Thursday, November 20, 2008
They live in pockets and purses, rest on tables and desks and occasionally end up on well-trodden bar floors. And when cell phones aren’t busy picking up germs from these various locales, they’re glued to our faces—potentially covering us from ear to mouth in bacteria.
“Anything you’re touching or putting near your mouth without regular cleaning would carry germs,” says Susan Egan, associate professor of microbiology. “They could pick up bacteria from anywhere, really.”
According to a study performed at Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom, the average cell phone is dirtier than a run-of-the-mill toilet seat or the bottom of a shoe. Because cell phones are usually stored in warm, confined places such as a pocket or purse, the accumulated germs can easily breed.
Egan says one way to prevent catching a cold from your cell is to talk-block your friends, as sharing your phone just increases the sources of bacteria and can spread sickness.
“If you don’t share too much, you’d just be giving yourself your own germs over and over again,” Egan says. “That would reduce the risk of catching things.”
If you want to go the extra mile to ensure mobile cleanliness, a company called Wireless Wipes offers antibacterial phone wipes, which cost $2.95 for a pack of 10 at www.wirelesswipes.com.
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