I mean, it is no secret that there are plenty of disgusting places that you want to steer clear of, but what if I told you that some of these are right in your own home, or that you use them everyday? You may be surprised how many germs your hands come in contact with on the daily. According to the Center for Disease Control, 80% of diseases and infections are spread by touching. So listen up and wash up, people, and get ready to put bleach to use!
8. Kitchen Sink & Sponge
The sink in your kitchen is probably dirtier than your bathroom. Research says that there are usually more than 500k bacterial spores per square inch just in the drain alone! And please don’t forget about that gross sponge you’ve been meaning to replace, but continue to use, or that basin you’ve had since you moved in! Let’s not forget the countertops and faucet handles that are a germaphobe’s nightmare!
Risk-Reducing Tips:
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- Use anti-bacterial products to cleanse the countertops and sinks after preparing food of all kinds, raw fruits and vegetables included! You would be surprised at how many pathogens are carried in produce.
- Soaking a sponge in a diluted bleach solution, running it in the dishwasher (on a high-heat cycle) or placing it in a bowl of water with soap in the microwave.
- Wash, wash and wash your hands! It is recommended that you wash your hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds.
- Remove and replace, or at the very least, sanitize! Dirty sponges, rags and towels NEED to be replaced regularly. I’m not the most recycle-friendly or conscious when it comes to matters of cleaning, so I simply just stock up on paper towels and Clorox bleach wipes. If you are a recycler and don’t want to be wasteful, try running your sponges through the dishwasher’s drying cycle. It will kill the majority of the bacteria.
- Make sure you are cleansing your sink and drain at least twice a week with bleach.
READ: Hand-Washing: You’re Still Not Doing It Right
7. Spice jars
Think all you’re doing is sprinkling spices on your food? You might also be transferring — or picking up — bacteria on your hands as you handle those jars of cumin, paprika or chili powder. A study published in the Journal of Food Protection last year found that as people cook, they often spread bacteria to spice jars. As part of the study, researchers asked people to prepare a meal of turkey patties and a salad.
After the meal was cooked, researchers detected bacteria from the turkey on 48 percent of the spice containers, making the jars a key vehicle for cross-contamination. To prevent this, make sure you wash your hands before cooking and after handling any raw meat. And you can use a hot, soapy cloth or disinfectant wipes on spice jars for a clean slate.
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6. Wet Laundry
Did you know that almost every time wet undies are moved from the washer to the dryer, you get E. coli on your hands? All it takes is one soiled, sexy panty to spread bacteria amongst your entire load of clothes and even the machine!
Risk-Reducing Tips:
- Run the washer on at least 150 degrees.
- Use bleach with whites and not the color-safe kind (it doesn’t kill as many germs).
- Never let wet laundry sit for long periods of time, and quickly transfer it from washer to the dryer. This prevents germs from multiplying as quickly.
- Wash underwear in a separate load and make sure to dry on high for at least 45 minutes. Statistics show that there is about 1 gram of feces in every pair of dirty under wear. (Can you say GROSS!!!).
- Always wash your hands after doing laundry.
5. Coffee Makers
It doesn’t matter if you are making coffee at home or in the office; both can be a problem. Dark and damp, the reservoirs of coffee makers are perfect breeding grounds for microorganisms. Fifty percent of the reservoirs swabbed for the study had mold and yeast, and nine percent had coliform bacteria.
Cleaning tip: Read the instruction manual. One good cleaning technique is to add four cups of vinegar to the reservoir, let it sit for 30 minutes, and then brew that vinegar. Then run two or three cycles of fresh water through the coffeemaker until the smell is gone.
4. Shopping Cart Handles
Shopping cart handles carry it all: saliva, bacteria, fecal matter, you name it! This is yet another place that is at the top of the charts on the dirty scale. Shopping cart handles are touched daily by several individuals handling foods, produce, and any personal germs they are carrying.
Risk-Reducing Tip:
- Most stores offer disinfectant wipes near the carts, UTILIZE them! If you don’t see them, or they aren’t offered start carrying your own.
3. ATM Buttons
Cash is not the only thing you get when you go to the ATM. These machines and their buttons often have more germs and dirt than the public bathrooms! I mean, how often do you see anyone cleaning the ATM machine (yikes!)?
Risk-Reducing Tips:
- Carry your own small container of Lysol and do a quick spray before ATM usage.
- Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer after each visit, as well as after handling paper money (this is quite dirty as well).
READ: How To Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer
2. A Woman’s Purse
Recent studies have shown that a woman’s purse can carry millions of bacterial spores inside. There were even oftentimes bugs like pseudomonas, salmonella and E. coli.
READ: Do You Know Where That Lipstick Has Been
Risk-Reducing Tips:
- Ladies, ever heard of the old wives tale about never putting your purse on the floor? Maybe you should consider this. Find hooks to hang your purse on, or simply put in your lap!
- Be mindful of where you place your purse in the bathroom as well as the kitchen, keep it off the countertops!
- Leather and vinyl purses, are the best to carry, they typically stay cleaner because they are made of cleanable materials.
1. Other People’s Hands
Germs can get onto hands if people touch any object that has germs on it because someone coughed or sneezed on it or if it was touched by some other contaminated object. When these germs get onto hands and are not washed off, they can be passed from person to person and make people sick.
While you can’t visually see the germs on someone’s hands, it’s a good practice to assume that hands are not always perfectly clean and to prioritize good hand hygiene, such as frequent and thorough handwashing, to protect yourself and others from the spread of infections.
Visit the BlackDoctor.org General Health center for more.
