The Dirty Truth About Germs

Feel like you’ve washed your hands a gazillion times this past year? We’re all obsessing about germs lately, but are all of them that bad for you? And how can you avoid the ones that are? The truth may surprise you.

February 2021

Abigail Libers

Psst! Want to know a secret? At this very moment, your entire body is crawling with germs. Under your fingernails. On your face. Even inside you: trillions of germs. The air you breathe, the food you eat, the ground you walk on, and the surfaces you touch are all teeming with germs.

If the thought of all these organisms wiggling on, in, and around you makes you want to run screaming for the shower, wait: They’re not all bad. Some types of germs are actually good for you. For example, the bacteria that live in your digestive system help you extract the nutrients you need from food, explains pediatrician Gregory Weaver. They also protect us from the bad kinds of bacteria that can cause infections.

That said, some germs are downright nasty and definitely need to be avoided. (Yes, we mean you, coronavirus.) So while there’s no need to go full-on germophobe, you definitely should take steps to protect yourself from the most unfriendly varieties. Think you know how? Read on to test your knowledge of which germs you need to watch out for and to find out how you can stop them in their tracks.

You’re more likely to catch a cold indoors than outside

Answer: True

Does your mom yell at you to put on a scarf every time you leave the house so you don’t “catch your death out there”? Feel free to (politely!) tell your mom to relax. “Most bad germs actually prefer the temperature of your body—a balmy 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit—to grow and thrive,” explains Weaver. Colds and the flu flourish in winter not because of the cooler temperatures but because people spend more time indoors, making it easier to swap germs. To stay healthy, get time outdoors year-round. And wear the scarf—you’ll make your mom happy.

Germ-o-Meter!

The research is in on the ickiest sickness-spreading hot spots.

GROSS

CUTTING BOARDS: E. coli and salmonella, which cause food poisoning, can grow on food prep surfaces. Sanitize them with a bleach solution.

GROSSER

PET BOWLS: Mold and yeast grow in them, which can make both you and your pet sick. Run bowls through the dishwasher or scrub with soap and hot water.

GROSSER STILL

TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER: Tiny particles of pee and poop can get on it when you flush. Store your toothbrush in the cabinet, and close the toilet lid before flushing.

GROSSEST

YOUR PHONE! A study found 17,000 bacteria on teens’ phones. That’s 10 times the amount on the average toilet seat! Wipe it down daily.

The toilet seat is the germiest surface in a public bathroom

Answer: False

When it comes to spreading germs, toilets get a bad rap. “Bad germs don’t live long on the material used for toilet seats, so it’s unlikely you’ll get sick from a public toilet,” says Weaver. That said, germs love the places you touch with your hands in a public bathroom, such as the toilet handle, the sink faucet, and the doorknob, so always wash up and use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the door.

It’s safe to eat food that’s fallen on the floor if you pick it up right away

Answer: It Depends

We’ve all heard of the three-second rule: If you’re quick enough, you can snatch your dropped sandwich off the floor before too many germs can stick to it. Crazily enough, scientists have actually researched this extensively, and they still can’t make up their minds. The answer most likely depends more on where you drop the food than the amount of time the food spends there. For example, carpets in public spaces can have as many as 200,000 bacteria per square inch—yuck!—which means you’ll want to toss that dropped sandwich directly in the trash. On the other hand, an apple dropped on your freshly mopped kitchen floor probably won’t kill you, but run it under the tap just to be safe.

Soap Song

Experts say you should scrub your hands for 20 seconds to kill germs. (Try humming the chorus to “My Shot” from Hamilton.)

Scrubbing with super-hot water is the best way to wash your hands

Answer: False

The temperature of the water doesn’t matter when it comes to killing germs—hot and cold are equally effective. In fact, using water that’s too hot and scrubbing your hands too harshly can cause tiny tears in your skin that allow germs to enter more easily. Stick with water at a comfortable temperature so you’ll be more likely to wash for the recommended 20-30 seconds. And don’t forget the soap!