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The 5 Dirtiest Things You Touch Every Day

  • January 07, 2017

When it comes to gross and grimy, the five dirtiest things you touch every day may be the most unlikely things to come to mind, Time magazine reports — and toilet seats not only aren’t even on the list, but actually are among the cleanest spots you encounter. The actual everyday items that are most grimy are the hand towels next to your sink; your toothbrush holder; your kitchen sink sponge; your cell phone; and shopping carts.

The fact is that touching contaminated surfaces like those listed here is one of the most common ways of spreading and catching disease. What happens is that once you touch them, you then contaminate yourself when you touch your face, eyes, nose or mouth. That’s why washing your hands frequently and being mindful to keep your hands away from your face are two of the best things you can do to prevent getting sick.

When it comes to washing up, plain soap and water is the way to go. If you’re still clinging to antibacterial soaps, stop right now because studies show these soaps are no more effective than plain soap at reducing bacterial contamination when used under “real-life” conditions.

Studies have also shown that people who use antibacterial soaps and cleansers develop a cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms just as often as people who use regular soaps.

Part of the reason for this is because most of these symptoms are actually caused by viruses, which antibacterial soaps can't kill. But even for symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, which may be caused by bacteria, using antibacterial soaps will offer you no advantage over plain soap and water.