We call them the dirty dozen. It’s our laundry list of the germiest places you’re likely to encounter during an average day. Sure, there are outbreaks of microbes and viruses across the country, but these buggers are where you live. In the office, at home, at the gym, on your vacation. “It’s enough to make even the least germophobic person a little worried,” says Dr. Germ, a.k.a. Charles Gerba, PhD, a professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona. After all, some of these germs lurk where you least expect them, he says: “People are more worried about the trash can than the kitchen sink, when it should be the other way around.”
Dr. Germ and a panel of other experts helped us identify the dirty dozen and devise ways for you to keep clean. After all, the fight is in your hands. Literally. Eighty percent of infections are spread through hand contact. So wash up, people, and get ready to wage a bit of germ warfare of your own.
1. Your kitchen sink
“Kitchen sinks are dirtier than most bathrooms,” says Kelly Reynolds, PhD, an environmental microbiologist at the University of Arizona. There are typically more than 500,000 bacteria per square inch in the drain. In fact, in a recent study, half of the top 10 germiest spots in the home were (gulp!) in the kitchen. That sponge you use to clean the counter? Crawling with bacteria, as are the sink’s basin and faucet handles. Reduce the risk: “Clean your kitchen counters and sink with an antibacterial product after preparing or rinsing food, especially raw fruits and vegetables, which carry lots of potential pathogens like salmonella, campylobacter, and E. coli,” says Philip Tierno, PhD, author of The Secret Life of Germs and director of clinical microbiology at New York University Medical Center. Sanitize sponges by running them through the dishwasher’s drying cycle. “That killed 99.9 percent of the bacteria on the sponges we used in a recent study—and we’d gotten them really good and contaminated first,” says Cheryl Mudd, a microbiologist with the Agricultural Research Service’s Food Safety Laboratory. As for the sink, clean it twice a week with a solution of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach and one quart of water. Scrub the basin, then pour the solution down the drain.
Next page: 2. Airplane bathrooms
Comments (60)
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This is so good to know. I always had my suspicions about some of these things. I know my family thinks I am crazy, but I wash down EVERYTHING I get from stores, groceries, etc. If you see the conveyer belt our stuff goes through, you can imagine how unsanitary they are. Not to mention, everyone in the world has touched the purchased products. I never put food in my fridge without wiping it down with dish soap. Yuck is all I can say.
I found a great website to solve the remote control germ problem http://www.zaplex.com – check it out!
May not be a fancy as the Zaplex product (3 for @4.99) but why not consider simply packing a few ziplock plastic baggies along on the trip?
Gross! but not too shocking..
I thought I was crazy because nobody washes their hands more than I do. I am always in the bathroom as I am compulsive when it comes to germs. I taught my kids the same and their spouses blame me for making them nuts
Think about the pen attached to the
charge card device at the Pharmacy. It must have the
largest number of germs–all the sick people
picking up a prescription and using the same pen.
and everyone tells me I’m ’sick’ because I use lysol or vinegar to disinfect everything! Some of the things mentioned in here I was surprised at, but it makes sense if you think about it. I’m stocking up on disinfectants! got my wipes and tiny lysol spray all ready. Thanx for the advise!
yeah its just too bad everyone isnt on the same page as me. If everyone practice good hygiene and washed their hands when they could or put hand sanitizer on after touching every public object then we would be less sick….send your kids to school with the hand sanitizers too cuz you know they dont have the option to wash before they eat lunch. THATS JUST GROSS!!!!
I NEVER understood the germ thing til my Best Friend opened my eyes to the fact that EVERYONE doesn’t wash their hands. And it is true NO ONE washes their hands with soap. I have since changed my kids in the way they think and they feel awful without their hand sanitizer and if you spray your kids backpacks down with lysol before they come into your house after school then you are also helping with spreading the germs from coming into your house. More people should read this article. It makes sense!
Hah. I’m a true germ-a-phobe and my family makes fun of me, but in the end, I know I’m right. This article just proves it. Going to a place like Chuck-E-Cheese just about puts me over the edge, but I plod along with my wet wipes and hope for the best!
