The 5 Germiest Places You Can’t Avoid

By Rigel Celeste on December 16th, 2009

794351_77831689

It’s all about germs and viruses these days, and staying healthy means staying vigilant in avoiding them as much as possible. But do you know where germs like to hang out? Outside the obvious places (hand railings, kitchen sponges, and toilets), you might be surprised. According to an article in Woman’s Day here are five of the single most germ-laden places you probably encounter everyday:

Shopping cart. A recent study found E. coli on 80% of shopping carts sampled. EIGHTY PERCENT!
Cutting board. There’s more bacteria on the average cutting board than on the average toilet seat. Just imagine slicing veggies in the bathroom…
Elevator. The first floor button is the one everybody touches at some point, and the germs there have nothing better to do than build up and wait for you.
ATM. For the same reasons as the elevator, the ENTER key on an ATM machine is like a little germ bomb waiting to make somebody (you) sick.
Desk/Work area Your desktop or work area is teeming with germs and bacteria because of a build-up of coughs, sneezes, and food crumbs from snacking and working through lunch.

Clearly you can’t completely avoid germs, bacteria, and viruses, because they’re all around us everyday. But all of these five germiest places have one thing in common: they contaminate your hands. So wash your hands regularly, use hand sterilizer when you can’t, and keep your hands away from your mouth and eyes whenever possible. Do so and you’ll drastically reduce your odds of contracting anything unpleasant. Good luck!