Could your tech be dirtier than a toilet seat?

Yet another shock horror “your ” is dirtier than a toilet seat” story. If I don’t someone else will inevitably point out that the draining board in the illustration doubtless houses more staph that the bogseat.

Now we are all shocked and horrified please can someone give us some evidence of the infection rate per thousand infections where the route of infection involves such contaminated objects. It shouldn’t be too difficult. If the risk is significant a particularly dirty cash dispenser screen should infect a fair proportion of the people who use it and it wouldn’t be difficult to make the connection. Or maybe the truth is that it’s very unlikely to happen and that the amount of any bug we might take on board by such a route is far too small to cause infection in all but those with compromised immune systems.

Most of the bugs on our screens and phones will have come from our fingers. Touching these surfaces just transfers the bugs back to our fingers, since they cannot multiply on these dry surfaces.

Like John, hygiene featured greatly in my early life. I learned the importance of washing my hands after using the toilet and before handling and food, and it remains sound advice to wash hands regularly. Our recent Conversation about new banknotes remind me that my mother wanted me to wash my hands after handling money on the basis that it was handled by many people and not all of them were careful about hygiene.

Unless you are prone to licking your phone or tablet, I don’t think there is much to worry about. A very slightly damp cloth will help remove bugs and grease from our tablets and phones, or you could use special products if you want to spend money on keeping them clean. If someone is sick then it could be worth taking special care.

I don’t like these scare stories because there so many different strains of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and the hazard varies greatly between them.

Proper washing of hands with soap and water is perfectly adequate for removing bugs, and we do not need to use anti-bacterial handwashes. There are not good for the environment and any that still contain Triclosan are hazardous to humans too.

Another bash at the poor well used ‘toilet seat’ as a comparator, when as is pointed out the dear lovable ‘draining board’ is a real danger. Anyway could ‘Which?’ suggest a simple method of cleaning tablet screens and a minimum frequency, then your results would have a positive conclusion. I mostly use a stylus on my tablet, and only use fingers when stretching or reducing images.

[1] It is impossible to assess whether the research on which your report is based was competently carried out.
[2] The facts reported are almost certainly meaningless. Any object handled by one or more people will give the same results as those reported. The reference object – a toilet seat – only amplifies the deception
[3] What is the evidence that any of this matters? How many people lick their own or other peoples I-pads? How many people place food on their own or other people’s I-pads and then eat it?
[4] Recently you reported similar nonsense in relation to mobile phones.
[5] How much other research published in Which is similarly unreliable and/or meaningless?

Were any of the badly contaminated tablets used on an iPotty?

This report is a tad sensationalist. Of course there are more staph aureus on tablets than on toilet seats: the bug’s favourite habitat is on hands and in noses. Whilst it can cause health problems it is only a relatively small subcategory that causes food poisoning (diarrhoea and Vomiting) by growing on food cooling too slowly from hot to cool, and producing a toxin in the food. Toilet seats carry plenty of bacteria, mainly from the bowel, and it is well worth washing ones hands after toilet visits and before eating. This is all a bit theoretical anyway unless it has been shown that people using phones and tablets whilst eating are more likely to be ill afterwards.

I agree with all the above re personal hygiene. I am nearly 80, and cleanliness and personal hygiene was taught from a very early age.
At my first day at college I sat in front of a typewriter for the first time, and the first lesson we were taught was NEVER, EVER eat or drink at the work-station.
Always wash hands before using our machines.
Always wash hands after blowing your nose. Now, I keep anti-bacterial wet-wipes handy.