14 Items You Use Everyday that Carry the Most Germs
When you start to consider the things you use in your daily life that carry the most germs, you might be tempted to say you’ll never touch another surface ever again. But, don’t get stuck in the mud.
Instead, use this information to armor up and improve your immune system. Let it reframe the way you do certain things throughout the day. While we'll never live a total germ-free life, we can do out best to avoid them. Together, let’s see what we can do to avoid picking up unwanted germs.
1. Cellphones
Unfortunately, the thing you put to your face and always have in your hands is the dirtiest thing you touch every day.
We put our cellphones on countless surfaces all throughout the day – from our cars, to our desks, to bathroom sinks and beyond. We also pick up our phones in between long stretches of time when we may not have washed our hands.
We eat over our phones; we take them to the bathroom; sometimes we drop them into the bottom of our purses that haven’t been cleaned in months.
This is definitely one of the most culpable items on the list. So don’t be afraid to clean your phone at the end of your workday.
When you clean your phone, keep liquids away from the openings. Don’t spray solutions directly on the surface. Instead, take a mildly damp cloth with a cleaning solution on it and gently wipe the surface for optimum results.
2. Pens
If you’re a fan of old fashioned pen and paper, your pen is also prone to pick up germs throughout the day.
Much like our cell phones, pens get placed on all kinds of surfaces and we fiddle with them in our hands throughout the day.
Here comes the worst reminder: sometimes we put our pens in our mouths when we’re deep in thought or reading something interesting. Can you imagine how we’re setting up a pathway for those dangerous pathogens to get into our system?
Don’t be afraid to wipe down anything and everything that could transmit germs.
3. Journals
If you have a softcover journal, the porous material is likely to pick up germs along the way. The same can be said for those pretty leather journals we always have our eyes on.
We place our journals on tables in coffee shops that may not have been cleaned before we sat down. We also pull them out even if we haven’t washed our hands in a while.
So, the same premise holds true: we need to be conscientious about the surfaces we place our journals down on, especially if they’re not made of a material that can be wiped down at the end of the day.
4. Books
If you aren’t fully committed to a Kindle way of life and still love the feel of an old fashioned paperback, it’ll, unfortunately, have a similar effect as a softcover journal.
Porous pages can’t be gently cleaned the way a cellphone or a keyboard can. And, of course, the booklover in so many of us will never put them down. We just have to be aware of the surfaces, places, and things we put our beloved books on.
5. Purses and Backpacks
If you’ve ever walked into a public bathroom and put your backpack on the floor, you’ve really gone and done it. You’ve upped the ante on the level of germs in your life exponentially. The same can be said when we plop our purses on a countertop.
Then, what we often do is return home after a long day at work and plop our purses and bags down on the kitchen table – the same place we’re about to eat and possibly eat a crumb or two off the table.
Whenever we can hang a purse or a backpack, and keep it off the floor, we should always take that path of least resistance.
6. Remote Control
This is an interesting one because our remote control is (almost) as dirty as our cell phones, but we don’t think to clean them the way we think to clean our phones. Even the tiny surface of an Apple TV remote is a germ factory. But, these can certainly be wiped down in the same way our phones can be cleaned.
Also, when you travel, think twice before picking up the remote control in the hotel room. No matter how thorough the cleaning crew may be at your favorite hotel, it’s possible they’ll forget to give the remote a pass.
Don’t be afraid to travel with Lysol wipes and other slightly damp materials that can clean away the dirt and germs from the surfaces you’re about to touch.
7. Laptops
When you think about how often we type on our keyboards throughout the day, it’s easy to see why this is one of the biggest hotspots for germs in everyday life.
We also eat while we work and get all kinds of food residue on our keyboards. Since laptops are up there with our cell phones on the dirty meter, it’s okay to mix a solution of isopropyl rubbing alcohol on a mildly damp cloth to give the entire surface a thorough cleaning.
Just make sure everything’s unplugged and turned off before you get going.
Another trick on how to clean your keyboard is to use Q-tips to get in between the spaces. Then, you can seal the deal with a small drop of Windex on a mildly damp cloth to bring the screen back to its sparkle and shine.
8. Money
Going back to porous materials, money is one of the dirtiest things you touch every day, even if you seem to use it less and less.
Money moves all across the world and passes through thousands, if not millions, of hands. That alone makes it a prime candidate as a germ carrier.
Paper money is still very much a part of our lives. So, there’s no avoiding it. But, the best thing we can do is stick to the habit of always washing our hands, first thing, whenever we get back home.
9. Cutting Boards
You may not pull out the cutting board on a daily basis but, if you like to cook, it’s likely you handle it regularly.
If you use a wooden cutting board, natural breaks in the surface occur with each use. And, unfortunately, food remnants can get down in there and eventually turn into a member of the germ family.
Wooden cutting boards are so beautiful and they come in a multitude of tones. But, in truth, it might be best to consider a glass cutting board because these can easily be cleaned and sanitized without any worry about cracks and crevices.
10. Coffeemakers
Have you ever known someone to just rinse out their coffee pot at the end of each day? That’s not really a great practice. It needs to be sanitized, just like our beloved mugs.
Even though we’re not drinking straight out of the pot – most days – there’s still an opportunity for germs to develop over time. And that’s just the pot itself.
How often do you clean your coffeemaker? There are many ways to keep this clean with routine practices. But one of the paths of least resistance is to create a water and vinegar solution and let it sit in the tank for 30 - 60 minutes (while you deep clean the cutting board and countertops).
11. Shopping Cart
Speaking of those who love to cook, do you spend a lot of time at your local supermarket? Unfortunately, our favorite stores are often riddled with germs. They carry everyday objects with the most bacteria - like shopping carts.
During the pandemic, stores started to supply hand wipes; it’s probably something we should’ve been doing sooner because shopping carts are only slightly less filthy than the money we go on about to handle next.
12. Makeup Brushes and Sponges
Who here loves a good makeup tutorial? Many of the talented glam artists love to use a foam sponge to apply their makeup and, oftentimes, they’re reusable. You know what that means: there needs to be a way to come clean about it.
The same goes for that lovely little makeup brush you use to apply your blush. You need to clean it regularly.
Of course, there are plenty of brand name cleaners out there. But a little warm water and dish soap will do the trick. Just be sure to rinse and dry it thoroughly after each cleaning.
13. Toothbrush
Here’s a scary notion. The thing we put in our mouths at least twice a day may be yet another contaminant. There can be plenty of germs on your toothbrush that you may not even realize.
To take things a step further, it’s important to note your toothbrush’s proximity to the toilet. There are airborne particles that could be released with every flush and isn’t it terrifying to think they might land on your toothbrush?
14. Workout Equipment
If you’re a regular at the gym, it’s important to be diligent about the handles you’re about to touch. Not everyone is exactly thorough when they wipe down workout machines after they’ve used it.
Should you wear gloves to combat this? Maybe yes; maybe no. You don’t want to be too extreme and, in truth, the more we interact with germs, the stronger our systems become. But, workout gloves can also give us a better grip if we’re weightlifting. Just a little food for thought!
There Are So Many Things You Use In Your Daily Life That Carry the Most Germs
The moral of the story is this: be wise, but don’t go nuts. We could never live a 100% germ-free existence.
Go throughout your day partaking in all the things that bring you the greatest joy. Just beware that some of the most important things you use in your daily life carry the most germs.
Give your cellphone and laptop an extra cleaning or two this week. Then, go out there and live your best life because, when you encounter a germ or two, you’re beefing up your immune system, which will always be a good thing.