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Germs
on Faucet Handles
Bathroom faucet handles are germ-catchers.
According to a survey by the Hygiene Council,
faucet handles carried more than 6,000 bacteria
per square inch.
Fix it: "Regularly clean your
faucet handles with a disinfectant cleaner spray
at least once per week," suggests Charles
Gerba, PhD, professor of soil, water and
environmental science at the University of
Arizona, who has researched microbes
extensively.
Germs in Toilet Bowl
Would it surprise you to learn that the
toilet is the winner for the most germs?
Probably not. The Hygiene Council survey
finds the toilet bowl (but not the seat)
with 3.2 million bacteria per square inch.
But would you believe they found that a
kitchen cutting board has 200 times more
fecal bacteria than a toilet seat?
Fix it: Toilet bowl germs develop a
biofilm, which is a slimy layer that when
bacteria attach to a surface such as the
bowl. Clean that film with your
chlorine bleach and water solution.
Germs
in Your Bathtub
Around the drain of the bathtub is nearly
120,000 bacteria per square inch, according
to calculations made in the Hygiene Council
Survey.
Fix it: Give your bathtub a cleaning
with a store bought bath cleaner or a
chlorine-water cleaning solution made up at
home.
Germs
in Your Shower Curtain
The germs in the soap scum that collects on
your shower curtain is Sphingomonas
and Methylobacterium bacteria,says Norman
Pace, PhD, professor of molecular, cellular
and developmental biology, University of
Colorado.
They found an abundance of Sphingomonas and
Methylobacterium bacteria on shower curtains
that were older than 6 months old, these
germs pose a problem for people who are
immune-compromised, such as those who are
HIV positive, or who have other diseases
that make them prone to infections.
Fix it: Regular cleaning or
replacement of the curtains is advised.
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