The dirtiest thing wasn’t the toilet, a shock experiment that overthrew common sense

Quiz: In the UK, an experiment was conducted to find out the hygiene condition of household products. The method was to detect bacteria on each surface with a cotton swab. List the following items in the order in which they are likely to have a lot of bacteria. Examples include TV remote control, kettle handle, toilet seat, kitchen faucet.

Answer: Kitchen faucet> Kettle handle> TV remote control> Toilet toilet.

What happened to the fact that more bacteria came out of unexpected places than toilets, which are often considered a measure of dirt?

Recently, the British Independent and others reported the results of a study commissioned by a disinfectant company at the University of Aston in the UK and a survey of 2,000 adults. According to this, the highest levels of bacteria were detected in kitchen faucets. More bacteria were found in kettle handles and TV remotes than toilets.

They have a common point of being places where people are often touched, but are not cleaned well. “It may seem shocking, but it may not be surprising if you think about how you clean it,” said Dr. Jonathan Cox of Aston University, a microbiologist who conducted the study.

As a result of the experiment, E. coli and staphylococcus, which cause enteritis or skin infection, were also detected in bathroom faucets, doorknobs, and keys. Not only bacteria, but also staphylococcus were released from the handle of the kettle.

The cause was found in the results of a survey of 2000 people. The average time spent cleaning the house for a week was 90 minutes. 47% of respondents said that cleaning time increased by an average of 43 minutes after the Corona 19 pandemic.

However, there were many places that were not cleaned regularly or even once. 56% of respondents picked up their car keys as not cleaning them regularly. This was followed by a remote control (47%), a computer keyboard (43%), a mobile phone (41%), and a door handle (29%). In some cases, remote control (13%), cell phones (11%), door handles (10%), stair railings (5%), toilet seats (3%) were never cleaned.

According to the survey, concerns about hygiene increased due to the Corona 19 pandemic, but the practice was also found to be less than this. 60% of respondents said that the impact of Corona 19 has made them more concerned about viruses and bacteria in their homes.

However, only 55% of people wash their hands after returning home from a public place such as a mart. In addition, 25% said they do not always wash their hands after using the bathroom.

Disinfection of objects in public places is also considered important to prevent corona 19 infection. This is because there have been cases where the coronavirus was found in places where there is a lot of hand, such as doorknobs. According to the disinfection guidelines of the Central Defense Response Headquarters, door handles, railings, switches, computer keyboards, and bathroom faucets should be disinfected at least once a day.

Reporter Lim Sun-young [email protected]