Science-- there's something for everyone

Monday, October 24, 2011

Bad news for mobile phone users—you don’t want to know


One sixth of the mobile phones tested in Britain are contaminated with fecal bacteria.  This cheery news was presented by scientists from the University of London to commemorate Global Handwashing Day, which was celebrated on October 15th

Overall, 92% of the 390 mobile phones tested had some bacteria on them and 16% were contaminated with E. coli, an intestinal species of bacteria.  Unless people are dipping their phones in raw hamburger, there’s only one place E. coli can come from.  Meanwhile, 95% of people insist that they do wash with soap after visiting the loo.  Clearly, the evidence is against them.

Apart from handling your phone with tongs, what can you do to remedy this situation?  There are ways to clean mobile phones.  You can wipe down most phones with microfiber cloths dampened with alcohol, but check the instruction manual of your own phone first.  And obviously, make sure you wash thoroughly with soap and water after each trip to the toilet.

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