STUDY: Most Americans Bring Phones Into the Bathroom

A gap between people’s daily behaviors and the need to protect against harmful bacteria could leave many Americans vulnerable to germs.

“The Dirty Truth,” a report compiled by Vital Vio, an antibacterial LED-light company, shows the average person encounters more than 60,000 different types of bacteria every day.

The study shows that more than half of Americans admit to only cleaning surfaces that are visibly dirty.

Bacteria that are invisible to the naked eye can still lurk on food-preparation surfaces or in showers, for instance, even when a surface “looks” clean.

Recently the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named a new antibiotic-resistant bacteria as one of the “Deadly Five” that can live on household surfaces and cause pneumonia.

In an increasing mobile world, bacteria are traveling too, riding along on people’s cell phones, laptops and other devices.

For the study, Vital Vio polled 1,200 Americans over age 18 about their daily cleaning habits, how they protect themselves from bacteria while traveling and their mobile device habits.

A majority (88 percent), of Americans fessed up to using their cell phones while using the bathroom and nearly half (46 percent) said they do so every time.

About a quarter of people said they have never cleaned their cell phone and 41 percent admit to holding the device in their mouth when their hands were full.

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