Everyday Items You Touch That Are Dirtier Than You Think

The Germiest Everyday Things We All Touch (And Try Not to Think About)

I was scrolling through Instagram the other day because of course I was and a video popped up that immediately made me pause. Someone took a Clorox wipe and cleaned off the handrail of an escalator. Then they waited for the rail to loop back around.

When it came back? The wipe was disgusting.

And that’s when it hit me: How many things do we touch every single day that thousands of other people have also touched… and we just don’t think twice about it? If you’re even a little bit of a germ-phobe, fair warning, this list might make you want to wash your hands. Immediately.

Escalator Handrails

Let’s start with the one that started it all. Escalator handrails are constantly moving and constantly being touched. Malls, airports, stadiums basically everyone’s hands end up there.

Most of us grab on without thinking… and then immediately grab our phone, our food, or our face. Just things you don't commonly realize until your sick and you think to yourself, where did this come from?

Shopping Cart Handles

Before you even make it to aisle one, your hands are already in danger. Shopping cart handles are touched all day long and don’t always get cleaned as often as you’d hope.

This is your reminder that those disinfectant wipes at the front of the store exist for a reason.

Gas Pump Handles

You probably don’t think about it when you’re just trying to fill up and get back on the road, but gas pump handles see *a lot* of action.

Rain, dirt, and who knows what else then we get right back into the car and touch the steering wheel like nothing happened.

Public Door Handles

Restaurants, bathrooms, office buildings and door handles might be one of the most unavoidable germ hotspots out there.

You wash your hands, grab the handle to leave, and suddenly feel like all that effort may have been pointless.

Touchscreens and Keypads

Self-checkout screens, ATMs, ticket kiosks if it has a screen or keypad in public, it’s probably been tapped by hundreds of people that day. Just think about how often you clean your screen on your phone, iPad, tv, probably not often right? Something to keep in mind.

And yet, we still tap away without a second thought.

Cell Phones (Yes, Even Yours)

This one hurts a little. Our phones go everywhere with us work, the car, the bathroom, the couch and rarely get cleaned.

If you think about it, your phone might be one of the germiest things you touch daily… and we hold it right up to our faces.

Office Coffee Pots and Breakroom Surfaces

That shared coffee pot? The microwave buttons? The fridge handle at work? All touched constantly, all day long. Now I have personally worked at places with not the nicest looking fridge and microwave and I can safely say I knows our staff cleans it regularly, but some of you might not be as lucky as I am plus there's still several other ways to catch plenty of germs. Office germs are sneaky, and they don’t care whose lunch it is.

Should We Panic? Probably Not… But Maybe Wash Your Hands

The point isn’t to freak out or start wearing gloves everywhere you go. But it is a good reminder to wash your hands, use sanitizer when you can, and maybe think twice before touching your face after being out in public. Because once you’ve seen how dirty that escalator handrail can get… it’s hard to unsee it.

Stay clean out there and maybe carry more Clorox wipes on you.

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