These 10 Things You Touch Every Day Are Hotspots for Germs

I wouldn’t call myself a germaphobe, but I am pretty conscious about keeping my hands clean. (Mostly because I HATE getting sick! I don’t have time to be sick!) But there are so many things that we touch and handle on a day-to-day basis that harbor germs and bacteria, that sometimes I wonder if keeping my hands clean is enough!

So rather than attempting to list every germ-ridden object we handle on a daily basis, I decided I would come up with a list of some of the items we interact with most frequently. Disinfecting these items regularly will go a long way towards keeping you and your family healthy through the months to come!

10 Dirty Things You Touch Every Day

1. Cutting Board

Are you ready for a gross factoid? Apparently the average cutting board has 200x more fecal bacteria than a toilet seat. (Ewww!) You can’t just toss your wooden cutting board in the dishwasher, but you should give it a nice scrub-down regularly with hot, soapy water.

2. Hand Towels

You should switch out your hand towels with clean ones every few days. It may seem like a lot, but if someone who hasn’t washed their hands properly dries their hands on that towel, they’re wiping bacteria onto that towel. If the towel doesn’t dry properly, it can breed more bacteria, and that’s not good for anyone! Just swap your hand towels out frequently so you don’t have to worry about it. :-)

3. Keys

Think about it – have you ever actually cleaned your car or house keys? (I haven’t… yuck!) You handle them all the time, and they’re most likely covered in all sorts of bacteria. Use a disinfecting wipe to clean your keys off every once in a while.

Related: Make Your Own Reusable Disinfecting Wipes

4. Shopping Carts

More and more grocery stores are offering disinfecting wipes near the grocery carts, and for good reason. Many cart handles actually test positive for E. coli, because people handle raw meat in the store and then touch the cart handles afterwards. So take advantage of those free disinfecting wipes, and wipe down your cart handle before you shop!

5. Reusable Grocery Bags

Speaking of groceries, your reusable grocery bags probably need a good cleaning too. If your bags are more of a vinyl material, you can clean them by spraying them inside and out with hydrogen peroxide, then wiping them dry. For bags that are more cloth-like, you can toss them right in your washing machine with your clothes.

6. Sponges

Your kitchen sponge may very well be the dirtiest item in your home, housing hundreds of millions of bacteria. Replace your kitchen sponge regularly, and toss it in the dishwasher to keep it clean between uses. (If you don’t have a dishwasher, you can also boil or microwave a wet sponge to kill germs.)

7. Cell Phones

Cell phones are a haven for bacteria. Your hands and face are constantly transferring all sorts of germs to the surface of your phone! Swipe your phone, front and back, with a disinfecting wipe a few times a week to keep it clean and sanitary.

8. Eyeglasses

If you wear glasses, you’re touching them frequently with your hands, and they are probably making contact with other dirty surfaces when you set them down. Wipe the lenses clean with a soft microfiber cloth, and clean the frames with an alcohol wipe to clean up any dirty residue.

9. Buttons

Think of all the different buttons you touch during an average day – buttons on AMTs, crosswalks, parking meters, elevators, and more! Keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in your bag or briefcase, and remember to use it after coming in contact with germ-y buttons and other surfaces.

10. Your Hands

You can’t disinfect everything in your life, but what you can keep clean is your hands. Make a habit of washing your hands every time you arrive at home. This one simple step can reduce your risk of getting sick by almost 50%!

How many of these things do you clean regularly?

NEW! Can you guess the 5-letter word related to today’s post?