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Why leaving your phone when going to the bathroom should be your New Year resolution
Bathrooms are homes to germs like salmonella, E. coli and C. difficile, which might cause stomach flu, diarrhea, fever and even inflammation of the colon.
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Touching the flush handle, toilet walls or door lock and then your phone before washing your hands will undoubtedly transmit these germs. (Shutterstock/nito)
Most people spend an average of three hours and 15 minutes on their phones each day, according to a research by RescueTime.
From waking up, commuting to work and taking a lunch break, to lining up, eating and even going to the bathroom, it seems that many of us simply cannot be separated from our cell phones.
Using your phone on the toilet may seem like an accomplishment in privacy and multitasking, but the habit can actually be harmful, as three researchers have revealed in an article by MetroUK.
Bathrooms are homes to germs like salmonella, E. coli and C. difficile, which may cause stomach flu, diarrhea, fever and even inflammation of the colon.
Read also: Why putting away your phone before bed will help you live longer
Touching the flush handle, toilet walls or door lock and then your phone before washing your hands will undoubtedly transmit these germs.
However, hygiene expert Dr. Lisa Ackerley revealed several ways to minimize contamination to your phone if you’re unwilling to leave it outside.
“If you wipe your bum then pick up your phone, you may as well not bother washing your hands because all the bacteria you put on your phone will end up back on your hands.”
She then elaborated on her strategy.
“Read the book or phone in your right hand, then transfer it to the left, wipe with your right, flush with your right, carry the book or phone out in your left hand without touching anything else and then wash your hands." (vel/kes)
