6 Things In Your House That Are Dirtier Than Your Toilet

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How often do you clean your toilet? If you sanitize the bathroom frequently, it’s only natural to assume you’re safe from the worst germs in your home. Unfortunately, that assumption is wrong. These six household items likely host more germs than the grimiest part of your toilet seat. Yep, it’s time to break out the Clorox.

1. Your Carpet

Even with a regular vacuuming session, your carpet has, on average, 4,000 times more bacteria than your toilet seat. If you can’t remember the last time you shampooed your rug and you’re prone to dragging dirty shoes or items on the surface, you could be contributing to the growth of harmful germs. Yikes.

2. Your Cutting Board

If you eat meat, you probably slice and dice it on your cutting board. Even a thorough wash though isn’t a surefire way to get rid of bacteria. You’re cutting board is prone to becoming a bacteria colony. According to Dr. Charles Gerba (also known as Dr. Germ), you can find 200 times more bacteria on your cutting board than on your toilet seat. To cut down on bacteria, make sure to soak your board in a mild bleach solution after using it for raw meat.

3. Your Clean Laundry

Underwear alone can transfer up to 100 million E. coli bacteria to the rest of your load. That bacteria could survive the entire washing and drying process depending on what kind of dryer you have. Make sure to regularly disinfect your washing and drying machines to avoid any unnecessary bacteria build-up.

4. Your Tablet

It should come as no surprise that a gadget you regularly put your fingers on can harbor a lot of germs. You probably wouldn’t expect that on average, your tablet could have up to 600 units of Staphylococcus aureus, which causes food poisoning. Be sure to wash your hands before touching the screen and frequently disinfect the surface.

5. Your Kitchen Sink

Isn’t it funny that the place where you scrub items clean is one of the worst germ offenders? Between faucets harboring 21 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat to dish sponges potentially hosting salmonella, your sink is dirty even when it looks clean. Make sure to toss sponges as frequently as once a week, and disinfect your faucets regularly.

6. Your TV Remote

Can you remember the last time you wiped down your remote? We can’t, either, because it’s not something you would typically think to clean. On average, 70 units of harmful bacteria are found on remote controls. The scary part is that you can’t exactly guarantee that everyone who has touched that remote washed his or her hands thoroughly. Make a habit of wiping it down once a day.