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Your Cell Phone Is 10 Times Dirtier Than a Toilet Seat


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Abigail Abrams Aug 23, 2017
 

Most people don’t give a second thought to using their cell phone everywhere, from their morning commute to the dinner table to the doctor’s office. But research shows that cell phones are far dirtier than most people think, and the more germs they collect, the more germs you touch.

In fact, your own hand is the biggest culprit when it comes to putting filth on your phone. Americans check their phones about 47 times per day, according to a survey by Deloitte, which affords plenty of opportunities for microorganisms to move from your fingers to your phone. 

“Because people are always carrying their cell phones even in situations where they would normally wash their hands before doing anything, cell phones do tend to get pretty gross,” says Emily Martin, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Research has varied on just how many germs are crawling on the average cell phone, but a recent study found more than 17,000 bacterial gene copies on the phones of high school students. Scientists at the University of Arizona have found that cell phones carry 10 times more bacteria than most toilet seats.

Human skin is naturally covered in microbes that don’t usually have any negative health consequences, and that natural bacteria, plus the oils on your hands, get passed on to your phone every time you check a text or send an email. It follows that m ost of the organisms found on phones are not pathogens that will make you sick, Martin says. Staphylococcus might be present, for example, but it’s not typically the kind that will give you a staph infection.

But some bacteria should concern you. “We’re not walking through a sterile environment, so if you touch a surface there could be something on that," says Susan Whittier, director of clinical microbiology at New York-Presbyterian and Columbia University Medical Center. "There are lots of environmental contaminants."

Studies have found serious pathogens on cell phones, including StreptococcusMRSA and even E. coli. Just having these microbes on your phone won’t automatically make you sick, Whittier says, but you still don't want to let them enter your system. Viruses can also spread on phones if one person is sick with strep throat or influenza and coughs on their cell phone before handing it off to a friend.

Fortunately, there are easy ways to avoid some germs. One of the worst places to use your phone is in the bathroom, Martin and Whittier both agree. When toilets flush, they spread germs everywhere, which is how phones end up with fecal bacteria like E. coli. “Taking a cell phone into the bathroom and then leaving with it is kind of like going in, not washing your hands and then coming back out," Martin says. "It’s the same level of concern."

Keeping your phone out of the bathroom will help, but if you want to clean your phone, a few different methods will work. Many people just wipe their phones with a soft microfiber cloth, which will remove many of the germs. For a deeper clean, Whittier recommends using a combination of 60% water and 40% rubbing alcohol. Mix the ingredients together, and then dip a cloth in the solution before wiping it gently across your phone. Unless you’re sick, doing this a few times each month is plenty, Whittier says. Stay away from liquid or spray cleaners, which can damage your phone.

Still, the best advice has more to do with you than the phone. Wash your hands several times a day, the experts say, and you’ll likely be just fine.

Source:  http://time.com/4908654/cell-phone-bacteria/

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I saw a gadget on Shark Tank once to clean your phone with UV light, the item was $50 US, insane. Solution: Get a microfiber towel from any dollar store and some Windex. Spray a dab of Windex on the towel and clean your phone.  

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This news article should have more accurately said "Smart Phones" and not "cell phones" in general. I use a flip phone which is enough for my needs.

I don't do texting or other stuff that makes you rub your fingers all over a screen. Most of the time it's tucked in a pocket until I use it instead of having it constantly at hand like I see many others do with smart phones.

And one other thing, the study was made with high school students. Not the most hygiene oriented part of society. IMO, to be fair :P

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Hand rails door bins light switches keyboards tv remotes water taps reusable water/ coffee cups with lids  kitchen sinks..... You would be UNPLEADANTLY SURPRISED  to find out how dirty these things really are...... In fact the way  most people catch that nasty cold or influenza virus is by touching one of the above mentioned,usually a door mob or hand rail then shortly thereafter touching their eyes,nose or lip area and introducing the viral infection onto their bodies...... Seldom from some one sneezing directly on them.... Watch people.... They sneeze\ cough into onto their hands then touch the stuff meantioned above then some one comes along and touches that same thing and gets infected..... SNEEZE AND COUGH INTO OR ONTO YOUR SLEAVE OF YOUR SHIRT FROM  YOUR ELBOW TO YOUR SHOULDER.... Gross yes but Les people will get sick

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  • 6 months later...

The sticky, grimy handrails in a sports stadium are the worst.  Sitting in the stands, the fans eat popcorn and snacks with no ability to wash their hands.  Then they get up to leave and grab the handrail while they leave.  Since they are never cleaned, they transmit germs event-after-event to all that touch them...

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