Phones carry germs

SOME people may be less concerned with hygiene and germs than others, but if you are one of those people who likes wiping the handle of your shopping trolley, then take heed as your cellphone is 10 times dirtier than a toilet seat.

A survey showed that over 17 000 different bacteria are present on the phones of the average student – this is 10 times more than the average toilet seat.

We check our phones over 40 times a day and do not consider the fact that bacteria and germs get transferred from our fingers to our phone with every touch. A good way to try to avoid harmful germs from getting on to your phone is avoiding using your phone when going to the bathroom.

When a toilet is flushed, for example, germs spread everywhere, and if you were on your phone, those germs are now going out of the bathroom with you.

According to professors of public health, using your phone in the bathroom and then leaving with it is like going to the toilet and then leaving without washing your hands; it’s the same principle. Studies have found serious pathogens. When you are sick, you also use your phone, and after you have healed, the germs and bacteria remain on your phone.

The second important note is that you hold your phone against your face.

Consider all of the above facts and think about how many times you have touched your phone without washing your hands. Many of us like to catch up on our social media feeds during bathroom time and only wash our hands afterwards.

The germs are then already on your phone. Then you get a call and put your phone to your face. “I believe that cleaning my phone with a disinfectant at least once daily is a must,” said Zev Cherniak from Gammatek, a distributor of branded technology accessories in sub-Saharan Africa.