Aussies admit never cleaning an item that is 10 times dirtier than a toilet seat
By Rachael Gavin|
P?hones have become a constant companion, touched by hands and ears and breathed on multiple times a day and even used while people are on the toilet.
So it's not surprising that a study from the University of Arizona found phones have 10 times more bacteria on them than toilet seats.
With that horrifying detail in mind, we asked Nine.com.au readers in an exclusive survey how often they're cleaning their phones.
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Most people who participated in the poll aren't cleaning their phones as often as recommended but some aren't even doing it at all.?
Seventeen per cent of Aussies admitted to never cleaning their phones?, which is a worry given that E. coli, which can cause diarrhoea, and Staphylococcus, which can cause skin infections, among others have been found on phones.
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Some Aussies are at least doing it on the odd occasion, with 25 per cent cleaning their phones once a month and 26 per cent cleaning them once a week.
However, microbiologist Primrose Freestone advises cleaning phones daily because the cleaning process doesn't stop germs returning to the surface next time you touch it or place it on a surface. This is particularly important to consider if you or someone in your household has been sick.
"Hands pick up bacteria and viruses all the time and are recognised as a route for acquiring infection. So too are the phones we touch. A number of studies conducted on the microbiological colonisation of mobile phones show that they can be contaminated with many different kinds of potentially pathogenic bacteria," she wrote in an article for The Conversation.
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The number of Aussies cleaning their phones the recommended frequency? is 16 per cent, which shows it is possible to make this task a more regular habit.
To clean your phone? use an alcohol wipe or spray/pour a little isopropyl alcohol onto a microfibre cloth and then wipe your phone.
It's also advised to avoid using our phones in germy areas or placing them on dirty surfaces like the toilet and bathroom?, and to wash our hands after using the phone.
