Home life can be grubby – sorting out the laundry, taking out the bins and scrubbing the bathroom are but a few of the chores that can leave you desperate to scrub your hands. A new research by Domestos and UNICEF has shown that there are some unlikely sources of grime in the average home – and you can’t even see the dirt.
Children’s toys were found to be heavily contaminated, said researchers, who swabbed areas of an average house for bacteria including E. coli, APC and Enterobacteriaceae. Although a third of people surveyed believe the toilet seat is the most germ ridden place in the house, in fact other areas are far more contaminated. The poll revealed that three out of five people believe children come into contact with the most germs when at nursery or school.
But what about home?
- The average toilet seat has 1,600 germs per 100 cm2, but children’s play equipment carried far more germs.
- The average games controller was found to have 7,863 per 100cm2, which is nearly five times that of the average toilet seat.
- The average fridge handle had 7,474 germs per 100cm2.
- Children’s teddies and other favoured toys were far cleaner, although still had 2,549 germs per 100cm2.
- Garden trampolines were the worst offender, with bacterial levels of 640,000 per 100cm2.
- Bikes and balls both showed 14,000 per 100cm2.
Dr Lisa Ackerley said: ‘Hand washing is probably the most cost-effective and simple way to reduce disease whether in the UK or in the rest of the world.