school days are lost each year to colds alone. Reduce the danger and send your child to school with plenty of his or her own beverages. Teach your children to wash their hands after using the bathroom, after lunch or after using the compute. Send along hand sanitizer and teach the kids to us it. By the way, hand sanitizer is a great thing to give to teachers to keep out for use in the classroom.
5. Shopping cart handles
It’s no surprise, saliva, bacteria and fecal matter are just a few things that Dr. Gerba found on shopping cart handles. Think about it, you are putting your lettuce and broccoli where some kid’s butt was. Raw food also carries germs and bacteria. Many stores are aware of the yuck factor and offer disinfectant wipes near the carts. If yours doesn’t, bring along your own wipe and give the handle and top cart rack a quick wipe down. Wipes I like…..Mr Clean disinfecting Multi-Surface Wipes. They are larger and stronger and do the job. I keep a dispenser in my car, handy for emergency spills, and pull one out when I get out of the car at the grocery store. When shopping, put your raw meat in plastic bags. If you get juice on your hands use a wipe or your hand sanitizer to clean them up.
6. ATM buttons
These buttons have more gunk on them than most public-bathroom doorknobs. (So do vending-machine buttons, bus armrests and escalator handrails). ATM’s aren’t frequently cleaned and they are regularly touched, a perfect combination for a lot of germs. Carry an alcohol-based hand-sanitizer with you and rub it on your hands after a visit to the ATM. Also do it after you handle money, paper money actually carries quite a few germs too.
7. Your handbag
Bet you never thought of this one. When Charles Gerba, PhD, and his team tested women’s purses not long ago, they found that most had tens of thousands of bacteria on the bottom and a few were overrun with millions. Another study found bugs like pseudo-monas (these cause eye infections) and skin-infection causing staphylococcus bacteria, as well as salmonella and E.coli. Your makeup case is every bit as bad, as are your guy’s wallet and personal digital assistant. Instead of slinging your bag on the floor, hang it on a hook whenever you can, especially in public bathrooms, and keep your bag off the kitchen counter. Stick with leather or vinyl which, in general, are cleaner than cloth. Wipe your bag down every few days with a mild soap or dininfectant, then let it air dry.
8. Playgrounds
How can I put this, kids just seem to be a constant source of bodily fluids and then they spread them around. When researchers sampled playgrounds they found blood, mucus, saliva and urine. Put this together with the fact that kids always have their fingers in their mouths and noses and it’s easy to understand why your kids are sick so often. Carry alcohol wipes or hand-sanitizing gel in your purse and clean everybody’s hands a couple of times during a park visit, especially before snacking. Pick warm sunny days for outdoor play – the sun’s ultraviolet light is natures disinfectant. Most germs don’t survive long on a hot, dry surface.
9. Mats and machines at health clubs
Antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus has been found on yoga mats and cardio and resistance machines. At high schools, antibiotic-resistant staph infections have been transmitted through wrestling mats. The same thing can happen at health clubs. Wipe down machines with antibacterial wipes before working out. Bring your own yogo mat or cover your loaner with your towel. Shower after a workout and soap up your skin to rinse off any bacteria you may have been exposed to. Thorough washing gets rid of antibiotic-resistant staph. Makes you wonder why they call them “health” clubs!
10. Your bathtub
You have to be surprised by this one. The place you go to get clean is, in fact, quite dirty. In a recent study by Elizabeth Scott, PhD, staphylococcus bacteria, a common cause of serious skin infections, was found in 26 percent of the tubs she tested, as compared with just 6 percent of garbage cans. Tubs typically had more than 100,000 bacteria per square inch. It really does make sense when you think about it. You’re washing germs and viruses off your body. The tub is a fairly moist environment, so bacteria can grow. Once a week apply a disinfecting cleaner to the tub. Scrub and then wash the germs down the drain with water and dry the tub with a clean towel or paper towel. If you leave the tub wet, germs can survive. Pay special attention to soap scum, it is a surprisingly germ-friendly environment. If someone uses the tub with a skin infection, disinfect with a solution of two tablespoons bleach in one quart of warm water.
11. Your office phone
This will make you dial 911! Office phones often have more than 25,000 germs per square inch, and your desk, computer keyboard, and mouse aren’t far behind. Phones and cell phones can get coated with germs from your mouth and hands quite easily. Dr. Gerba calls desks “bacteria cafeterias” because of all the food particles found there. Most common office areas, kitchens, copiers, are not as dirty as individual desks, although the microwave is a close second. Simply cleaning your desk, phone and key-board with a disinfecting wipe once in the middle of the day will kill 99.99 percent of the bacteria and viruses.
12. Hotel-room remote
What is the first thing you do when you settle in at a hotel? You grab the remote control and turn on the TV—you and hundreds of other guests who have stayed there. How dirty is it? Owen Hendley, MD from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and his colleagues recently tested various surfaces for the cold virus after a group of sick people had stayed overnight. They found the virus on the remote control, door handles, light switches, pens, and faucet handles. Clean the remote control, phone, clock radio, door handles, and light switches with disinfecting wipes. While you are at it, put on a pair of slippers and toss off the bedspread. Urine and semen have been found on both carpets and bedspreads. They may not make you truly sick, but it certainly is enough to make you feel queasy. On my TV show, “Talking Dirty with the Queen of Clean” we did our own test of a hotel bedspread using a black light to locate protein based stains. After what I saw on that bedspread, I now remove it immediately and then wash my hands thoroughly with hot soap and water. And remember, to wash thoroughly you need to sing Happy Birthday through twice!
Here’s your healthy shopping List:
Hand sanitizer
Disinfecting wipes
