Shocking secret germs lurking on our phones revealed by scientists – so how filthy is your device?
TOP scientists have revealed the shocking bacteria and germs lurking on our phones.
It’s no secret that washing your hands and sanitising surfaces protects against the spread of germs, bacteria, and viruses.
But you may still be shocked to discover just how filthy our devices really are.
Bacteria from both human and cockroach poo are among the secret germs that lurk on our phones, experts warned.
A study by SellCell found that E.Coli and Faecal Streptococci were found on 100 per cent of smartphone screens.
Food poisoning germ, Bacillus cereus, and pneumonia-causing S. aureus, were also found on each of the 20 swabs taken from 10 phones.
And although none of them had traces of Salmonella, half of them did contain P.aeruginosa – commonly found in cockroach poo.
The study tested the phone screens of devices owned by six females and four males aged between 22 and 62.
Sarah McConomy, COO of SellCell, which ran the study, told Mail Online: “We were interested to find out just how common harmful bacteria is on our mobile phone screens, and what types of bacteria are the most common.
“The results were truly shocking, with many forms of bacteria originating from human faeces, which really highlights a need for people to thoroughly clean and sanitize their cell phones more often.
“What was perhaps the most disturbing to see was the presence of P. aeruginosa, a bacteria that comes directly from cockroaches and their poop.
“It’s really unsettling to think about cockroaches crawling over our phones and even using them as a bathroom when we’re not looking!”
As our phone is the item that most likely gets touched by our dirty hands most often throughout the day, this makes intuitive sense.
But it can be hard to grasp just how dirty an iPhone, Android, or other mobile devices can really get.
The eye-opening study found a total of 20 Faecal Streptococci and Enterococci colonies, which form in the stomach and intestines of both humans and animals, on the tested screens.
Taking phones into the bathroom was blamed for some of the germs, with researchers claiming that you can be exposed within just five minutes.
Bacteria become airborne when flushing the toilet, increasing the chance of it falling and landing on your phone.
SellCell added: “We then carry them with us, on our phone screens, out of the toilet and into the rest of our homes, where they could even be responsible for spreading diseases.
“Not only is this an unpleasant image in terms of bacteria living on our mobile phones, it also shows that many of us could be walking around with our own faecal matter on our screens… Screens that we then bring up to our faces to make calls – yuck.”
Despite this, SellCell says the amount of bacteria found on these screens is unlikely to be enough to do any real harm.
But it stressed that phone owners should continue to clean and sanitise smartphones with disinfectant wipes, especially after visiting the toilet.
Previous research has also shown that smartphones can contain up to seven times more bacteria than a toilet seat.
Those clad in leather cases harboured the most bacteria and even phones in easier-to-clean plastic cases have more than six times the germs found on loo seats