The Germiest Place in Your Bathroom Isn ’t Your Toilet

Have you hovered over a toilet seat in a public restroom, desperate not to touch it? Chances are good that you have. Americans are so grossed out by the thought of touching things in public bathrooms that 64% of people who use them flush the toilet with their feet, according to a 2013 survey, and 60% use paper towels to open bathroom doors. Several studies over the years have revealed that scary-sounding bacteria and viruses cover the surfaces of bathrooms. But there’s a lot you don’t know about the germs that lurk in the bathroom. Here are four surprising facts about the germs you encounter in restrooms at and away from home. The germiest spot isn’t the toilet It’s actually the toothbrush holder. In a study in 2011 on household germs, conducted by the global public health and safety organization NSF International, researchers tested 30 surfaces—six of which were in the bathroom—in 22 homes for the presence of bacteria, yeast and mold. While 27% of toilet seats contained mold and yeast, 64% of toothbrush holders did. Of the toothbrush holders, 27% had coliform (an indicator of potential fecal contamination) and 14% had staph. “The toothbrush holder often has many of the factors germs need,” says Lisa Yakas, a microbiologist at NSF International. “It is dark, damp and not cleaned as frequently as it should be.” But that doesn’t mean you should freak out about your germy bathroom, says Sean Gibbons, an assistan...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized public health Source Type: news