Grab a pen, press the door-open button on the subway, or grab the railing of the stairs to help you get up. All of these everyday actions mean that we are constantly exposed to germs every day. Whether inside or outside the home, germs are rampant and keeping us in check.
If we think of the areas most likely to harbor germs, the first place that comes to mind is the bathroom. Dr. Chuck Gerba, professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona, found that, The average toilet contains about 50 bacteria per 2.54 square centimeters. This is because the remaining elements are not counted.
Your toothbrush is one of the dirtiest places in your home. It contains up to 27% coliform bacteria, including salmonella and E. coli, so try to wash as often as possible and improve your personal hygiene. Bathroom mats are also ideal places for fungus and bacteria to thrive due to moisture. Not to mention the soap dispensers, one in four are contaminated, according to the same university.
However, as surprising as it may seem, the bathroom is not where we get the most germs. Bacteria’s favorite home is the supermarket. Specifically, shopping carts and baskets were the most polluted places, though they weren’t the only ones.
The smaller the supermarket, the more bacteria
It’s only logical that something that’s used on a daily basis and goes through hundreds of hands every day is full of germs. This way, The pole of the trolley or the handle of the basket Supermarket chains are some of the most polluted places in our environment. By comparison, these areas had 26 times the number of bacteria than toilet seats.
Even though the companies have tried to keep these areas clean, and more so since the pandemic, they have also been unable to exercise too thorough control over these areas. This is reflected in a University of Arizona study, which noted that these carts are even dirtier than public bathrooms. In fact, there are over a million bacteria on mangoes alone..
40% of supermarket meat contains bacteria resistant to antibiotics
The University of Arizona study confirms other previous studies in Austria, North Korea and Spain, which asserted that more or less 72% of shopping carts had coliform bacteriaderived from faeces and associated with poor sanitation.
However, not all supermarkets carry the same amount of concentrate. According to a study conducted by the US company Reusethisbag, not all supermarkets have the same amount of pathogens in their shopping carts. In traditional supermarkets such as Mercadona, you can find 73,356 CFU/in² (bacteria units per square centimeter, abbreviated in English).This means that these cars have 361 times more bacteria than public toilets.
This is followed by discount supermarkets such as Lidl or Aldi with 8,112 CFU/in², Toilets have 270 times more bacteria than toilets. Conversely, the least bacteria were found in large supermarkets, such as Carrefour, which had three times as many bacteria as a kitchen counter, and gourmet supermarkets, such as Sanchez Romero, which had almost as many pathogens as a computer keyboard.
But plastic bags are not immune to hygiene concerns. Supermarket shopping bags are 329% more dirty than Baihui.
Touching banknotes without washing your hands could catch the flu
However, trolleys and baskets aren’t the only germ-ridden items we come into contact with at the grocery store. The key to buying is money, which passes through the hands of many people every day. Dirty money is not a myth.
According to a 2017 study by New York University, A banknote can contain up to 3,000 microbes For example, the flu virus can live for up to 17 days. Additionally, you’ll find traces of fungi, viruses and even anthrax and diphtheria.
In fact, experts point out that simply handling bills without washing your hands can lead to stomach ulcers, pneumonia, poisoning, or acne. That’s one reason why credit card payments are recommended during the pandemic to avoid contamination.
This idea was reinforced by biologist Jane Carlton, who led the study at New York University, who explained that currency may be one of the ways antibiotic resistance genes spread in cities.
The conclusion of all these studies is that there is a need for permanent, life-long disinfection of the car before it is used by a new user.