ALL OF THIS ARTICLE IS TOTALLY TRUE. IT IS SO GROSS TO THINK YOU ARE TOUCHING OTHER STUFF OTHERS HAVE TOUCHED AND KNOWING THEY MIGHT NOT OF WASHED THEIR HANDS AFTER THEY WENT TO THE BATHROOM OR PICKED THEIR NOSE. IF YOU CANT GET TO A SINK USE THE HAND SANITIZERS AFTER YOU TOUCH ANYTHING PUBLIC LIKE;ATM TELLERS, GAS STATIONS, DOORS, MONEY, SHAKING HANDS, ECT..WHY TAKE THE CHANCE IF YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO KILL THE GERMS!!! SOCIETY SHOULD LOOK AT IT AS A NECCESSITY OF LIFE NOW ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THE GERMS WE HAVE COMING FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE
I really wish this would be sent to everyone in the world. Even though I know that after reading this a lot of people still wouldn’t do it, but at least they would know why clean people actually do the things they do. I know that I get a lot of stares when I am at a restaurant and people see me wiping down the tables and chairs with Wet Wipes, I feel like telling them “If we all did this there would be less sicknesses”. I send my kid to school with sanitizer daily. I have a bottle of sanitizer in every nook and cranny (i mean every where) from the car, to my purse, to backpacks to lunch boxes, bathrooms, garages (when the kids are outside playing with other kids they can come in and put some on every once in a while) in the laundry room (touching underwear), And in the kitchen. WHY wont everyone use the sanitizer, it is so simple to just squeeze some on your hands and Whala your clean. Anyway I did my preaching, its up to people to do it themselves!!!!
Thank you for writing articles like this though, it is greatly appreciated because it lets me know that I am not crazy!
Put a capfull of clorox in your dish water when washing dishes even when you put them in the dishwasher. This gets rid of the germs on the dishes.
I am a clorox lady. I use it in all of my cleaning.
thanks for the knowledge i will be taking wipes everywhere. I go and always wash my hands 3 times instead of twice. Its nice to know I am not making up germs that are not there they are really there. Its nice to be clean.
thank you for this web site i get sick very easy and now that i have some tip how to get cleaner like wipes and other things to keep clean I can be as clean as soap so thanks.
there’s nothing wrong with being exposed to germs. your body has an immune system, after all. If you’re not exposed to germs, eventually when a virus actually does infect you, it will make you much more ill than someone who isn’t as concerned with hygiene.
finally someone with some sense! i wash my hands after bathrooms and before cooking and sanitize as necessary but make a point not to go overboard because i don’t want to have such a weak immune system like all the people with the gallons of hand sanitizer (which kills the good germs too btw). i have a ten year old who’s NEVER had the flu and takes her vitamin c every day and drinks plenty of water when she feels a cold coming on without me having to advise her. i think i’ve had the flu maybe 3 times in my adult life and each time lasts 18-24 hours only. immune systems are key to fighting germs people!!!
Totally agree with the above 2 posters. I never get sick…and when I do…it’s just the tip of things. Not a full blown cold, flu or virus. Just a few small symptoms.
I think that one has to be careful, but I also think people can go overboard with this. There is a common sense approach to this, and then an irrational obsession. Just remember that ‘germaphobia’ is a condition treated by doctors!
*Washing your hands before you insert them in your nose, put them on your face, touch your food, or touch others will protect you from many germs.
*Cleaning and disinfecting your home will protect all the people in your home.
*Public places are indeed nasty. Again, wash your hands or use wipes.
Your hands are the ‘carriers’ of most germs.
John….you are wrong! It doesn’t matter how many times you expose yourself to germs, you will never build your immune system to them. If you catch the bug you will be sick. There is way to many viruses out there that will infect you every year. And the only way to stop it is to prevent it with hygeine.
