A breakdown of germs

Germs. They are everywhere, and what is worse is that they are unavoidable. We carry germs on our bodies whether we like it or not and there are few to no ways to get rid of those inhabitants that we cannot see. Some germs are there to do good while other germs are able to do harm. But a hand sanitizer can reduce the germ count to help prevent you from getting ill. Knowing what you are up against can help you prevent dangerous germs from making you sick.

Getting to know the 4 types of germs

There are multiple types of germs out there and they each have a name. Germs are found all over the world and they can be found in all different types of places. The four major categories of germs include bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi.

Bacteria

Bacteria survive by drawing nutrition from their environments. These one cell organisms usually produce outside of the body and it is when they enter the body that they can cause damage. Some of the most painful illnesses are caused by bacteria that enter the body leading to pneumonia, strep throat, cavities, and ear infections. However not all bacteria are the stuff of nightmares, so are harmful. For example we have good bacteria in our intestines that aid us in absorbing the good stuff from food while making waste of the other stuff. Without these important germs we would get no nutrition, no matter how healthy a meal is.

Viruses

A virus is probably the bad guy you have been hearing about. Viruses need to be within a cell in order to grow and in order to reproduce. Unless a virus is within a living cell, within a plant or animal for example, they will not survive. And when a virus is within a living thing, that thing becomes known as a host. The host is not always treated very well, often the host suffers greatly when it is home to a virus. Viruses can range from ones that make you just a little bit sick, to ones that can kill. Some of the most common viruses include measles, flu and chicken pox, all of which can make you very sick and can be passed from host to host.

Some viruses can live outside of a host for a short period of time. For this reason they can move from host to host with ease and continue to infect people. Viruses can live on door handles and other surfaces, easily infecting a person when they touch the surface.

Protozoa

Not a household name but the protozoa make their homes in water. When they are ingested they can cause some grief for the host, including nausea, and upset stomachs. When these symptoms are persistent the result can be death.

Fungi

Fungi get their nutrition from plants, animals and people and they are multi-celled organisms. What makes fungi different from its fellow germs is that it needs a warm, moist and often dark place in order to thrive and many types of fungi are present in healthy people. One of the most common types of fungi that thrives on humans is athlete’s foot.

What is lurking in your home?

Okay, so now that you know the difference between the different types of germs, we can get into the stuff that you actually want to read: which items in my home have the most germs? The thought of having germs spread all over the surfaces of some of your most used household items could be enough to make you run out and buy that hand sanitizer.

These items in your home have the most germs:

·         Your wooden cutting board

Every time that you cut meat on your cutting board, your knife is likely to slice right through the meat and into the wood. Now for the gross part, uncooked meat can be the home of E-coli and each cut of meat is going to be pushed into the wood. Faecal bacteria can be found in the intestines of the dead animal and although the meat is usually washed before it is sold, there is the possibility of this bacteria getting stuck in the cutting board.

·         Your pooches food bowl

You wouldn’t use a plate again and again without washing it would you? So what do you think would happen if your dog’s food bowl was not regularly cleaned out? When your hound licks his unclean dish he is licking up at least 2 110 bacteria per square inch. Keeping your animals eating area clean by consistently washing the bowl before you place new food into the bowl.

·         Your computer keyboard

Each day we sit behind our desks at work and type away. What we don’t realise is that the keyboard is home to more germs than your toilet seat. With food falling between your keys, along with all sorts of other things, especially if you are not washing your hands after going to the toilet. Stomach bugs are amongst the most common illnesses to be spread by a dirty keyboard. Using hand sanitizer before typing on your keyboard can reduce the germ presence.

·         Your smartphone

We are addicted to our smartphones but what we don’t realise is that our favourite gadget is also a germ carrier that can make you very sick. If you are not keeping your hands clean then you are possibly transporting germs onto your phone. You can however easily keep your hands clean using a hand sanitizer product. In research done in 2013, British researchers found that a large number of phones and tablet devices had germs that cause upset stomachs. Another survey found that 75% of Americans use their smartphones or tablets while they are using the toilet. People of all ages are guilty of taking their smartphones into the toilet with them. If this is a habit that you have, make sure that you also invest in a hand sanitizer.

·         Your tap handles

The tap that you turn on to clean your hands might just be home to around 21 times more germs than your toilet seat. It is very important to clean your taps often to get rid of these potential sickness causing germs.

·         Your handbag

Ladies this one is for you. Our handbags go everywhere with us and they are often left on the floor of wherever we are. We don’t often think of our bags as potential germ carriers but they are up to three times dirtier than a toilet seat. On another note, you can keep your hand sanitizer in your handbag.

Keeping your hands clean is the best way to keep germs at bay. At Healthy Splash we have all of the hand sanitising products that are designed to keep the germs away and keep your hands clean.