#PERSONAL HYGIENE

10 possible germiest places you encounter every day

by Arun Kumar 10th January 2020

Researchers say that a toilet seat is cleaner than a lot of objects and surfaces that we touch frequently. We touch an average of 30 surfaces in about an hour. So imagine how much we touch in a whole day. Surfaces can often carry germs and bacteria for days. When you touch these surfaces, your hands are infested with these microorganisms.

Here’s a list of 10 possible germ hotspots you encounter every day, from your home to your workplace to essential purchases and recommendations from Prof Kleen to safeguard yourselves from these germs.

1. Toothbrush holder

Contrary to popular belief, the places we think are clean, like the toothbrush holder often contain more germs than the toilet seat. A study has found that over 64% of toothbrush holders had yeast and mold in them. This is because germs get accumulated in the holder due to lack of frequent cleaning and being placed close to the flushing area.

Clean them with disinfectants like SD-100 for a bacteria-free holder. For entire washroom hygiene, Prof Kleen recommends the regular use of KLEEN KEEP SC 201.

2. Handbags or purses

Your bags can carry up to 10,000 types of bacteria. These items are rarely washed and are often placed on various surfaces from which they pick up various disease-causing pathogens. Avoid placing your bags and purses on floors or frequently touched surfaces. You can also ensure microbial protection of bags by use of DGA 100 for a long term guaranteed security.

Prof Kleen recommends cleaning hands with sanitizers like HS-100 when you are outdoors and washing with HW-100 once you have access to water.

3. Buttons and switches

We encounter a plethora of buttons and switches everyday. From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to bed, their need is immense. An elevator button can carry up to 40 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. A few workarounds would be to press them with your elbow or use accessories like pens, Q-tip, or a sharp object.

Prof Kleen recommends the regular use of disinfectant ID 100 for the disinfection of elevators and buttons and sanitizing hands with HS-100 for personal hygiene.

4. Door handles

Here’s one place you can’t avoid touching or minimize contact with. A study by NCBI collected samples to test bacterial growth on different surfaces and found that over 55% of door handles had bacterias and germs on them. Here’s how you can protect yourself in this situation. Try to incorporate automatic entry spaces in your workplace. Use a paper or a piece of tissue to avoid direct contact with your skin.

Prof Kleen recommends usage of hand sanitizers like HS-100 immediately after using door handles. To ensure complete hand hygiene wash hands with HW-100 once you reach home.

5. Shopping carts

Shopping carts have over 13,800 bacteria per square inch! Shopping carts are an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and germs. They are used by multiple people in a day. Supermarkets also contain moist or wet products and people touch the carts right after handling wet products. We cannot avoid using shopping carts, so a simple tip would be to not touch your face while shopping.

If you feel the need to do so, Prof Kleen recommends sanitizing your hands with alcohol-based sanitizers like HS-100 before touching your face or reaching for your wallet. Wash your hands immediately with hand washes like HW-100 after reaching home.

6. Public transportation

Public transport is the primary source for commuting all over the world. In India, over 70 million people use public transportation every day. Public carriers are practically a petri dish for germs and bacteria to develop. Instead of dreading the trip, here are some sure ways to safeguard yourself.

Prof Kleen advises you to wear a mask whenever you step out and sanitize your hands frequently with an effective hand sanitizer like HS-100. You can also protect yourself withantimicrobial fabrics.

7. Fitness equipment

Fitness centers are not only the hub for fitness enthusiasts, but they are also the breeding ground for a variety of illness-causing germs and bacteria. In a survey taken about gym goers, more than 35% of men and 25% of women admitted to not wiping the equipment after usage.

Fitness centers and equipment are designed to make you sweat. Imagine the amount of body fluids and the number of moist towels. How many people touch the same equipment in a day? And let’s not forget the locker rooms. They are humid and always contain people sweating. So how do you brave all this hurdle and still achieve your fitness goal?

Make sure that the whole center is disinfected thoroughly every day. Prof Kleen has formulated Infection controlrange under Kleen Force as an effective solution for this problem. Use alcohol based sanitizers like HS-100 after using each equipment. Avoid touching your face when in the gym. Wash your hands with an effective handwash like HW-100 after finishing your workout. You can also instantly disinfect the equipment with disinfectants like ID-100.

8. Office spaces

You go to your office, sit in your comfortable office chair, swivel when you are feeling peppy. But have you wondered what else your chair holds? Germs! About 21,000 germs per square inch. Chairs are one of the least cleaned surfaces in a workspace. Some of the germ hotspots in your office space are furniture, desks, common objects for everyone in the break room.

We spend more than 8 hours a day, 5 days a week in workplaces. So it is essential to keep those surfaces infection-free. Educate everyone about the importance of personal hygiene. Ensure that the commonly touched surfaces are disinfected often. Use hand sanitizers and hand washes like HS-100 and HW-100, formulated by Prof Kleen for your protection, after touching any germ hot spots. Only 5% of the global population wash their hands properly. Be in that 5% and encourage others around you to make the switch to 5%.

9. Keyboard and Mouse

In a 2018 study conducted on bacterial contamination on keyboard surfaces, they found that 96% of the keyboards they sampled contained bacteria on them. Keyboards and mouses are not given much thought in terms of cleaning and disinfecting.

We touch so many surfaces and touch keyboards. A lot of dust and food particles settle between the keys and this becomes a safe haven for bacteria to grow in. Care must be taken to clean the surfaces of any dust and then disinfected with approved cleaning solutions. Prof Kleen recommends you to instantly disinfect the surfaces with an effective disinfectant like ID 100.

10. Cellphones

Cellphones have become our third arm. Seldom do you see a person without it. We carry it everywhere. Right from our bed to the bathroom, there’s no place it hasn’t seen. Cellphones contact various surfaces and this leads to cross-contamination of bacteria and other microorganisms. Moisture and sweat from our hands also make it easier for the bacteria to grow on the cellphone surface.

Wipe your cellphones with an antibacterial wipe or use surface disinfectant solutions from safe and reputed providers. Prof Kleen recommends you to use ID 100, an instant disinfectant solution with minimal contact time.

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY

It might seem scary when common surfaces carry germs and bacteria. But most of the microorganisms are harmless and only some of them can potentially wreak havoc on your health. So make sure to be aware of the surfaces you touch and ensure you practice strict hand hygiene. Thoroughly clean and disinfect these commonly touched surfaces frequently. This not only helps us stay safe but also helps others stay safe too.