A shocking amount of germs are lurking in common household items, according to a new study.
Self-storage experts Space Station conducted some research into this, and found some staggering results.
Their study involved swabbing all-male and all-female accommodation in order to find the areas in the home containing the most bacteria, fungi and yeast. These swabs were then compared against each other.
Chopping boards found in all-female accommodation were revealed to be four times dirtier than their toilet, which is a horrifying thought! The chopping board had 102.5 colony forming units, whereas the toilet only had 24.
Experts suggest that anything above 80 is unsatisfactory, meaning that the chopping board failed the test.
It seems we spend a lot of time cleaning areas we deem to be unsanitary, such as the bathroom, and end up neglecting household objects that are actually home to a lot of bacteria.
The highest CFU for females was found in the bath, clocking in at a whopping 200, which is 2.5x higher than what is deemed to be unsatisfactory.
After that was the chopping board, and then bedding at 80 CFU. Researchers found spores that can cause infections and flu-like symptoms, so definitely not something you should be sleeping in.
Vlatka Lake, marketing manager at Space Station said: ‘It’s not surprising to find that our research uncovered some dirt and bacteria in the homes however the levels of bacteria in areas primarily used for food preparation are shocking!’
‘We highly recommend keeping the home tidy and clutter free in a bid to stop bacteria and dirt festering and turning into a health issue.’
In order to maintain a good level of food hygiene, it’s important to clean frequently and reduce any clutter, particularly in the kitchen and dining areas.
This is also why storage units can be very beneficial, in order to store inessential household items without having to get rid of them completely.
To find out more about the study, click here (opens in new tab).
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