From your mobile phone and sponge to your toothbrush and shopping trolley handle, countless invisible bacteria live on the everyday objects you touch most often.
Most of these microbes are harmless – and some are even beneficial – yet, in the right circumstances, certain types can make you seriously unwell.
The surprising part is that some of the grimiest things in your life may be those you would never suspect.
Here are several hidden bacteria magnets in your everyday routine, along with straightforward hygiene changes that can help shield you from infection.
Shopping trolley handles
Dozens of people may handle a shopping trolley each day, but trolleys are seldom sanitised. Their handles can therefore become key places for germs to collect, especially those capable of spreading illness.
A US study found coliform bacteria on more than 70% of shopping trolleys. This bacterial group includes strains such as E. coli, which is frequently associated with faecal contamination. Separate research identified Klebsiella pneumoniae, Citrobacter freundii and Pseudomonas species on trolleys.
Protect yourself: Sanitise the trolley handle before using it, particularly as you are likely to handle food and your phone, or touch your face afterwards.
Kitchen sponges
The sponge beside your sink may be among the most contaminated objects in your home. Because sponges are porous and damp, and regularly touch food, they provide bacteria with ideal growing conditions.
According to the NSF Household Germ Study and research into faecal coliforms, a sponge can contain millions of bacteria after only two weeks, including coliforms associated with faecal contamination.
Protect yourself: Disinfect your sponge each week by microwaving it, soaking it in vinegar or putting it through the dishwasher. If it still smells after cleaning, replace it. Keep separate sponges for separate tasks – one for washing dishes, for instance, and another for cleaning up after raw meat.
Chopping boards
Knife marks can create grooves in chopping boards that trap bacteria. Salmonella and E. coli may remain alive for hours on dry surfaces, creating a risk when boards are not cleaned thoroughly.
Protect yourself: Keep different boards for raw meat and vegetables. Wash them well in hot, soapy water, rinse thoroughly and allow them to dry fully. Replace any board that develops deep cuts or grooves.
Tea towels
Reusable kitchen towels can rapidly turn into bacteria magnets. They are used to dry hands, wipe worktops and deal with spills, often without being washed as frequently as they should be.
Research indicates that E. coli and salmonella can survive on fabric towels for hours.
Protect yourself: Where possible, use paper towels, or reserve separate cloth towels for different tasks. Launder towels regularly in hot water with bleach or disinfectant.
Mobile phones
We take our phones everywhere, bathrooms included, and handle them repeatedly throughout the day. Their warmth and constant contact make them well suited to bacterial contamination.
Research has shown that phones may carry harmful bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus.
Protect yourself: Do not use your phone in the bathroom, and wash your hands frequently. Wipe it with a lightly dampened microfibre cloth and mild soap. Do not use harsh chemicals or spray liquids directly onto it.
Toothbrushes near toilets
When a toilet is flushed, it produces a plume of microscopic droplets that may settle on toothbrushes kept nearby. One study found that toothbrushes stored in bathrooms can contain E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and other microbes.
Protect yourself: Keep your toothbrush as far away from the toilet as you can. Rinse it after every use, stand it upright to air-dry and replace it every three months – or earlier if it becomes worn.
Bathmats
Fabric bathmats soak up water after every shower, leaving a warm and damp setting in which fungi and bacteria can flourish.
Protect yourself: Hang your bathmat up to dry after use and wash it in hot water every week. For a more hygienic alternative, you could choose a wooden mat or a bath stone – a mat made of diatomaceous earth that dries rapidly and limits microbial growth by removing lingering moisture.
Pet towels and toys
Pet toys and towels can remain damp while coming into contact with saliva, fur, urine and bacteria from outdoors. The US national public health agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, states that pet toys can harbour E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Protect your pet (and yourself): Wash pet towels weekly using hot water and pet-safe detergent. Allow toys to air-dry or dry them in a tumble dryer. Regularly replace toys that are worn or damaged.
Shared nail and beauty tools
Nail clippers, cuticle pushers and other beauty tools may transmit harmful bacteria when they are not cleaned correctly. Possible contaminants include Staphylococcus aureus – including MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant strain – Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which causes green nail syndrome, and Mycobacterium fortuitum, associated with skin infections acquired from pedicures and footbaths.
Protect yourself: Take your own tools to salons, or ask how the salon sterilises its equipment. A reputable salon will be happy to describe its hygiene procedures.
Airport security trays
Airport security trays pass through the hands of hundreds of people every day and are rarely cleaned. Research has detected high levels of bacteria on them, including E. coli.
Protect yourself: Wash your hands or apply sanitiser after passing through security, particularly before you eat or touch your face.
Hotel TV remotes
Studies suggest that hotel television remote controls can be more contaminated than toilet seats. They are handled by many different people but seldom sanitised.
Research has found common bacteria including E. coli, enterococcus and Staphylococcus aureus, including MRSA.
Protect yourself: On arrival, clean the remote with antibacterial wipes. Some travellers even place it inside a plastic bag. Always wash your hands after touching shared items.
Bacteria are all around us, including on objects used every day. It is impossible to avoid every germ, and most will not make you ill. However, regular handwashing, cleaning and sensible storage habits can help you protect both yourself and others.
It is all in your hands.
Manal Mohammed, Senior Lecturer, Medical Microbiology, University of Westminster
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.
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