14 Things in Your Home That Are Dirtier Than a Toilet Seat, According to Cleaning Experts

Bacteria isn’t just lurking in dark corners of the house—it often hides in plain sight. Add these items to your regular cleaning routine to maintain a more sanitary space.

If we asked you to guess the filthiest part of any home, you might guess the toilet. And while, yes, a toilet bowl is a natural bacteria magnet, it’s not the only one taking up residence under your roof. In fact, plenty of other things in your home surpass the toilet in terms of grossness. We’ve recruited a cleaning expert to help us understand which items in our homes are secretly filthy—and should be cleaned ASAP.

According to Jessica Ek, senior director of digital communications at the American Cleaning Institute, “Most people think a toilet seat is one of the germiest places there is, but it’s one of the places nearly all of us regularly clean.” When I think about it, I realize she’s right—I scrub the toilet multiple times per week, which is a more frequent cleaning than many of the items on the following list. “What tends to get dirtier are the places we touch a lot but take for granted and don’t clean as often as we should,” Ek says.

Read on to learn what you need to prioritize cleaning so you can relax knowing your home is cleaner and healthier.

Related: 9 Cleaning Mistakes That Are Making Your Home Dirtier

1. Cell Phones

This should come as no surprise, considering your phone goes everywhere you do—including to the bathroom. A recent study found that mobile devices harbor ten times more bacteria than a toilet seat. The primary reason is cross-contamination in the kitchen. In other words, many of us are guilty of touching our phones while we cook.

Reduce germs by leaving your phone in a nearby room until dinner is done, or, if you can’t part with it, thoroughly wash your hands each time after handling food. Additionally, disinfect your phone daily with alcohol wipes or a UV sanitizer, and consider installing a phone shelf in the bathroom to keep it more sanitary if you walk in there with it.

Related: How to Clean a Phone to Keep Germs at Bay

2. Remote Controls

As Ek points out, it’s the things we tend to touch frequently that collect a slew of germs. The family room TV remote is likely handled by multiple people throughout the course of a day, and it is also likely that not everyone is washing their hands before channel surfing.

Any bacteria present—in addition to dead skin cells, oil, and spilled food or drink—can quickly collect on remotes. Clean them regularly with disinfectant wipes (or make your own!), and don’t forget about less often used remotes such as those for ceiling fans, LED lights, and robot vacuums. Video game controllers and garage door openers can benefit from regular cleanings, too.

3. Your Keyboard and Mouse

Unsurprisingly, computer keyboards also make the list, since many people type away on one all day. Whatever is on your hands will transfer to the board and mouse or touchpad, and if you work through lunch, expect crumbs to collect between the keys. Extract gunk with cotton swabs and carefully sanitize all electronics at least once a week.

Related: 21 Home Office Storage Ideas for a More Productive Work Space

4. Your Desk

If you work from home full-time, germs are unlikely to be confined to your computer. The National Center for Health Research points out that the standard desk is 400 times germier than a toilet seat. After thoroughly cleaning keyboards, wipe down your entire desk so you can work with peace of mind.

Related: How to Clean Desks and Other Office Items That Are Pretty Germy

5. Doorknobs, Hardware, and Light Switches

Multiple household members also touch doorknobs and handles, as well as cabinet and drawer hardware, many times as they go about their day. As with most things, it’s doubtful that hands are being washed in anticipation of walking through the house, so bacteria will linger for the next person. Make disinfecting these objects part of your household’s weekly cleaning routine.

Likewise, we flip lights on and off countless times throughout the day, which means light switches are also brimming with bacteria. Add these to the list to tackle alongside knobs and handles and focus on really scrubbing the ones in high-touch or contaminated areas such as the bathroom and kitchen.

Related: Your Car Is Even Dirtier Than a Toilet Seat—Here’s How to Disinfect It

6. Refrigerator Handles

Speaking of contamination, if you’re in the midst of meal prepping, you might be tempted to grab a few forgotten ingredients from the fridge. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly (especially after handling meat) before reaching for the refrigerator door handle, and aim to disinfect it daily.

Related: Tips for Thoroughly Cleaning a Refrigerator Both Inside and Out

7. The Kitchen Sink

This might not be the number one dirtiest spot in your home, but it’s a close second. The National Sanitation Foundation conducted a study titled “Germiest Places in the Home,” and kitchen sinks ranked as the second highest area to be contaminated with coliform—a bacteria that includes Salmonella and E. coli. Washing produce and raw meat in the sink is undeniably a large culprit.

