The Germiest Kids’ Item in Your Home Isn’t What You Think It Is

Ewwwwwww…

Sometimes too much information isn’t a good thing.

A few years ago, Buzzfeed made a video that went viral about the dirtiest things in your life, comparing them with the bacteria found on your average toilet seat. Watching it was enough to make me never want to touch my keyboard or kiss my partner ever again. Don’t even get me started on washing dishes with a sponge.

*Full body shudders*

Germs are back in the news, but this time it’s the items your kids use most. The good people at ASecureLife.com decided to swab and analyze ten common objects in nine homes with children ranging from newborn to four years.

While I would have guessed the television remote or cell phone/tablet to have the most germs thanks to dirty little hands playing on them, they weren’t even close to the top (ranked 5 and 9 respectively). Nope, the top three offenders were plush toys (No. 3), pacifiers and sippy cups (No. 2), and, wait for it… strollers being the No. 1 germiest item. This is because strollers are often stored in the garage which is apparently the ideal breeding ground for bacteria, yeast and mold.

Ewwwwwww…

All three items had more germs than the average bathroom floor, so you might want to think about that the next time you tuck your little one in with her favourite stuffie.

Another interesting find? Bedrooms were the germiest place in the house (35%) followed by the kitchen (28%), garage (19%), and the living room (18%).

Moral of the story: If you have kids from newborn to four years of age, break out the soap and start washing (even though you’re probably doing it wrong).

P.S.: If you’re an animal lover, it’s good news. Houses with pets didn’t have a higher germ count than houses without pets. Our fluffy friends are giving us nothing but love.

 

IMAGE SOURCE: VIA GETTY IMAGES / DESIGN: YMC

 

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