Germiest Places in Your House

You may wash your dishes in the kitchen sink, but that doesn't mean it's clean place. It's actually a perfect breeding ground for bacteria, including E. coli and salmonella, due to all the food scraps that are left on plates soaking or being rinsed in your sink And here's the real yuck factor. A Hygiene Council study found an average kitchen sink contains 100,000 times more germs than the bathroom. That's right... the bathroom. (AP)

Trying to avoid a cold? 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.

This little statistic may have you thinking twice before reaching for that kitchen sink. A 2008 study done by the Hygiene Council found that 52 percent of kitchen faucets were contaminated with harmful bacteria like E. coli. Oh, and bathroom faucets aren't much better. A University of Arizona study found that bathroom faucets usually contain more harmful germs than a toilet seat.   (AP)

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. In fact, University of Virginia researchers identified the remote as one of the top places to transmit infections in your home. (© Andreas G. Karelias. All rights reserved.)

Make sure you have some antibacterial wipes to clean up that cordless phone. The average phone harbors more than 25,000 microbes per square inch.   (AP)

Bring along those antibacterial wipes before you turn on the light switch. They are some of the most frequently touched surfaces in your home, so make sure you regularly clean them with a disinfectant to prevent the spread of infection.