Health

8 Home Hotspots for Cold and Flu Germs

AP
AP
AP
AP
iSTOCK
iSTOCK
AP
AP

Trying to avoid a cold this winter? Watch out for the refrigerator door handle. A study, done by scientists at the University of Virginia, found that about 40 percent of the time refrigerator doors and handles were positive for cold germs.
Another hot spot is that all too popular remote control. Scientists found that cold sufferers often leave their germs there, where they can live for two days or longer.
And what about that dishwasher handle? It's definitely not the cleanest surface in your house either, with three out of four dishwasher handles testing positive for cold germs.
Bathroom faucets ranked near the top of the most contaminated surfaces, with eight out of 10 faucets testing positive.
You might want to get out the antibacterial spray before you turn on the light switch. Three out of 13 light switches tested positive for cold germs.
Salt and pepper shakers are another culprit. For the study, researchers started with salt and pepper shakers owned by 30 adults showing early symptoms of colds. Sixteen tested positive for rhinovirus, which causes about half of all colds. For the study, participants were asked to name several places in their homes they had touched in the preceding 18 hours, and researchers used DNA tests to hunt for rhinovirus.
How about all those doorknobs in your house? Well, the study found those were loaded with germs too. In fact, six out of 18 doorknobs they tested were contaminated.
Talking on the phone may also be hazardous to your health. Scientists say four out of seven phones tested were contaminated. So, no matter where you are or what you touch in your house, make sure you keep that antibacterial cleaner close by. If you don't, you might just catch a nasty cold.