Top 7 Dirtiest Surfaces

Did someone say cold and flu season? Just as sniffling and sneezing is beginning to invade schools and offices across the land, a new series of tests in six major U.S. cities reveals the dirtiest surfaces Americans touch. The results, released by Kimberly-Clark Professional, show which surfaces are most likely to be highly contaminated, potentially exposing people to illness-causing bacteria.

The testing was conducted by hygienists in busy locations in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami and Philadelphia. Using a device commonly used to monitor sanitary conditions in industry, hygienists tested the objects to measure levels of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). Everyday objects with an ATP reading of 300 or higher are considered to have a high risk for illness transmission. In all, more than 350 separate swabs were taken and analyzed.

The percentage of public surfaces tested and found to have high levels of contamination (an ATP count of 300 or higher), includes:

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Margie B.

9:02PM PST on Feb 2, 2012

To many pages...

send a green star

Sheri P.

3:40PM PST on Dec 29, 2011

seriously? we needed EIGHT pages for that?

Yolanda L C.

1:40PM PST on Dec 1, 2011

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOUR ANSWER...I ASKED YOU ABOUT DOGS INSIDE OF THE HOUSE WHEN WE HAVE JUST A NEW BORN BABY...I HAVE KNOWN THAT DOG SUPPOSE NOT TO BE INSIDE OF THE HOUSE WHEN YOU HAVE A BABY...PLEASE ANSWER ME....BECAUSE WE HAVE A PROBLEM..THANKS YOLANDA CHRISTENSON

Nikhil V.

2:35AM PST on Nov 20, 2011

Great post

Fadia C.

12:09PM PST on Nov 19, 2011

thank you

Carole K.

8:08AM PST on Nov 18, 2011

Now, you knew all along that your mother was right, didn't you? Or, at least she was every time she told you "Wash your hands first!!!"

Diana W.

3:17AM PST on Nov 18, 2011

Ohhh.....glick!
Good information!

dve d.

1:05AM PST on Nov 18, 2011

money is another one

Inari T.

5:36AM PST on Nov 17, 2011

Since we can never be sure about the surfaces we touch, it's good practice to wash our own hands thoroughly before eating or handling food rather than to perform contortions to avoid touching surfaces in public places. :-)

Margaret M.

11:20PM PST on Nov 14, 2011

Thank-you for the informative article. I worked in a hospital as an RN for over 31 years. Personally & professionally I can honestly attest to the importance of washing your hands. To know that you have washed your hands long enough (just as important as how you wash) sing to yourself or others the "Happy Birthday' song at normal speed twice. I too am completely amazed as to how many people do not wash their hands after using the bathroom including when I was at work. The public bathrooms that have sinks with faucets that are activated by sensors help with turning the water off when finished as less water is wasted while drying your hands. It will be nice when more places have them. I'm surprised that handrails on escalators & other public places didn't make the list. Washing your hands after blowing your nose, coughing, & sneezing especially when you are ill with a cold, flu, or any other respiratory issue is a good idea particularly prior to handling food.