NewsPhoenix Metro NewsCentral Phoenix News

Actions

Some items around the house might be hosting more bacteria than you think

Posted at 9:33 PM, Nov 07, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-08 00:36:28-05

Germs are everywhere, but some items around the house might be more contaminated than you think.

Whether you or your family is aware, germs and all different kinds of bacteria are hitching a ride into your home, presenting silent and potentially deadly threats to your family's health.

Although germs live on almost every item in your home, some health experts are starting to notice that some unsuspecting items might actually be playing host to bacteria it normally wouldn't.

A lab at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit decided to test some everyday household items through a swab test just to see what is lurking to the unseen eye.

Researchers took samples from a television remote, a cell phone, bathroom door knob, refrigerator door handle, a lunch box, and steering wheel.

The results varied, but did have a few surprises. Some items like the tv remote and refrigerator door handle were covered in bacteria that generally would not be found there.

Health officials said someone with a compromised immune system, the elderly, or someone with an open wound could develop an illness or an infection by coming into excessive contact with these bacteria hotspots.

At the end of the day, the best advice to prevent the spread and pooling of bacteria offered by the researchers of the study: "wash your hands!"