Home life can be grubby – sorting out the laundry, taking out the bins and scrubbing the bathroom are but a few of the chores that can leave you desperate to scrub your hands. But new research has shown that there are some unlikely sources of grime in the average home – and you can’t even see the dirt.

A study in the UK has revealed that the seemingly innocuous computer game controller can harbour up to five times more bacteria than the average toilet seat. Computer game controllers harbour nearly five times more bacteria than the average toilet seat, research shows. Here, bacteria shows up under special UV light testing

Children’s toys were also found to be heavily contaminated, said researchers, who swabbed areas of an average house for bacteria including E. coli, APC and Enterobacteriaceae.

Although a third of people surveyed believe the toilet seat is the most germ ridden place in the house, in fact other areas are far more contaminated.

 The average toilet seat has 1,600 germs per 100 cm2, but children’s play equipment carried far more germs. Garden trampolines were the worst offender, with bacterial levels of 640,000 per 100cm2. Bikes and balls both showed 14,000 per 100cm2.

The authors said we should be more aware of the germs lurking on our own sofas, with sofa arms found to be on average 12 times the contamination of the average toilet seat 

How dirty is your home?

The average toilet seat has 1,600 germs per 100 cm2.
Bikes and balls both showed 14,000 per 100cm2.
The average games controller was found to have 7,863 per 100cm2.
The average fridge handle had 7,474 germs per 100cm2.
Children’s teddies and other favoured toys were far cleaner, although still had 2,549 germs per 100cm2.
The average games controller was found to have 7,863 per 100cm2, which is nearly five times that of the average toilet seat, the study by Domestos and UNICEF found.

The poll revealed that three out of five people believe children come into contact with the most germs when at nursery or school.

But the authors said we should be more aware of the germs lurking on our own sofas, with sofa arms found to be on average 12 times the contamination of the average toilet seat. The average fridge handle had 7,474 germs per 100cm2.

© Daily Mail, London

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