As a doctor specialising in infectious diseases, Chris van Tulleken is a self-declared “dirt aficionado” who nevertheless dislikes housework.
In the video above, he turns detective: swabbing various objects to find the hidden infestations of germs lurking in his house. Surprisingly, your toilet pan is one of the cleanest surfaces in your home, whereas other, far less expected places turn out to be the perfect habitat for thriving colonies of bacteria.
There’s your bin, your dish cloth, and your chopping board – your kitchen surfaces can be a well-spring of germs. But how do they compare to your phone, regularly in contact with your unwashed hands and cheeks and then left to incubate in your snug, damp pocket? Or the money in your wallet, which will have passed through literally thousands of grubby fingers?
Watch van Tulleken’s video to find out which was dirtiest – and discover his top tip for avoiding disease with the minimum amount of cleaning.
Watch another Trust Me I’m A Doctor video: Is it safe to reheat takeaways?
This video is an original short co-commissioned with Britlab. For more great Britlab stories,visit their YouTube channel.
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