What do restaurant menus, hands-free faucets, ATM machines and your physician's scrubs have in common? They are all among the "germiest" objects on Earth.
Yes, really.
As much as you might like to give the gold medal to toilet seats when it comes to squeamishly germ-ridden locations, science suggests there are much "germier" places that you're probably frequenting daily.
For example, one study found that each key on an ATM keypad harbors 1,200 germs, including E. coli and cold and flu viruses. The worst button is the "Enter" button, because everyone has to touch it. Flu viruses can survive on hard surfaces such as restaurant menus for as long as 18 hours, according to an article in Mental Flossi. Some of the other dirtiest places and objects might surprise you:
|
|
|