Don’t know if you guys have heard of this stuff, but it’s called SkinWear and apparently it kills germs for up to 8 hours before you have to put it on again. I’ve been using Purell for years, but I hate having to spread it over my hands every 2 seconds just to feel safe. This stuff (SkinWear) used to be a product called “Liquid Glove” in South Africa to help prevent the spread of contagious diseases, etc. They finally got it here in the states a few years ago and I’ve heard nothing but good things (believe me, I’m a serious germaphobe). Anyway, it’s pretty inexpensive and it’s non-alcohol based, so it doesn’t burn your little cuts on your hands you don’t know about. Here’s the link if you want to check it out: skinwearusa.com. I think you can order a free sample.
Thank you so much for sharing Sara. I’m buying the skinwear sanitizer right now.
Skinwear is a wonderful product. Personally, I believe if everyone practice daily hygiene such as washing their hands, using alcohol wipes (yes, they are fantastic for germ killing!)in public places and of course , at home when deemed necessary, etc., we’d have less colds or seasonal viruses.
Actually, John is right. As everyone on this board seems to be aware, germs are everywhere and if we didn’t have an immune system that could fight most of them off, none of us would be here posting. That said, I am pretty germ phobic and disinfect regularly.
It’s especially important when you have children to disinfect within reason, and not be petrified of exposing them to germs. I know three children who have had immune failures in the last five years because of an immune deficiency attributed to lack of exposure. It’s a real diagnosis, folks, and as antibiotic resistant germs continue to develop, it’s really important to give our kids the chance to build up resistance to the common ones.
While it is important to reduce the ick factor I think a lot of people are going a bit overboard, to the point of phobia. The simple facts are the world is and will remain full of bacteria. If your body is unable to defend itself you will get sick. Washing your hands regularly is probably the best way to protect yourself there is but you will encounter bacteria no matter what you do.
did u know that a public toliet is cleaner then the metal sliverware that u use at a resturant i have worked fast food and custmer service for 15 yrs
i’m a 12 year old girl that read this stuff for no reason.I’m not surprised about it but if you ask me you should always be cautions about this stuff no mader what even if your not a germaphobe.i never thought about this stuff before because i live on a farm but i will now theres proble more germs where i live then i ever thought.i will take this stuff to mind next i pet a cow and then go eat with out washing my hands!
If you think the list was bad, how about the condiments at you favorite resturant? The same people who touch everything else without washing they’re hands is touching the ketchup bottle and salt and pepper,how ’bout a refill at the soda counter,it’s never ending!Would you like some fecal matter with your fries? Food for thought,scrub up dirty hands spread disease.
Has anyone really thought about the germs on money? It’s touched by endless amounts of people each day, and so many of us will lick a finger when counting a large amount of it. I’ve left bills in my pants and they washed pretty well. Imagine if everyone washed their bills from time to time, it would definitely cut down on germs.. but we know that’s not going to happen.
I’m glad someone finally mentioned the germs on money…it goes through so many hands everywhere. I don’t think washing your money is necessary, but washing your hands after handling is important.I feel that it is one of the dirtiest, germ laden, things that are handled every day by everyone in all walks of life. And the money that is dropped on the dirty sidewalks and ground and put back in pockets…just think of it..
It was great to run into this site. It’s good to hear that others are also using SkinWear. It is the best thing as I to am a germ-a-phobe! I am giving some away as Christmas gifts this year. Come to think of it, I think this is the first year I haven’t gotten sick, not even a simple cold. When I purchased my bottle from HandHealthUSA the website, I actually called them and they sent me a free travel size with my order. It even works when I am doing my gardening. Helps me just wash the dirt right off. Happy Holidays everyone!
I do a lot of business travel, and always carry a good supply of antibacterial wipes with me to clean my hands on airplanes and to clean steering wheels and handles in rental cars. And – remote controls and other items in hotel rooms!
Yuk. No wonder Howard Hughes was parinoid about germs. But we DO have an immune system that’s supposed to fight off germs. Wash your hands often! I know, I’m a Nurse.
Notice they do NOT mention CASINOS who have visitors from all over the world & are using same slot machines & bathrooms. I wonder how much money got paid to stay off the list?
