We carry our smartphones almost everywhere, frequently using them before, during, and after eating.
But it doesn’t occur to many of us that we should be washing our hands after handling the phone, or at least cleaning the devices themselves on a regular basis. Unfortunately--and it makes sense if you think about it--the phones gradually accumulate all kinds of germs.
Watch the trick in the video, and you'll be grabbing for your tape and Sharpie by the time it’s done.
According to a study in 2013, smartphones and tablet computers harbor more germs than toilet seats, reported The Telegraph.
James Francis, the microbiologist that did out the research, told the paper: “A count of 600 on a plastic device of any sort is incredibly high. It indicates that some people don’t wash their hands a lot.
“In the food industry, if we found those levels of bacteria from a hand swab of a food handler, they'd have to be taken out of the workplace and retrained in basic hygiene.”
In the study, researchers took swabs from 30 smartphones, keyboards, and tablets. One iPad had 600 units of Staphylococcus aureus, which can cause food poisoning. There are less than 20 units of Staphylococcus per swab on an office toilet. On the smartphones that were examined, there were 140 units, and on the dirtiest keyboard, there were 480 units, the report stated.
The study found tests for Enterobacteria revealed 15,000 units of the bacteria on one tablet, four smartphones, and on five keyboards. Meanwhile, there were less then ten units on the toilet seat and flush handle.
In 2013, media regulator Ofcom said it’s essential to keep devices clean with anti-bacterial wipes.
