Keyboard and Mouse

If you are reading this you are most likely sitting at your computer. Think about how much you type at your computer, sneeze or cough and continue typing without stopping. If you are using a public computer it could be even worse. To rid your keyboard of creepy critters, first use a can of compressed air to loosen trapped debris, and then wipe it down with a cloth dipped in mild soap.



'Of the 60,000 types of germs that people come in contact with on a daily basis … only about one to two percent are potentially dangerous to normal people with normal immunity,'' Tierno told ABC news.

That’s why people invented hand sanitizer and soap, our best defense to date for preventing infection. Now that you know how common germs are, what are the dirtiest things you touch on a daily basis?

Cell Phone

what is an object that many people in the developed world use constantly that comes in frequent contact with both your hands and your mouth? That’s right, you’re cell phone.

Combine all the germs on your hands, with the germs found in your saliva, incubated by the heat your phone generates and you have bacterial paradise.

If you’re worried about keeping your phone free from bacteria, you might want to consider using an antibacterial wipe.



Money

Everyone touches it, from bank tellers to that snot nosed kid down the street. New York Health Commissioners found anywhere from 126,000 to 135,000 bacteria on a single bill. After handling cash be sure to clean your hands with antibacterial soap or sanitizer.

The best way to protect your self from untold amounts of illegal drugs, bacteria and viruses on your cash is to wash your hands.



Light Switches and Buttons

We all flip light switches numerous times throughout the day. One switch can hold up to 217 bacteria per square inch. Wipe switches down with a disinfecting wipe as often as possible to eliminate bacteria growth.

Charles Gerba, professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona has one good piece of advice for anyone who has to touch one of these items.

''Knuckle it or wait for someone else to push it for you,'' said Gerba.



Remote Control

The remote for the TV just might be one of the dirtiest things you touch all day. It spends a lot of time on the floor, under the couch and stuck down between the cushions, when the dog isn’t sitting on it. People often eat snacks while flipping through the channels.

If someone is sick, they often pull the trash can a little closer to the bed, grab the remote and jump in bed. We won’t even think about the remote in the hotel room.

The best way to keep your remote from making you sick is to give it a once over every week with an antimicrobial wipe. If someone’s sick, it should be done more often.



The Kitchen

If you knew how dirty your kitchen really was, you’d probably never prepare food in there again. The average kitchen sink drain has about half a million bacteria per square inch.

That sponge you used to wash your dishes is just as dirty, if not a little dirtier. It does wipe all the food off your plate and into the drain.

Never fear, all of these potential health hazards are easily remedied. To clean that sink drain just pour half of a cup of baking soda, and a half a cup of vinegar down the drain and rinse it with hot water. To disinfect the sponge, pop it in the microwave for a minute, just be careful when you remove the sponge, it might be really hot. Using a solution of bleach and water can kill the cutting board fecal bacteria.



The Bathroom

While the bathroom might be gross, in many cases it’s a little cleaner than you think, mostly because it is cleaned on a fairly regular basis. Still, I wouldn’t want to take my meals on the throne. The average toilet has 295 bacteria per square inch, and over 3.2 million in the bowl.

The drain in the tub can be just as bad, if not worse than the toilet, mainly because we often touch the drain in the shower or tub, and rarely put our hands in the toilet bowl. Make sure that you hit the drain when you’re cleaning the bathroom.



Shopping Carts

People touch some pretty disgusting things, like money, and then touch shopping cart handles. A University of Arizona study found that shopping cart handles are loaded with bacteria, saliva, and fecal mater. On top of that, the time we spend with shopping carts covers all the most dangerous spots for contamination: hands, faces and food. There is a reason that most major grocery stores provide disinfecting wipes for the shopping carts. I’d suggest using them.



Before OCD Sets In

Now you know how dirty the world and everything you touch is, don’t let it turn you into a total germiphobe. The most important thing to remember is to wash your hands before you eat, drink or touch your face. In all honesty, you should be doing those things anyway. If you keep it up, you’ll cut your risk of infection down to almost nothing.