The 10 Grimiest Things You Probably Touch Every Day

One of the easiest ways to stay healthy is by washing your hands. Doing it before and after eating, after using the restroom, after sneezing and after taking care of a child or animal can help keep germs at bay. Also, be sure to wash them after handling any of the following items. Why? It turns out some of the things you touch the most every day are also the grimiest.

Smartphones

The average smartphone user touches their phone 2,617 times a day. Whether you carry it around in your pocket or send a ton of texts, you don’t realize how many germs you come across when you touch it. Smartphones can even carry fecal matter. Handwashing can help keep your phone clean. It’s also best to wipe your phone with a disinfectant wet wipe daily.

Your purse

If you carry a purse, the reality is it’s not clean. Your hands are frequently in it, whether washed them or not. If you have kids or a partner, their hands may even reach into it frequently. Don’t forget you set your purse down in dirty places too, whether it’s in a public restroom or just driving in your car.

Dish sponges

That sponge beside your sink is packed with germs. It’s usually the grimiest thing in your entire house! Keep some bacteria at bay by sticking the sponge in the microwave for a minute every day. Toss it out every other week or when it starts to smell bad. Washing your hands after washing dishes is the best way to avoid spreading those germs around the house.

Money

You can’t clean money, but you can wash your hands after touching it. Think about all the other people who have handled those bills, and call it motivation. Studies have shown that most cash in circulation has about 3,000 types of bacteria on it. Eek!

Shopping carts

Every time you buy groceries, you might expose yourself to E. coli. That’s because most shoppers handle raw meat. Handwashing after you grocery shop is a must.

Breakroom items

No matter how clean your office breakroom appears, it’s probably quite dirty. The buttons on the vending machine, the microwave, the refrigerator door, the coffee machine — dozens of your coworkers touch and use these items daily. Very few of them probably take time to clean these items too.

Toothbrush holder

If you think the toilet is the dirtiest thing in your bathroom, think again. It’s actually your toothbrush holder. That’s because mouth germs stick to your toothbrush. Once you put your toothbrush in the holder, those germs travel down inside of it and stay there. Wash your holder frequently in the dishwasher to keep clean.

Towels

What’s the next dirtiest thing in your bathroom? Towels. No matter how clean, you still have germs that transfer to those towels after you shower or wash your hands. Wash your towels after two days or two uses to keep germs at bay. Use bleach and hot water whenever possible.

Remote control

Just like your smartphone, your TV remote is something you probably touch every day along with everyone else in the house. The remote falls on the floor, too. Wipe it down daily to help kill germs.

Handwashing is easy and an effective way to prevent the spread of germs. Follow these six steps for proper handwashing:

• Wet hands with running water
• Apply soap
• Scrub hands for 20 seconds
• Rinse hands with running water
• Dry hands with paper towel
• Turn off faucet with paper towel