HANDLE CARTS WITH CARE; THE GERM COUNT IS THERE
Is it true that shopping carts are covered in an unusual amount of germs?
The science shows that Yes, shopping carts, particularly the handles and seats, can harbor a lot of germs.
Research has shown there can be more bacteria on shopping carts than on surfaces in public restrooms, airports, bus stations and shopping malls.
In a 2012 study, researchers swabbed 85 grocery carts for certain digestive tract germs. About 72 percent tested positive for some form of fecal bacteria. The bacteria may have originated from many things, including children with dirty diapers riding in the cart, cross-contamination from handling raw meat products while shopping, or bird droppings while sitting in the grocery store parking lots, said Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona and senior author of the study.
Bacteria — as well as viruses — can stay viable on certain surfaces from hours to weeks.
Shopping carts are noteworthy partly because of the number of hands that touch them and partly because of the amount of time a shopper is exposed to them. Unlike a 3-second swipe of a doorknob or toilet handle, a shopping cart is a longerterm relationship — with more opportunity to come into contact with pathogens as you push it through the store.
The good news is that experts do not believe shopping carts represent a major health risk because, in most cases, the dose of germ exposure will not be high enough to cause illness.
For instance, with shigella, a gastrointestinal bacterium, it may take 10 organisms to cause illness; whereas, with salmonella, it may take 100,000, said John Swartzberg, an infectiousdisease professor at the University of California Berkeley School of Public Health.
“The dose makes the poison,” he said.
William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases and preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University, said he is not especially concerned about germ exposure from shopping carts but, to be safe, he practices good hand hygiene and encourages others to do the same.
Experts advise washing your hands or using hand sanitizer before shopping so that you don’t contribute additional germs. Use disinfecting wipes, which are available in many stores, to wipe down the shopping cart, particularly the handle and seat.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth during your shopping trip and use hand sanitizer after you leave the store.
Self-checkout touch screens can be germy, too. In one test of 17 touch screens, researchers detected fecal bacteria, including E. coli, on more than half of them. One was even contaminated with methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.
The bottom line: Shopping carts are known to be contaminated with bacteria and viruses. While it’s not a major health risk, it makes sense to use hand sanitizer and a wipe the handle and seat with a disinfecting wipe. Avoid touching your face until you can wash your hands.