"There's more fecal bacteria in your kitchen sink than there is in a toilet after you flush it," said microbiologist Charles Gerba, known as "Dr. Germ." But if you flush with the toilet lid up, you can be spreading fecal material more than six feet.
Handles, Switches, and Buttons
The faucet handles, doorknobs, light switches, and elevator buttons in public spaces could also be harbouring more germs than your toilet seats.
A study released last week found that kitchen sinks have more germs than bathroom sinks. The study also found that three-quarters of kitchen cloths and sponges are heavily contaminated with harmful bacteria such as E.
Surprisingly, your toilet pan is one of the cleanest surfaces in your home, whereas other, far less expected places turn out to be the perfect habitat for thriving colonies of bacteria. There's your bin, your dish cloth, and your chopping board – your kitchen surfaces can be a well-spring of germs.
Previous research has shown that kitchen sponges contain more active bacteria than anywhere else in the house—including the toilet. It has also shown that sponges contain pathogenic bacteria—the type that can lead to disease—like E. coli and salmonella.
The water in your toilet bowl is cleaner than in your sink. This is because the water in your toilet bowl is constantly being flushed, which means that any dirt or bacteria is quickly removed. However, the water in your sink is not constantly moving, providing a perfect environment for bacteria to grow.
Scientists at the University of Arizona found that your phone is ten times dirtier than most toilet seats. Gross! Here are other items that are dirtier than a toilet seat. Another study also found that a typical high schooler's smartphone can have as many as 17,000 bacterial gene copies on it.
"There's more fecal bacteria in your kitchen sink than there is in a toilet after you flush it," said microbiologist Charles Gerba, known as "Dr. Germ."
Tokyo, Japan
When it comes to Tokyo's public toilets, it's safe to say that they are the world standard. Not only are the facilities extremely clean, but they also boast technological advancements. For one, their bidets have multiple buttons to adjust water pressure and angle.
Researchers at the University of Arizona found that cellphones carry ten times more bacteria than a toilet seat. While many bacteria are harmless, some studies have found serious pathogens on cellphones like E-Coli, MRSA, and Strep.
According to Hafren Dyfrdwy Limited (formerly Dee Valley Water Limited), the water in your bathroom taps has usually been stored in a tank in the loft. Hence, unlike the water in your kitchen tap, this water isn't fresh from the mains.
Kitchen cloth or sponge
Dishcloths and sponges are dirtier than any other item in the average home, harboring the largest amount of E. coli and other fecal bacteria—mostly because they aren't replaced as often as they should be. Each square inch of these items contains 456 times more bacteria than a toilet seat.
It may be surprising but our mattress harbors billions of bacteria, which makes it dirtier than your toilet seat according to recent testing. The reason is simple, we wash our toilet frequently but never clean or maintain our mattress despite the fact that we spend half our lives on it.
Did you know that the average desk harbors about 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat? Dr. Charles Gerba, known as the University of Arizona "germ guru," says you might not be the only one working late in your office.
Finland. About 35% of Finland's energy comes from renewable energy resources. Finland ranks first in the world for Environmental Health (99.3) and Air Quality (98.8). Its Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is 78.9.
The cleanest country in the world is Denmark as per the Environmental Performance Index (EPI). Its EPI value is at 82.5.
Switzerland
Switzerland scored exceptionally high for both Drinking Water (100) and Sanitation (100), and matched Denmark's perfect score in Species Protection Index. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Switzerland is known for its clean water and abundant wildlife.
Anything you put down your sink other than water can stick to the sides of the pipes or sit in the U-bend. And over time, bacteria will cause it to decay and smell.
In short, there may be varying levels of pollutants and chemicals in the water that comes from your sink, depending on where you live and how old your city's system is. The regulations mean there are still pollutants found in tap water.
To keep microorganisms from populating your sink, you should wash and disinfect the sides and bottom at least one a week, says Lisa Yakas, microbiologist and Senior Certification Project Manager of Food Equipment at NSF International.
Pathogens are not transmitted via skin contact
Even if many public restrooms do not look inviting - sitting on toilet seats cannot transfer germs if the skin is intact. Admittedly, sanitary conditions are not inviting in many public restrooms.
Germs. You expose your phone to germs like salmonella, E. Coli and C. Difficile when you take it to the toilet, which increases your chances of catching an infection.
While it was also found to make the droplets larger and more concentrated with bacteria, the broad consensus among scientists is that it's more hygienic to flush with the lid down.