By Blake Dykes

A place to live is typically assumed to be a clean environment. Unfortunately, some homes are so germ-filled it is a hazard to health. With this being said, many people think that the toilet is the only truly filthy thing, overlooking other common objects people come in contact with every day. Besides these devices being “dirty,” they also can become unhealthy after a certain amount of germs are built up.

“The keyboard is really gross because you eat when you’re at the computer and touch everything. The ones at school are especially dirty; not everyone washes their hands,” said junior Cassandra Peaslee.

To read articles such as this, it requires getting on the computer and looking it up. Keyboards are one of the most contaminated objects people come in contact with on a daily basis. Hands that have not been washed after using the restroom or blowing a nose have touched keyboards. However, beyond the obvious, keyboards are a big way to spread viruses, bacteria, and illness.

Even though the keyboard can be pretty cruddy, it is just a mild introduction.

“Phones are pretty gross, everyone touches the phone and hands are germy,” said sophomore Skylar Rost.

Nowadays, tasks such as going out to the store, driving a car, and eating dinner are all done by being accompanied by a cell phone. Cell phones are taken everywhere and used after going to the bathroom and touching things that are unhygienic, then afterwards replying to a text message.  Replying to a text before washing hands transfers possibly harmful bacteria. Many people have even taken their phones in the bathroom and have actually dropped it in the toilet. Just taking some effortless precautions can prevent a lot of filth from being spread. For instance, wiping a phone down after a day’s use can get rid of all the unwanted built up germs.

Going back to the beginning, most dread the day when toilets must be cleaned.

“Our crew prevents bathrooms by not getting too dirty,” said custodian John Spengler. “Not all things are necessarily ‘filthy,’ but more student damaged. Certain amount of it is wear and tear, and some is vandalism. You don’t have to vandalize.”

Another gadget found in the restroom is a toothbrush.

“Tooth brushes are nasty because its in the bathroom, and it repeatedly goes in your mouth. Plus, it’s by the toilet,” said junior Jared Willis.

Most people turn to a toothbrush hoping to clean their teeth and gums, not wash waste around in one’s mouth. Yes, that is right, waste. Tooth brushes are often kept in the bathroom, where every time the toilet flushes waste products get all over the brush. Toothbrushes also transfer plaque and bacteria in your mouth. To prevent bacteria and plaque building up, replacing a toothbrush once every three months is helpful.

Speaking of objects in the bathroom, sink knobs and handles also get pretty gruesome. In some restaurants there are the automatic sinks, however in homes this is typically not the case. After using the restroom, people turn the sink on with dirty hands. Then they wash their hands and are clean, but once turning off the sink with the same knob that it was turned on, it is as if the hands were never washed in the first place. Washing hands is often done before eating, to get hands clean and free from mire and muck. If one turns the sink off with their hands, then they are transferring the bacteria to their food. Using the forearm to turn the sink off could lessen the amount of germs being spread.

Moving on from the bathroom objects, food is stored and prepared in the kitchen, but also the kitchen contains some of the most displeasing things in the world.

“Sponges are gross because you use it for washing everything in the house that is dirty,” said freshman Jon Bryant.

That is right, the sponge used to clean nasty dishes contains tons of bacteria. Sponges have small spaces in them, bubble like, which give them their unique physical appearance. These holes are perfect for germs to grow and breed. A piece of advice is to wash sponges with hot water and soap on a daily basis.

Besides the kitchen at home, many people consume more meals at other places, such as restaurants.

Floyd County health inspector Dawn Stackhouse said most of the neglectful cleaning areas are behind or beneath equipment, areas get built up with debris and are not cleaned. Not to worry though, health inspections are done once or twice a year and violations of the code can result in closure until the issue is fixed, or permanently being shut down.

“Health inspectors look thoroughly for any areas that are neglected and can be written up as a violation,” said Stackhouse.

Towards the end of this seemingly everlasting list is the laundry room. In every laundry rooms, laundry is obviously involved, some wet, some dry, but all dirty and used. Microbes live in very warm and wet environments, such as wet laundry, this causes the concern of E. coli and other possible illnesses. Consider this, through out the day, especially in the summer, people sweat in their clothes, then stick them in the laundry room after a full days worth of being worn. Or someone gets injured and bleeds on their clothing, this goes back to the laundry room as well. A very common way to spread bacteria is stains. This decaying food or food splotch is left to rot until washed away. Lastly, waste products are widely spread through this room in the house. Undergarments which are placed in the laundry basket can contain excess waste that was not properly gotten rid of. To ensure that these disgusting things do not happen, it is a good idea to do loads of laundry on a daily basis and not to leave wet laundry around.

Finally, finishing up the list, the bed. Amercians spend about a third of their life in the bed. From sleeping to simply relaxing on a Sunday evening, much time is consumed in this contraption. Beds contain sweat, blood, drainage, and many other repulsive items. There really is no way around these things, but this gunk can be kept to a minimum by washing sheets and pillow cases on a regular basis.

Although the inevitable will occur, for some things cannot always be kept in tiptop shape, it is just important that different objects of the house are not neglected to be cleaned.