With Flu and Cold season now open for business we do everything we can in our family to prevent from getting sick. I always carry a bottle of hand sanitizer in the car just in case we aren’t somewhere we can wash our hands. Both of my kids have gotten sick before and my son even had to be hospitalized when he was about 18 months due to Roto Virus, so you can see why I am a little obsessive when it comes to germs. When we think of places to spread germs we often think of toilet seats, door handles, and places like this but I was shockingly surprised to find that these are not among the places you will find the most germs. Are you ready to be shocked….Here are 10 of the Germiest Places!
1. Hotel Room Remote Control-
This is so gross but believe it or not most hotel rooms, if any, clean the remote control. That means anytime you pick it up or touch one of the buttons you are in contact with all of the germs from the people that were there before you.
2. Your handbag-
Now this actually makes since. When you go to a grocery store first thing you normally do is place your bag into the cesspool of germs waiting to attack. What about when you use a public bathroom? Where do you normally sit your purse if there is no hook?
3. The Water Fountain-
I refuse to drink from a public water fountain. Have you ever really looked at one closely? My son actually contracted mono in kindergarten from the water fountain at school along with 4 other students. I think I will take my chances of dehydrating before drinking from this flowing pool of germs.
4. Shopping Carts-
Many studies have shown that touching a shopping cart is one of the easiest ways to catch the flu or another bug. Many people will go to the bathroom, wipe their nose, touch raw meat all without washing their hands and then they will continue shopping while holding on to the handle. Most stores now have the disinfecting wipes right by the shopping cart that are free and easy to use. This 10 seconds of extra work could save you from getting sick.
5. Kids Playgrounds-
This is a germ paradise. Think about all of the kids running around with snotty noses, poopy diapers and sticking their hands in their mouth. I know this is gross to think about but it’s the truth. 2 Words Hand Sanitizer!
6. Keyboards-
I really never even imagined my keyboard as being a place where germs could live but they do, even more so than water fountains. I will often eat a snack while I am on the computer and in between bites I am all over my keyboard with my fingers. Now I am normally the only one who uses my laptop but think about people who share computers especially at places like the library or work.
7. The Restaurant Menu-
Anyone every seen a restaurant menu cleaned off? Nope me either! A recent study found that cold and flu viruses can live for up to 18 hours on hard surfaces so think about the 20 other people that touched the menu before you. My suggestion: Wash your hands after ordering.
8. Your Shower Curtain-
A study in applied and environmental microbiology found that vinyl shower curtains are microbe meccas. This means that they have breeding potential pathogens, Shingomonas and Methlyobacterium. Plus when you turn on the shower, the force of the water will cause these germs to take flight landing on other common bathroom items such as, you guessed it, your toothbrush.
9. Airplane Tray Tables-
Flight Attendants only have a short amount of time to clean the airplane between flights so the next time you fly and want to use the tray be sure you bring along some disinfectant wipes with you.
10. Your Kitchen Sink-
Most kitchen sinks are dirtier than bathrooms. There are typically more than 500,000 bacteria per square inch in the drain. Just imagine how much bacteria is lurking on the sponge next to your sink!
Are you lathering up with antibacterial soap yet?!
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