Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jun 30, 2025

The most germ infested items in our homes revealed – are we cleaning enough?

The most germ infested items in our homes revealed – are we cleaning enough?

Find out why these are most likely to attract germs and how best to clean them

Despite cleaning our homes more than ever, studies suggesting some are spending an extra 63 minutes every week, it appears germs are still lurking in the most unexpected of places.

A swab test from Tap Warehouse has exposed which everyday household items are dirtiest. They swabbed 30 items from three demographic households*.

After five days of bacterial growth, they enlisted the expertise of Associate Professor in Microbiology at Northumbria University, Dr Amanda Jones to expose what were the worst germs hiding in homes, on these everyday items.

5 unexpected items for germs hiding in homes


Cleaning expert, Henry Paterson, from Housekeep explains how to thoroughly clean these problem areas.

1. Laptops & computers


                

With more people working from home, the average office worker is now spending six-and-half hours on their computer at home. With many of those forgetting to clean their computer.

Dr Amanda Jones reveals, ‘The germs most likely hiding on your laptop are “staphylococci, streptococci and some airborne bacteria such as micrococci” which can lead to skin infections and a sore throat.’ Yuk.

“Use alcohol wipes or a small quantity of rubbing alcohol applied to a microfibre cloth’ advises Henry Choose a product with 60-80 per cent concentration for optimum effect, as higher concentrations can evaporate before they’ve had sufficient contact time to sanitise.”

2. TV remote


                

The TV remote controller is touched daily and, sometimes, by several hands. What’s more, many people eat in front of the TV, making their hands potentially sticky with foods.

Dr Amanda Jones identified the TV remote to be the second dirtiest electronic item, and said it could be laden with “staphylococci and streptococci” similar to the laptop. The cleaning advice is therefore the same as with the laptop.

3. Bathroom taps


                

The damp and humid conditions of a bathroom make it a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. With the tap often being the first thing people touch after going to the toilet, it’s therefore the dirtiest.

With this in mind, it’s no surprise that the tap is the most germ infested item in the bathroom. ‘Our bathroom taps can contain ‘escherichia coli (e. coli) and other faecal types of bacteria’ Dr Amanda Jones explains.

For cleaning be sure to use a high concentrate of bacteria-killing cleaner, just be aware no to damage the taps with abrasive materials.

4. Kitchen taps


                

This item showed the most bacterial growth out of the kitchen items analysed. Similar to the bathroom tap, it’s used multiple times a day and is often touched by multiple people.

“The kitchen tap would have the same skin bacteria and also food contaminants from raw food such as bacillus species and Escherichia coli (e. coli)” – both of which cause food poisoning.

5. Kettle


                

The average Brit drinks 876 cups of tea year – or a week if you’re anything like the team at Ideal Home. However, despite how much Brits love drinking tea, it seems we don’t share the same love for cleaning the kettle sadly.

‘The kettles across all three demographics showed huge bacteria growth,’ with Dr Amanda Jones stating ‘the kettle can harbour “staphylococci and streptococci” bacteria.’

‘Cleaning with soap and water is often enough to remove germs’ says Henry. ‘Just remember to do this every week and avoid getting water near the electrical parts.’

*To give a fair representation, each household tested was from a different demographic. Including a young couple working from home, a family home with a child and a retired couple with a dog.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
×