14 Unsanitary Things You Touch Every Day

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Janelle Burt
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It’s amazing how many everyday items are dirtier than we realize. Some things are downright unsanitary, from places we frequent to objects we touch regularly. Here are 14 of the dirtiest things you encounter in daily life:

 

1. Office Coffee Pot

A black drip electric coffee machine with a glass teapot brews a morning drink. Household appliances, a white cup and a jar of beans on the kitchen table on the countertop at home
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Think twice about getting that cup of coffee from the communal coffee machine at work.  It’s likely not being cleaned properly, with most people just removing the old pods and neglecting the machine itself, allowing grime and bacteria to accumulate.

2. Buffets

Buffet restaurant, the hotel restaurant
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Buffets can be breeding grounds for bacteria because so many people handle the same serving utensils. This makes it easy for germs to spread, turning what seems like a convenient meal into a potential health hazard.

3. Condiment Bottles at Restaurants

Salt Shaker
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The condiment bottles at your favorite restaurant can be germ magnets. Every person who eats there touches them, transferring germs and bacteria, making them one of the dirtiest items on the table.

4. Fountain Soda Dispensers

closeup woman drinking ice cola in the glass.food and beverage concept.
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Fountain soda dispensers can be surprisingly dirty due to the buildup of bacteria on the nozzles and surfaces. These areas are often neglected during cleaning, leading to a significant accumulation of germs.

5. Money

money in hand
Image Credit: Malochka Mikalai/Shutterstock.

 

Money changes hands frequently, picking up all sorts of bacteria and viruses along the way. It’s one of the dirtiest items we handle daily, making regular hand washing essential after handling cash.

6. Kitchen Sponges

sponge kitchen wash cleaning
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Kitchen sponges are breeding grounds for bacteria because they stay moist and are often used to clean various surfaces. This makes them one of the most unsanitary items in your home, requiring frequent replacement or thorough disinfection.

7. Keys

Bunch of keys with house shaped key ring on a rustic wooden table
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Keys go everywhere with us and are handled multiple times a day, but they are rarely cleaned. This makes them a magnet for dirt and germs, posing a hidden hygiene risk.

8. Door Handles

To open the door. Modern white door with chrome metal handle and a man's arm.
Image Credit: Dmitry Bakulov/Shutterstock.

 

Door handles are touched by many people throughout the day and can harbor a lot of bacteria and viruses, especially in public places. Regular cleaning of door handles is crucial to reduce the spread of germs.

9. Restaurant Menus

Group of Happy friends having breakfast in the restaurant
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Think about how many hands may have touched a restaurant menu before yours. They are a hotspot for germs, so washing your hands is advisable after ordering.

10. Keyboards

Woman working at home office hand on keyboard close up
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Whether it is at the office or on your laptop, keyboards are notorious for harboring bacteria. They are touched constantly and hard to clean, making them surprisingly unsanitary.

11. Phone Screens

Close-up photo. Worried senior woman mother sitting on sofa at home and holding phone. Worries about children, writes and sends messages, calls, searches, waits at home.
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Our phones go everywhere with us, and we touch them constantly, making phone screens dirtier than a toilet seat. Regularly cleaning your phone screen can help reduce the number of germs it carries.

12. The Bottom of Your Purse

Smiling girl looking for something in handbag at table in home.
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The bottom of your purse can pick up all kinds of dirt and bacteria from the various surfaces it touches throughout the day. Regularly cleaning the outside and inside of your purse can help minimize this hidden hygiene issue.

13. Books at the Library

Face, student and woman in university in library ready for learning. Portrait, education and happy female from Brazil standing by bookshelf with book for studying, knowledge and literature research.
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Don’t forget your hand sanitizer on your next trip to the library. Rarely disinfected and handled by countless people, library books are surprisingly gross.

14. Hotels

Hotel room.
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Hotels can be germ hotspots, with many surfaces like the remote control and bedspread not cleaned as thoroughly as you’d hope. Being cautious and using disinfectant wipes on frequently touched surfaces can make your stay healthier.

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