You’re Cleaning The Wrong Things! These 4 Germ Magnets In Your Home Might Be Making You Sick - Page 2
1. Your toothbrush might be a germ magnet.
One thing that you may not suspect to clean is your toothbrush. Toothbrushes can carry more than 100 million bacteria, according to Periodontal.com, including E. coli, a type of bacteria that can cause diarrhea. If your toothbrush lives anywhere near your toilet, microbiologist Michael Schmidt from the Medical University of South Carolina told Time that “You may as well be swirling it in toilet water.”
When a toilet is flushed, it releases a plume of particles into the air, some of which contain traces of fecal matter. On average, this germ cloud spreads about a foot in every direction. But older, less efficient toilets can spew particles up to six feet. That’s far enough to reach your toothbrush, even if you think it’s safely tucked away.
While most healthy people can fend off the microbes we encounter daily, Schmidt warns that immunocompromised individuals are more vulnerable. And as microbiologist Kelly Reynolds explained, repeated exposure can still affect anyone, causing fatigue, stomach upset, or even anxiety.
To keep your toothbrush free of gems, keep it stored in a closed cabinet, or at the very least, as far from the toilet as possible. And yes, put the lid down before flushing.
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