What is the dirtiest thing you touch in the course of a normal day?
We take for granted how important our immune system is to our health in our daily lives. Given the number of germs we encounter in a day, it’s a wonder how rare it is that we get sick. Dr. Andrew Weil, MD, just posted an article about the dirtiest dozen, a list of the dirtiest surfaces that we touch on a daily basis. I think the point should be less about becoming a clean-freak and more about the power of our immune system to fight off germs. Having said that, I do get grossed-out thinking about the number of germs in our kitchen sponge, and I cringe when my husband uses it to wipe the counter!!
If you’ve been to a gas station, the pump handle would probably top the list of the filthiest surface you encountered. A new survey from Kimberly-Clark found that 71 percent of gas pump handles tested in six U.S. cities were contaminated with bacteria and viruses capable of making us sick. You may want to pull on disposable latex gloves the next time you reach for the pump handle. Others among the dirtiest surfaces found to be crawling with germs: the handles on public mailboxes, escalator railings, ATM buttons, parking meters and kiosks, crosswalk buttons and buttons on vending machines in shopping malls. And that’s not all: at the office, your computer keys and mouse may not be as germ-laden as a gas pump handle, but if you don’t clean them, it’s likely nobody will. Other office hazards: door handles and elevator buttons. Moral of this story: wash your hands after you touch any of these surfaces.