I THINK I WILL BE LIVING BY THE SINK AND SOAP FOREVER. I THINK EVERYTHING I READ WAS GREAT.
Hey Michele Anne! I am in hysterical fits of laughter…Howard Hughes comparison. I have been referred to as being the”First Female Howard Hughes” for over forty-five years, and envied…in a nice provoking spirit…backhanded compliment.Have great skin/hair/nails/eyes. Great health. No meds…annual physical is like a convention of medical staff,marvelling and wanting to know “secrets” of my years on this earth looking “WOW, fabulous.NO boasting.Wipes are my constant companion. Family and friends also follow sanitary habits everywhere. Flight attentions and pilots do likewise in their lay-overs.
Let us also hear a shout of praise for “AIRBORNE” Yuk! Those filthy cabins.
Thanks for reading this. I applaud all you germ fighting comrades AND your
children who participate:-)
Note: Have been the female Hughes for nearly eighty years. Can do “Rocket High Kicks” and Pilates and loving this life…
Hello everyone who is reading this article, I have a one year old boy and thanks the Lord for important educational articles like this anymore.
I am constantly judged by relatives and friends, specially by friends because of the way I clean everything that comes in contact with the baby, I always have been like that myself but now with the baby I am even more precautious but that is not it, even my husband often makes fun of me saying that if it would be up to me I would boil our son or I would place him inside a bubble for bacteria not to touch him.
This article is a wonderful medical advice to open many stubborn people eyes, people who actually claim that if something doesn’t come out of the mount of a MD then is not true, or people that are constantly criticizing your actions against germs and bacteria, the sad part is that unfortunately many tend to believe that the immune system in your body will fight the virus, that is probably because they have not been so closed to die from a very dangerous infection, and guess what? All because somebody one day thought it’s ok, not a big deal let her/him play, don’t exaggerate, then when you are burning in fever with a big painful needle inside your body trying to fight the infection you have got, none of these people who think your immune system will fight it will be there for you, trust me on that one please. Then what about those viruses that show resistance to the antibiotics??
Please try to be realistic here, homeless people and kids who leave in the third world countries don’t have any other choice but to built up a very good immune system against many viruses and diseases, how?? Well obviously, I am not a doctor, and there is not need to be one, of course the more they are exposed to germs the more resistant they get, but lets leave that for them, we are so privileged to be spoiled in a country were we can surely take advantage of the means we have to be clean people!!!!!! And also, please use your common sense to understand that not every single item that contains germs is going to be listed here, of course the ketchup, the salt and pepper container, the casinos, etc, are infested with germs and bacteria, just be considered enough to educate your kids not to spread any more, this world is already so contaminated with bacteria and many, many other things lets try to improve it just a little bit by practicing good things.
i will be always cautious about this…
What about belts? Yuck!
until now, the far most dirtiest place in my house is the kitchen.. i dont know why my kids dont like it and always wanted to play there to make it more dirtier
regards,
http://www.artistic-kitchen-designs.com/
All this stuff is true, whether you believe it or not. Wash off steering wheels, etc., after pumping gas; the frig door handle after stowing groceries, etc. After visitors leave, everything they touched (doorknobs, phones) gets a onceover in our home.
Purses are washed off after every use. And how about shoes? Kids coming in from school should remove them at the door. Even library books get the onceover around here!
I never knew any of this imformation… thank god i looked on this now i kno a better way to be more clean and not worry about germs
Try the soda pop dispenser where people get refills. They place their used cup agaist the dispenser and their dirty mouth is their for others to receive.
I keep a pump of hand sanitizer above my washer and dryer. After I transfer clothes from the washer to the dryer I sanitize my hands before leaving the laundry room.
FYI there are a lot more germie places out there. More than people realize.
