REVEALED: The household items that are FOUR TIMES DIRTIER than your TOILET

The study, conducted by self-storage experts Space Station, found that a chopping board is FOUR TIMES dirtier than a toilet. In keeping with food-related areas in the home, a fridge was found to be four times filthier than a toilet.

The study involved swabbing an all-male and all-female student accommodation to find the areas in the home with the most bacteria, fungi and yeast lurking,

The swabs were compared against each other for their levels of infection, comparing bacteria, fungi and yeast in the test items.

Test items in order of infection (Colony Forming Units per cm2), with 0= no infection (male and female items).  Public health guidelines suggest that anything above 80 is unsatisfactory.

Toilet (male) - 250.4

Bath (female) - 200

Chopping board (female) - 102.5

Fridge (male) - 102.5

Bedding (male) - 100.4

Bedding (female) - 80

Desk (male) - 42.5

Chopping board (male) - 40.4

Toilet (female) - 24

Desk (male) - 24

Fridge (female) - 2.9

Bath (male) - 2.5

The male toilet was found to be the most riddled with bacteria, with an infection level of 250, the highest on the scale. The female toilet, however, was much cleaner, with just an overall infection level of just 24.

Most shockingly, the chopping board in the female home was found to be four times DIRTIER than their toilet, with a level of infection of 102.5 compared to just 24 for the toilet. The male’s fridge also had an infection level of 102.5.

Having a high level of infection in food storage or preparation areas is not only unsanitary, but can also lead to health problems. Bacteria such as e.coli, salmonella and campylobacter (which is the most common bacteria which causes food poisoning in Britain, more than salmonella), can lurk on your chopping board and in your fridge and can cause problems such as vomiting diarrhoea, fever and urinary tract infections if left uncleaned.

Both bedding in the all-male and all-female house was found to have a high level of infection, with 100.4 for the male and 80 for the female bedding. There are a mixture of bacteria and fungal spores lurking in your bedding, which can lead to strep throat, skin, eye and ear infections, as well as flu-like symptoms.

Commenting on the findings, Vlatka Lake, marketing manager at Space Station said: “It’s not surprising to find that our research uncovered some dirt and bacteria in student homes - however the levels of bacteria in areas primarily used for food preparation are shocking!

“At Space Station, we highly recommend keeping the home tidy and clutter free in a bid to stop bacteria and dirt festering and turning into a health issue. Shared houses can often result in lots of belongings which can create unwanted mess and dirt. We highly recommend using safe, secure storage units for store goods that aren’t required.”

*To view images of the test swabs, please visit: https://we.tl/t-pHrMJi3k2k*

To find out more about the study, please visit: https://www.space-station.co.uk/blog/revealed-the-household-items-that-are-four-times-dirtier-than-your-toilet