Millions of Britons own this popular everyday item – and it could be spreading harmful bacteria to your dining table, a hygiene expert reveals.
Christmas dinner could be served with a side of sickness this year if Brits opt to bring their mobile phones to the table.
Phones carry a range of germs, including bacteria causing the ‘quad-demic’ illnesses. Fifteen percent of Brits have admitted to never cleaning their phones, with 7% bravely revealing using their device while on the toilet, according to research from Compare and Recycle.
This puts them at risk of catching the dreaded flu, Covid-19, Norovirus, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) – know as the ‘quad-demic’ – that are spreading through Britain in the run-up to Christmas.
Dr Gareth Nye, program leader for BMedSci Medical Science at The University of Cheshire, says: “Our hands touch around 150 different items every day, more if you are a commuter, for example.
“Each one of these surfaces has the potential to lead to contamination with more dangerous bacteria.
“Once on our hands, the next place our hands normally touch is a phone screen, and bacteria transfers from any object we touch to the phone.
“This is particularly true when we consider phone usage in the toilet as they are notoriously full of bacteria that can harm you. This directly correlates to the spread of bacteria from faeces.
“As they naturally find their way to our hands during trips to the toilet, then to our phones, which will continue a passage of transfer until both surfaces are clean. This can cause the spread of bacteria around the dinner table if you also have your phone in use while eating.”
Speaking to Compare and Recycle, Dr Nye warned that GI-like conditions such as diarrhea, vomiting, and other stomach upsets are the most common illnesses contracted through phones.
However, he adds that people with compromised immune systems are more susceptible to “very nasty infections like sepsis or pneumonia.”
Dr Nye added: “Good hand hygiene plus daily sanitisation of your phone should be enough to prevent most infections.”
Washing your phone case with hot, soapy water is key to keeping your device clean. For the phone itself, Compare and Recycle suggest using a lint-free cloth to remove dust and debris from the exterior, and a wooden toothpick into all of the ports to get rid of dirt.
Then, use a 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe or a damp cloth to clean the outside of the phone, paying close attention to areas around buttons and speaker holes.
