REVEALED: The household items that are FOUR TIMES DIRTIER than your TOILET

A new study has revealed the shocking germs lurking in every day, household items and unearthed some alarming results – in fact you may not want to read this while eating your lunch.
Women's toilets were found to be much cleaner than men'sWomen's toilets were found to be much cleaner than men's
Women's toilets were found to be much cleaner than men's

 

The study, conducted by self-storage experts Space Station, found that a chopping board is FOUR TIMES dirtier than a toilet. In keeping with food-related areas in the home, a fridge was found to be four times filthier than a toilet.

The study involved swabbing all-male and all-female accommodation to find the areas in the home with the most bacteria, fungi and yeast lurking.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The swabs were compared against each other for their levels of infection, comparing bacteria, fungi and yeast in the test items.

Test items in order of infection (Colony Forming Units per cm2), with 0= no infection (male and female items). 

Public health guidelines suggest that anything above 80 is unsatisfactory.

Toilet (male) - 250.4

Bath (female) - 200

Chopping board (female) - 102.5

Fridge (male) - 102.5

Bedding (male) - 100.4

Bedding (female) - 80

Desk (male) - 42.5

Chopping board (male) - 40.4

Toilet (female) - 24

Desk (male) - 24

Fridge (female) - 2.9

Bath (male) - 2.5

The male toilet was found to be the most riddled with bacteria, with an infection level of 250, the highest on the scale. The female toilet, however, was much cleaner, with just an overall infection level of just 24.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Most shockingly, the chopping board in the female home was found to be four times DIRTIER than their toilet, with a level of infection of 102.5 compared to just 24 for the toilet. The male’s fridge also had an infection level of 102.5.

Having a high level of infection in food storage or preparation areas is not only unsanitary, but can also lead to health problems. Bacteria such as e.coli, salmonella and campylobacter (which is the most common bacteria which causes food poisoning in Britain, more than salmonella), can lurk on your chopping board and in your fridge and can cause problems such as vomiting, diarrhea, fever and urinary tract infections if left uncleaned.

Both bedding in the all-male and all-female house was found to have a high level of infection, with 100.4 for the male and 80 for the female bedding. There are a mixture of bacteria and fungal spores lurking in your bedding, which can lead to strep throat, skin, eye and ear infections, as well as flu-like symptoms.

Commenting on the findings, Vlatka Lake, marketing manager at Space Station said: “It’s not surprising to find that our research uncovered some dirt and bacteria in the homes however the levels of bacteria in areas primarily used for food preparation are shocking!

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“At Space Station, we highly recommend keeping the home tidy and clutter free in a bid to stop bacteria and dirt festering and turning into a health issue. Shard houses can often result in lots of belongings which can create unwanted mess and dirt. We highly recommend using safe, secure storage units for store goods that aren’t required.”