Over the years, much research has been conducted about hygiene and germ protection in the home, and it has often been scientifically reported that the toilet seat is more hygienic than most other surfaces in the entire home. Sounds unbelievable? But, it’s true.
Kitchen chopping boards, tap handles, sinks and light switches; all have been found to harbour more dangerous germs and bacteria than the average toilet seat, making it even more important to regularly sanitize these areas.
How science has proved that the toilet seat is so safe:
One such study was conducted by a group of scientists in Tucson and involved 15 homes over a 30 weeks study. The team performed swabs on more than 10 different sites in the kitchens and bathrooms of each home, including sinks, fluids wrung from dishcloths and sponges, tap handles and worktops, before advising the residents on how best to clean the surfaces with household bleach.
The results showed that even before the residents began using bleach to clean, the toilet seat in every home was always the cleanest surface.
Why is the toilet seat so darn clean?
The most likely and widely accepted explanation is that toilet seats are just too dry to enable and support the successful growth of bacteria. Most bacteria thrive in damp and wet conditions, and as toilet seats are generally dry, this would explain the lack of germs living there.
What or where, was the most bacteria found?
When this study was first conducted, and right at the beginning of the experiment, the researchers discovered a million times as many bacteria existing in the fluid wrung from dishcloths as was found on toilet seats. Even the chopping boards that were swabbed, were found to be harbouring up to three times as many bacteria.
Did things improve after the introduction of household bleach?
When the residents were instructed how to use bleach to clean the surfaces in their kitchens and bathrooms, the results changed dramatically, however. Going from 100,000 bacteria per millilitre of fluid, down to just 10, the team were happy to inform the residents that their efforts had been rewarded, and advised them all to keep using the bleach in the same manner to prevent bacteria from growing and potentially making them very sick.
So, what would be the single most important piece of advice that the scientists could give all home-dwellers? Clean dishcloths at least once a week and always in bleach. Let them soak in a bucket of bleach for up to 10 minutes, drain them off and then use them as normal. Work surfaces, sinks and chopping boards should be cleaned with bleach every day and the toilet bowl at least three times a week.
To ensure that your home is always bacteria-free, why not use a professional cleaning company to help keep you and your family members safe from harmful germs?
