From Healthy Habits
Scientifically proven: cold and flu viruses can survive on hard surfaces for 8 hours (some of them even days). Have you ever thought about how many items you touch in a single day? According to a study, we touch our phones 2,617 times a day on average.
Yeah, it might sound crazy, but it’s true. And this counts only for our smartphones. Door handles, laptops, elevator buttons, air dryers, and so many more are usually touched in one day countless times. Just try to count what you touch in one hour! You’ll be surprised by the number.
Being aware of the things you touch every day can get you rid of many illnesses, so check them out!
Hand sanitizer
“We tend to associate Purell with being germ-free, but did you know that the hand sanitizer pumps themselves are some of the germiest surfaces?” says J.D. Zipkin, MD, MA, FAAP, FACP, of Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care.
“The good news is that the contents tend to kill most germs you just picked up, but always be wary of using a container to find it’s empty. Your hands are likely covered in germs.”
Laptops
Your hands might be on the keyboard while you’re reading this… Take a break and sanitize your computer! “A shared keyboard and mouse at work are full of germs, and it’s tough to effectively clean every surface,” says Zipkin.
Elevator buttons
“Everyone deposits their germs on the small concentrated surface of an elevator button,” says Zipkin. In fact, one study at the University of Arizona found that elevator buttons contain 40 times the bacteria of a public toilet seat.
Phones
“Believe it or not, your cell phone is one of the dirtiest things you touch—and you touch it often,” says Dr. Christopher Dietz, DO, area medical director of MedExpress Urgent Care.
“A dirty cell phone, especially during cold and flu season, can negatively impact your health and spread germs that cause illness. Even though we take our phones everywhere from the bathroom to the dining room table, we rarely remember to sanitize them. Every time we set our phones down on a surface, whether it’s the meat counter in the grocery store or the booth at your favorite restaurant, it can pick up bacteria that can then be transferred to your hands and then possibly into your mouth or nose—and into your body.”
The gas station pump
“In addition to your cell phone, I always remind my patients that germs can lurk in unsuspecting places when we’re out and about,” says Dietz.
“Think about things you touch all the time – the pump at the gas station, the pen at the bank, shopping cart handles – and then think about how many other people touch those same things day after day. Unfortunately, these surfaces don’t get sanitized nearly enough. Luckily, we can take matters into our own hands with a few healthy habits.”
Restaurant menus
“Menus in a restaurant are some of the dirtiest items in any eating establishment!” says Christina L. Belitsky, MS, RPA-C, advanced practitioner lead with Northwell. In fact, they can have 100 times the bacterial of a toilet seat: Researchers at the University of Arizona found an average of 185,000 bacteria on menus in a random sampling of restaurants in three states.
Popular items at the office
“Known germy surfaces in an office space can include door knobs, elevator buttons, the shared computer mouse, sink handles and more,” says Kelsey Burger, PA-C, of Hartford Health-GoHealth Urgent Care.
Kitchen sponge
“Contrary to public perception, the germiest place in your house is in the kitchen, not your bathroom,” says Adam Splaver, MD, a cardiologist based in South Florida. “You’re going to love the irony. It’s your sponge — the one you use to clean your kitchen.”
In fact, a study by the Public Health and Safety Organization found coliform bacteria (which could indicate fecal contamination) on more than 75% of kitchen dish sponges, compared to only 9% of bathroom handles.
Air dryers
“It’s essential to avoid the air dryers, which can be loaded with bacteria,” says Splaver. According to a study by the University of Connecticut and Quinnipiac University, petri dishes exposed to hot air from a bathroom hand dryer for 30 seconds grew up to 254 colonies of bacteria. That’s because hand dryers suck in bacteria from washroom air.
The bathroom sink
“The toilet seat is not the germiest place in the bathroom. It’s the sink,” says Splaver, who notes its dampness is an ideal breeding ground for germs. According to the PHSO study, the bathroom faucet handle is the sixth-germiest site in the average house; the toilet doesn’t even make the top 10.
Now think about how many times you touch your face… If you can’t come up with a straight answer, don’t worry; we have a clear example. A study published by the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene analyzed 10 individuals who were all by themselves in a room. They touched their faces approximately 16 times per hour on average.
That’s really scary since you can easily contract COVID-19 from an unsanitized surface. And we are not referring only to coronavirus. There’s a plethora of viruses and bacteria that can live for many hours on different surfaces. Sanitize everything before touching it!