There’s a definite “ick” factor here, but try to keep it in perspective. Most people don’t go around sanitizing everything they touch, and yet they stay healthy most of the time. Our species would have died out long ago if we didn’t have a lot of natural immunities.
arrgg, they’re everywhere. Look out Jim, it’s the invasion of the bodysnatchers ;)
There’s always room for washing your hands and sanitizing them before eating. Never touch your eyes, ears, nose or mouth without cleaning your hands (meaning, most of them time). That said, I’ve read a lot of posts here where I feel (and this is just my opinion), that sanitizing and cleaning can take over a person’s life when in reality everyone needs to build up their immune systems beginning with kids. I too worried that my son would get sick with an ugly disease and I tried avoiding any contact with obviously sick friends and family members (or anyone for that matter that appeared sick)but I did not try to completely avoid germs so that as he grew up, he’d be able to fight (or at least) cope with the common germ and bacteria caused illnesses. In short, like with everything else, washing your hands or sanitizing them in public places or before eating and after using the restrooms is always a good idea but trying to sanitize everything you come in contact with (all the time) can and will take a life of it’s own and control you and those around you. Just my thoughts!
It’s easy to get grossed out by this, but think about it – how many of you have gotten sick from your own laundry? Puleeze….
DON’T use antibacterial anything – overuse of antibiotics the biggest reason we have resistant strains of ’superbugs.’ If you’re that worried, use a disinfectant or just soap and water, and allowing your hands/towels/surfaces/clothes to dry thoroughly will alone be sufficient. Common sense, folks, common sense.
And a little illness is OK – it makes you stronger by giving your immune system a little work out.
You people are ruining your children’s lives by over sanitixing and destroying their immune systems. Ridiculous. Go live your life and quit worrying.
humans have been living with these bacteria for a long time, and we’ve evolved with them and have co-existed with most quite nicely. the suggeestions for de-germifying your environment are over-the-top, and in fact, hyper-clean environments may be a leading factor in the increase in allergies we see today. get real people – don’t sneeze on your neighbors, wash you’re hands before eating and after using the toliet, and let go of the compulsiveness.
I also believe in not over sanitizing everything, but I do wash my hands before I eat, no matter what i was just doing. I remember when I first started dating my husband I caught him not washing his hands after he went to the bathroom (#1 of course) but I got on him about that and now he does it. Just because it is part of your body doesn’t mean it isn’t dirty. I’m not going to scratch my head and then make dinner for people that is disgusting.
I find it a bit of a stretch to say that there’s a gram of feces in every pair of dirty underwear, and that e. coli gets on your hands when you transfer laundry that has just been washed with hot water and soap. What’s the actual evidence for that, please? And if there’s so much on underwear, why isn’t it also on pants, worn just next to the underwear? It’s on every chair in your house, then.
Yes, I believe strongly in taking reasonable precautions to limit the spread of illness: wash hands before eating, when handling food, and avoid touching your eyes and nose. Store and cook food at safe temperatures. Stay home when you’re sick and could spread a virus. Beyond this, however, germs are all around us. We’re never going to avoid all of them. So I think we should focus on the most effective measures rather than obsessing over every possible germ encounter. Practice regular cleaning habits, keep your dirty hands out of your mouth, and go from there.
I read somewhere that the poles and handles on NY subways (and prolly elsewhere for that matter) are the germiest and cleanest. That’s because there so many bacteria that they eat each other! I don’t know how I feel about that!
How about a guest who walks in your house, plops their purse on your kitchen counter and proceeds to help you with dinner all without washing their hands. How do you handle that? Do you tell them to wash and lose a friend or take their germs?
I’m surprised that the article mentioned bagging meat, but not HOW to do it: put the bag on your hand like a glove, grab the package, and use the other hand to enclose the package.
Also – bag your own groceries or watch for careless things like flour in the sack with the meat.
I agree – kitchen sponges are disgusting. That’s why I clean my dishes with the toilet brush.
–paranoid soccer mom
GERMS WILL BECOME IMMUNE TO HAND SANITIZERS WHEN THE SANITIZER IS OVER-USED! THIS IS WHY THERE IS MRSA PEOPLE!
I never would have thought ATM machines carry the most number of germs one could possibly get in average daily basis. Question: Is there a high risk of dying because of germ infections?
Payphone booths, too. And cellphones. And internet cafes. One should always have an alcogel brought all along.
—Everyone needs a carz forum.