You may be the type of person who is very health conscious. You eat right, exercise, have quit smoking or never started and do all you can to maintain a healthy lifestyle. But do you know and are you careful about the 5 places that are full of germs?
There are common things that can make you and your family sick. Here are the top five places that are full of germs, and information on what you can do to keep those little pests at bay.
Clean Up Your Act:
1) Your toothbrush. The germ filled reality is that every time you flush the toilet, your toothbrush can get sprayed with bacteria. Experts say the average toilet bowl contains 3.2 million germs per square inch, and when you flush, these germs fly up to six feet.
How to fix it: Store your toothbrush as far away from the toilet as possible, or keep it in the medicine cabinet.
2) Your kitchen sponge. Lots of studies have shown that a sponge is one of the most germ filled objects in the house and can be home to billions of bacteria. These bacteria could even be staphylococcus or salmonella, which can cause you or your family to get very ill.
How to fix it: An article published in The Journal of Environmental Health states that dampening your sponge with water and then putting it in the microwave for two minutes will help kill the germs. Some experts say that it's better to rinse sponges with soap and water and let them dry out between uses. Either way, it's important that sponges be replaced every few weeks in order to prevent excessive bacteria buildup. As well, there are lots of ‘use and discard’ products on the market.
3) Your purse. Researchers at Nelson Laboratories say that women's purses can carry a host of nasty little germs including salmonella and E. coli. These little germs can cause gastrointestinal and eye problems. As well, researchers found trace fecal contamination on the majority of purses tested. Gross….but true
How to fix it: Don’t your purse on the floor of a train, bus, car, or public restroom. Also, wipe it down with antibacterial wipes at the end of each day. If your purse is washable, toss it in the washing machine every couple of weeks on a gentle cycle.
4) Your office desk. A study at U of A study showed that the average office desk contains 20,961 germs per square inch. The worst desktop germ holders? Phones, computer keyboards, and mousse. All of which can serve as a breeding ground for germs and the viruses that cause colds and flu.
How to fix it: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), you can cut down on these germs by wiping down the desk with disinfectant and not eating at your desk.
5) Your makeup. You might think that tube of lipstick is beautiful, but there may be more to your makeup than making you look good. Cosmetics and the applicators act like sponges. They harbor tons of germs, which could lead to eye and skin infections.
How to fix it: The American Academy of Dermatology recommends replacing powders and eye shadows every two years, foundation and lipstick every year, and mascara every three months. Applicators should also be washed regularly with soap and water.
