Average Desk Harbors 400 Times More Bacteria Than Average Toilet Seat
This is a pretty scary title – researchers find average desk harbors 400 times more bacteria than average toilet seat. Actually there aren’t only desktop in office that keeps bacteria, according to the study of University of Arizona germ guru Dr. Charles Gerba, Phone, Water fountain handle, Microwave door handle and Keyboard are the top five most germ-contaminated spots in office. And take this figure, on average, the area where you rest your hand on the desk has 10,000,000 bacteria. This is truly amazing, and I am going to wipe my office desk as soon as possible:
… For the study, Gerba and his team separated office workers into two groups. One group used disinfecting wipes to clean their desks, phones and computers; the other did not. Within two days, the wipes users were found to have a 99.9 percent reduction in bacteria levels.
The study team evaluated a variety of office locations, environments and surfaces. Study sites included private offices, cubicles and common work areas in offices located in New York, San Francisco, Tucson and Tampa. A total of 7,000 samples were collected nationwide and analyzed at the University of Arizona laboratories. …
First In-Office Study Dishes The Dirt On Desks – [via Ole's Blog]
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Comments
David Jordan says on January 21st, 2006 at 12:50 am
As far as I know nobody has dropped dead, or even been mildly sick after using one of these harbours of bacteria.
Not all bacteria are bad. In fact, many are good and spend most of their time killing the bad ones. That’s why MRSA has only appeared recently.
If you were to remove all bacteria from your enviornment your body’s nautral defence turns on itself. It’s called “allergies”
So give the poor bacteria a break. They get very bad press.
Alex says on January 21st, 2006 at 3:02 am
One word Lysol.
Gericke Potgieter says on January 21st, 2006 at 3:08 am
I agree with David – my guess is that those using anti-bacterial wipes will in the long run be more prone to ilness because their bodies simply do not have the defences to deal with bacteria. And in any case, it is estimated that about 10% of all bacteria is bad, 20%is good and 70% can go either way…if I remember correctly.
G.
Gericke is Laze says on January 21st, 2006 at 4:07 am
You’re lazy Gericke, admit it. People who live in more sterile environments are healthier than those who do not.
Turdley McBurgle says on January 21st, 2006 at 7:39 am
Germs are not so bad for you. The human body is meant to process unhealthy germs out of the body. I should know. I have been eating my own feces for years and I have never gotten sick from it.
matt says on March 14th, 2006 at 12:52 pm
you would think that the bacteria on the toilet seat would infact be bad for you, other peoples urine and faeces would make you sick. even after reading thing i would much rather lick an office desk then a public toilet seat.
Terri says on April 1st, 2006 at 2:31 pm
We recently were having discussions in the office about how these two women well like 5 total put toilet paper on the toilet seat before they sit down which I informed them that they were crazy because in my 35 years i dont recall getting sick from sitting on the toilet seat. i never received sores on my buttocks nor any strange bacterial disease due to sitting onthe toilet. But they were adamint about the fact that there are germs there and then you carry those germs with you all day. Which my reply was well if no ones down there picking at my butt then i guess i have no worries about it
M says on April 22nd, 2006 at 4:32 am
People: eeeewww!
Ohh, Baby. says on September 12th, 2006 at 3:12 pm
um.. i do believe that you should sterilize thing is its been around a sick person. I also think that u should clean your toilet seat. your body uses white blood cells to rid of bacteria in your body. In My opinion i think that you are more likely to get sick from the lysol than the bacteria. My friend got ill from that stuff.. he had a bad cut and it got in teher. soo.. yea.
Blake says on October 9th, 2006 at 1:05 am
David:
The type of bacteria left on keyboards and refrigerator handles aren’t “good bacteria”
When you touch food and touch a surface, you leave a little bit of food behind which attracts “bad bacteria”
kayla says on December 4th, 2006 at 4:46 pm
watever………youre talkin bout this WHY????