The most germ-infested surfaces you touch every day

Every single person who uses the lift in a day will press this button because they need to get to the ground floor to exit the building. Photo / Getty

We've all heard the horror stories about just how many germs are lurking in the crevices of our computer keyboard and on the screens of our mobile phone.

But now five of the most germ-infested surfaces we come in to contact with each day have been revealed - and some of the worst offenders might surprise you.

New York Magazine's Science of Us has revealed the "disgusting" things we touch every day without realising, including lift buttons and environmentally friendly reusable shopping bags.

From the hidden danger lurking at the supermarket to the perils of making a coffee in the office kitchen, read on to find out the hidden germ harbourers we do battle with daily.

1. Self-checkout screens

Surprisingly, toilet seats are some of the cleanest places you touch every day because people make a conscious effort to clean them regularly.

Whether we are food-shopping or at an ATM, we are using more and more touch screens in everyday life now.

And while they might get a wipe down at the end of the day, it seems unlikely that they're properly disinfected - much as they might need to be.

It might make you think twice about where you put your hands next time after using one, as 50 per cent of self-checkout screens are contaminated with faecal matter, says Science of Us.

2. Ground-floor lift buttons

Every single person who uses the lift in a day will press this button because they need to get to the ground floor to exit the building.

Science of Us say that Parainfluenza, a virus that causes cold-like symptoms, is especially common on this button.

3. Coffeepot handles

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The first place people go to in the morning when they get to work is often the coffeepot to get their first caffeine fix to wake themselves up.

That means that whatever they touched before they got to work, such as the handrails on public transport, is on that handle.

Science of Us claims that 50 per cent of coffeepot handles contain coliform bacteria, which is an indicator of fecal matter.

When doing the washing up, make sure to clean the handles as well as the rim as you might not realise just how many germs are on there.

4. Re-usable bags

We are now being encouraged to re-use our shopping bags, but they can in fact be major germ-carriers.

People rarely clean them, despite the fact that they regularly put raw food in them to carry it back from the supermarket.

According to Science of US, 99 per cent of bags carry bacteria such as coliform and E.coli.

5. Hand towels

A lot of people don't wash their hands properly and any lingering bacteria then gets transferred to the towel.

And as bacteria grows in moist places, hand towels are the perfect environment for growing even more germs.

Science of Us say that all towels should be washed every two days.