Petrol pump bowsers
Unless you don’t have a car, you probably touch this ultra-germy item on a weekly basis at least. A University of Arizona study sampled gas pumps and found that a whopping 71 per cent of them contained some type of bacterial contaminant.
Clean it: If you don’t want to wipe down the pump before you use it, definitely keep hand sanitiser in your car so that you can bust any germs you may have picked up while filling up. Or consider wearing gloves to shield yourself from the germs.
Lift buttons
While you’re getting a ride to your desired floor, germs might be hitching a ride on your hands. A University of Toronto study found that buttons in lift in public spaces like office buildings and hospitals could be harbouring more germs than toilet seats.
Clean it: Maybe you don’t want to stand around your office building and wipe down the lift buttons, and that’s fair. But you’ll probably want to wash, or at least sanitise, your hands once you’ve reached your floor.
Fridge drawers
A study from public health and safety organization NSF International found that refrigerator vegetable and meat compartments were the top two spots in the kitchen with the most disease-causing microorganisms. It makes sense—any unwrapped veggies or escaped meat juices could leave behind dangerous germs.
Clean it: Empty your fridge drawers, then pull them out of your fridge. Give them a good scrub with warm, soapy water before returning them (and your food) to their slots.