Germ hot spots in and out of the house — and how to protect yourself

Read time: 3 minutes

We don’t stop to think about all the items we touch every day — and the germs that could be on them. But we probably should.

Here are just a few of the germ breeding grounds you encounter every day, and ways to sidestep them or weaken germs’ impact.

Your cellphone

You take it everywhere — some people even take theirs into the bathroom. Experts say it could be dirtier than a toilet seat and could even have E. coli on it, which can live for hours on a warm surface like your phone.

The solution: If you must bring it in the bathroom, wash your hands with soap after you use the restroom, before touching your phone.

The remote control

Everyone touches it. Even if you live alone, it’s in either in your (sometimes unclean) hands, on the floor, or stuck between sofa cushions — which can be a cozy area for mold and bacteria.

The solution: Give it a fairly regular going-over with antibacterial wipes.

Your computer keyboard

You eat and drink and occasionally sneeze over it. Your cat might cruise across it after using her litter box. No wonder it’s covered in germs.

The solution: Shut down your computer and give your keyboard a couple of gentle shakes to get rid of crumbs. Use rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball to clean around each key.

Kitchen sponges

Wet, absorbent and filled with food remnants. It’s probably one of the dirtiest things in your home.

The solution: Replace sponges often, ideally before they start to smell.

Toothbrush holder

Toothbrush holders have one of the highest bacteria readings of anything you touch. Germs and bacteria stick to the toothbrush bristles and drip onto the holder.

The solution: Clean it often by removing the toothpaste residue and sticking it in the dishwasher.

The laundry

Many think a quick spin in the washer and dryer will get everything clean. Not so fast. A study found that viruses, including rotavirus, which causes severe stomach troubles, made it through the spin cycle and the dryer.

The solution: Wash things like underwear and towels in hot water, use bleach when you can, and don’t skimp on drying time.

Money

Researchers have found that most dollar bills are covered in 3,000 types of bacteria — from thousands of hands, plus the folks who lick their fingers before counting bills.

The solution: Wash your hands with soap after handling cash.

Anything in the office breakroom

The microwave and refrigerator doors and any faucets are all covered with bacteria. The dark, damp reservoir in the coffee maker could also be harboring yeast and mold.

The solution: Wash your hands before and after touching the appliances. Help the coffee pot out by rinsing it between uses and then run vinegar through it once a month.

Water fountains

When’s the last time you saw someone cleaning a drinking fountain? They could be dirtier than a bathroom (public bathrooms are — in theory — cleaned regularly).

The solution: Carry your re-usable water bottle instead.

Hand dryers

Bacteria-filled droplets fly out and into the bathroom air every time a toilet is flushed. A new study suggests wall-mounted dryers — and maybe even jet dryers — could be shooting germs into the air.

The solution: Your best bet may be good old-fashioned clean paper towels.

Restaurant menus

Touched multiple times a day, menus collect bacteria with each new party that peruses them. They might get wiped down once a day, if at all.

The solution: Wash your hands after you order — and don’t lay your silverware on top of the menu.

ATMs, touch screens, elevator buttons, door handles, shopping cart handles, and all the other things you can’t avoid touching.

A pointy elbow might sometimes be able to hit the right button in an elevator, but it’s impossible to avoid touching everything in our daily world.

The solution: Wash your hands with soap regularly, and have disinfectant wipes and/or hand sanitizer in your purse, car or both to clean your hands while you’re out and about.

Here’s to cleaner hands and a healthier you!