But the reality is that the abundance of food particles and moisture that the area is constantly exposed to makes it a breeding ground for germs. Whether it’s made of stainless steel (the most sanitary material), porcelain, or copper, make it a habit to sanitize your kitchen sink as often as possible.

Related: How to Clean a Kitchen Sink and Drain

8. Kitchen Sponges

Sink germs are second only to kitchen sponges. In that same NSF study, dish sponges and rags ranked as the germiest items in the home across the board. They’ve been found to contain as many as 45 billion microbes of bacteria per cubic centimeter. On the other hand, toilet bowls only harbor an average of 3.2 million per square inch. One of the main reasons for the vast difference is that toilets are made of non-porous material, whereas sponges are highly porous and inviting for germs. There are several ways to clean a sponge, but two of the most effective are running it through the dishwasher or the microwave.

Related: 16 Things You Never Knew You Could Clean in Your Dishwasher

9. Cutting Boards

Another one of the dirtiest things in your home can also be found in the kitchen. “Things that frequently stay moist or touch food can be breeding grounds for germs,” Ek says. Cutting board surfaces are constantly exposed to meat, fruit, and vegetables that can easily leave behind bacteria. In fact, cutting boards can actually hold 200 times more E. coli than a toilet seat. The easiest way to minimize the risk of exposing you or your loved ones to harmful germs is by meticulously cleaning cutting boards after each use, reserving separate boards for different types of food (and for preparing for serving), and replacing them as soon as they begin to scratch since it becomes impossible to remove embedded bacteria.

10. Water Bottles

Reusable water bottles are trendier than ever, and while they’re fantastic for the environment, they can pose a health threat to humans. Reusable water bottles have an average of 400,000 times more bacteria than a toilet seat, with spout and screw-top lidded styles being the biggest offenders. The cause for the germs is two-fold; one is from potential bacteria of the water used to fill them, and two is due to not being washed often enough. You can make your hydration habit healthier by cleaning water bottles daily and considering a water filtration system if you’re concerned about your home’s water quality.

11. Pet Bowls

If you’re washing your water bottle regularly, you should also be giving your pets the same consideration. Their food and water bowls are highly susceptible to germ growth and strains of the dangerous bacteria Clostridium difficile, otherwise known as C diff, are more frequently found in dog food bowls. To keep them safe, wash their food bowls after each meal, regularly wash water bowls and replace with fresh water, try to keep them dry when not in use, and opt for dishes made of sanitary stainless steel.

Related: The 5 Best Ways to Remove Pet Hair from a Couch

12. Your Toothbrush

Toothbrushes are continually exposed to moisture, whether from being used in your mouth (something that naturally contains hordes of germs) or from being stored in a humid bathroom. So, they will inherently attract bacteria, as will their holders. Try to keep both dry between uses, disinfect the brush head weekly (soaking it in hydrogen peroxide or antibacterial mouthwash will do the trick), and replace your toothbrush every three to four months. And, if you’re not already practicing it, always close the toilet lid before flushing to prevent fecal particles from inadvertently landing on surfaces in the bathroom—including your toothbrush.

Related: 20 Household Items You Can Clean with a Toothbrush

13. Your Bedding

If you slack on changing your sheets, the following statistic might make you rethink your routine. After only one week, pillowcases contain 17,000 more bacteria particles than a toilet seat. Between sweat, oils, dead skin, and beauty products, our bedding gets dirty fast. Wash your sheets weekly and have extra pillowcases on hand to swap out more frequently. Although you can’t wash it per se, you can clean your mattress often, rotate it every six to twelve months, and replace it every seven to ten years.

Related: Vacuuming Your Mattress Is the Crucial Bedroom Cleaning Step You Shouldn’t Skip

14. Reusable Grocery Bags

Like making the switch to reusable water bottles, ditching plastic bags is a win for the environment. However, unless you regularly wash them, your reusable shopping bags are likely riddled with bacteria. If they’re washing machine-friendly, run them through a cycle; otherwise, hand wash and air dry them. Also, specific bags for meat and other raw foods should be reserved to prevent cross-contamination.

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