The cell phone has quickly evolved from a novelty item to a staple in our daily lives. Never do we leave our phones at home, much less on the table or in our pockets for any extended amount of time. We bring our pocket-sized computers everywhere we go – even in to the restroom – and are constantly thumbing through our Twitter timelines, friends' shared photos and a seemingly endless supply of mobile games.
It should come as no surprise that those tiny, harmless devices are some of the dirtiest, germ-infested devices and objects of all. It has been echoed around the Web for years now, and it only makes sense; our phones are the one thing we constantly touch before and after all of the sneezing, handshakes, contact with public restrooms and door handles and whatever else the germ-filled world can throw at us.
Zoe Fox of Mashable shared an infographic (yes ... another one of those dreaded things) from Keeping It Kleen on Tech Germs. The infographic goes through random bacterial infestation information like how light switches have roughly 217 bacteria per square inch and how computer keyboards are five times dirtier than toilet seat. But the most boggling tidbit of info from the graphic is that 16 percent of cell phones were found to have feces on them.
The cell phone, luckily, was not found to be the "dirtiest tech" of all. That title belongs to the television remote. You know, the one you can never find because the couch keeps eating it? Dr. Charles Gerba of the University of Arizona says:
"The remote control in a typical hotel room is considered dirtier than the toilet, sink handles, door handles, and even the infamous bedspread. TV remote control is the single dirtiest item in a typical home, hospital, hotel room or pretty much anywhere they're found. The remote is a hotbed for contagious germs and viruses."
Thankfully, the cell phone isn't that bad. But I'm sure it can't be too far off. Just imagine all the people's hand you shake in a single day. You may wash your hands every time you sneeze or use the restroom, but do they? Even if you don't shake many hands in a day, you're subject using the same door handles, paper towel dispensers, tables and other objects they use. Unless you go full-on Adrian Monk style and hire an assistant to open doors for you and supply you with a sanitary wipe at the snap of the finger, there's no way around it. And all of that gets transferred to your hands and eventually collected on your phone.
Who knows. Maybe your phone isn't that dirty. But don't be so sure of the guy next to you. I'm sure it will make you reconsider letting someone else use your phone or even using it at the dinner table again.
Unless you're a tad mysophobic, none of this should gross you out too bad or come as much of a surprise. But it does make you wonder how clean – or dirty – your phone really is. On the bright side, if you are a little overwhelmed with the reality of how dirty your phone might be, Fox followed-up her poop-filled article with a list of five products to keep your tech germ-free. Her list is composed of sanitary wipes, a UV sanitizing wand, microfiber cloths, antibacterial screen protectors (not a bad idea at all) and a Play-Doh-like compound that absorbs dirt and germs.
Do any of you worry about how unsanitary your phone may be? Are you already aware and wipe it down regularly? Will information like this change your phone cleaning habits?
Image via All Voice
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