Shopping Carts, ATMs and TV Remotes

I am a little bit of a germaphobe. Not so much at home or even out in the real world. But at work I am a fanatic. I wash. I scrub. I sanitize. I try not to wear work clothes around the house once I get home. (Especially after the hubby delightfully pointed out this article). But as soon as I am showered and changed these rules go out the window. Where at work I won't touch my water bottle without Purelling, at home I don't think twice about it. Snacking while on the computer, no problem. Skittle on the floor? That's okay the floor was cleaned, err...last week. I'm careful while cooking, don't want to cross contaminate and wind up with salmonella, but otherwise I don't obsess about cleanliness while snacking around the house. And then I read THIS article.

It's all about common objects you come across during every day activity. Shopping carts, for example. Shopping carts, where you place your food before shuttling it home to eat, have been found to contain dangerous bacterias, with up to 80% contaminated. Self-checkout screens are rife with bacteria that have been transplanted. And ATMs are just as dirty.

A few expected items made the top ten, with recommendations not to share toothbrushes, razors and hairbrushes (although nothing was said about the fact we use them ourselves). But the one that grossed me out the most was the TV remote. It is said to be the germiest item in homes. You don't even think about it. Channel surfing during dinner. Pausing the movie to get some popcorn. Just failing to wash your hands prior to eating. And in your own home is one thing. But what about at a friends house? Or hotel room. The previous occupant failed to wash his hands after using the restroom and deposited E. coli on the remote. E. coli. As in bacteria from fecal matter. This remote is now laying on your pillow as you channel surf while enjoying your vending machine Snickers.

Gross.