Our hands touch 140 items on average every day –many of which are surprisingly covered in germs. If you’re wondering about where most of the germs are lurking in your house or at your office, here is a list of the germiest objects we touch every day in the house, at the office or in public places.
Cellphone
We take our phones everywhere. You may not realize it, but our phones may be a home for thousands of bacteria and –if not regularly cleaned – can be 10 times dirtier than a bathroom. Clean your phone with antibacterial wipes at least once a day.
Laptop
Our laptops are one of the fundamental gadgets in our lives. More often than not, your laptop is covered with dust from working outside or covered in grease and crumbs from eating lunch over it. Use rubbing alcohol and cotton ball to disinfect your laptop and clean your keyboard regularly.
Machine Buttons
Machine buttons for ATMs, elevators, video game consoles, and remote controls are touched hundreds of times every day and rarely ever get cleaned. No wonder all buttons in public places are festered with germs and bacteria. Wash your hands with water and soap after touching machine buttons or wipe them down with antibacterial wipes and rubbing alcohol before touching them.
Money
Cash is in constant motion, always transferred from one hand to another. According to recent studies, money harbors thousands of microbes and bacteria from every environment it touches. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after you handle cash or opt for contactless payments as a safer option.
Face
It may come as a surprise to you, but your face can carry and transfer bacteria and viruses to the rest of your body. Germs are transferred through sneezing, coughing and rubbing the eyes. ‘Self-inoculation’ is when we transfer bacteria and viruses between our faces to our hands and the rest of our bodies. That’s why it’s important that we avoid touching our noses and mouths, cover our mouths while coughing or sneezing, and wash our hands thoroughly to avoid spreading germs and contaminating surfaces.
