Which Household Objects Hold the Most Germs?

Story by Ally Streich
Video by Lexi Carter

Have you ever wondered what items in your apartment hold the most germs?

You do your weekly cleaning and tidying up, thinking you’re deep cleaning your apartment. As good as it is to keep up on household chores and everyday cleaning, what really needs to be rethought when maintaining a happy and healthy environment in your college apartment?

Hanna Warren, a junior attending CMU is currently renting an apartment, and responds with that she believes to be the dirtiest part.

“Probably my kitchen floor because I don’t sweep it often and sometimes when cooking, I drop crumbs and don’t pick them up,” Warren said.

Well, at least she’s honest – someone had to say it for the rest of us!

Warren, like most other apartment owners, figured this question was pretty simple. However, when told that her answer wasn’t actually the grossest item, and rather it’s her sink sponge, she wasn’t as shocked as most would imagine.

She was of course disgusted.

“I believe it! I haven’t replaced my sponge since living here and I know food gets caught in it while doing dishes but I still never clean it out,” Warren said.

It’s easy to be blindsided as to which items you’re keeping in your apartment actually need the most replacement or cleaning. According to 1stclasscleaningnyc.com, researchers found the top ten dirtiest items in most apartments. The results were:

1. Kitchen Sponges
2. Light switches
3. Doorknobs
4. Laundry Machines
5. Kitchen Drain Sinks
6. Bathtubs
7. Remote Controls
8. Apartment Floors
9. Toilet Bases
10. Microwaves

Surprisingly, most of the items on the list are found in the living room or kitchen, not the bathroom like most college students would assume.

Washing dishes with the same sponge every time could be harmful and cause bacteria to grow. While frequent replacement of kitchen sponges are always a good idea, you can also soak your sponge in a hot water and soap solution daily to keep it sanitary.

Light switches, doorknobs, and remotes are easy to forget about while cleaning, but by adding, “disinfect light switches, doorknobs and remotes” to your Sunday cleaning list, hundreds of germs living in your apartment could vanish.

Because laundry machines can easily attract bacteria and mold, it’s important to clean the inside with baking soda or vinegar.

For the rest of the list, it’s just important to keep these areas sanitary! We would  assume no one would like putting their gourmet Ramen noodles in a disgusting microwave to cook, so just keep everyday appliances and areas of your apartment washed to reduce germs. By keeping the germs out of your living environment, your overall health as well as your roommates’ will improve.

It’s easy to be astonished by the results of what the germiest items in your apartment actually are, but now that you know, help keep your apartment clean for the sake of yourself and others!