TAKING your phone to the toilet with you might seem like a harmless thing to do. But it could end up making you ill – as harmful germs migrate from your poo to your mouth. Germs from the toilet and surrounding surfaces will get onto your hand and end up on your phone, an expert has warned.
And what’s worse is it’s not just your germs. They are germs from anyone who has sat upon that same porcelain throne. The bugs inhabit the loo seat, the flush handle, the loo roll holder, even the door into the cubicle or bathroom. The worm their way into any nook or cranny.
And while you might be borderline obsessional about hygiene when you pop to the lav, can you really trust that everyone else has been as considerate? The Hygiene Doctor, Lisa Ackerley, urges you to think about the journey these germs take. Where they are, how they will make the leap to your phone, and how they could then infect you – having invaded your mouth.
With that in mind, her advice is to leave your phone behind. She told The Sun Online we pick up germs by touching surfaces in the cubicle. These can then be transferred straight onto your phone. And, even if you wash your hands, they will be transferred back to you.
Dr Ackerley said: “If you take your phone to the toilet then you risk getting it covered in germs. “In the loo, there will be other people’s germs on the seat, loo flush handle or button and loo roll holder, and the door to the cubicle. “These germs could include anything from norovirus to salmonella. So you don’t want those on your phone.
“To put it bluntly, germs go through toilet paper, so after you have finished on the loo, your hands are dirty, which is why you wash them afterwards.
In the loo there will be other people’s germs on the seat, loo flush handle or button and loo roll holder, and the door to the cubicle. These germs could include anything from norovirus to salmonella. ‘Dr Lisa Ackerley,
“So if your hands are dirty and contaminated with viruses or bacteria, and you pick up your phone after using the loo, then you will be transferring your germs and any others your hands have picked up onto the phone and then back onto your hands, even if you wash them after.
“The germs can then go either straight into your mouth – through nail-biting or eating crisps – or from your hands to food – like making a sandwich. “They can also go onto any surface where the phone goes. “So if you share your phone with someone then you could be sharing out all the germs you picked up from the toilet.”
But, if taking your phone to the toilet is the only way you can sneakily check your messages at work, or you really must catch up on the days current affairs, then there are ways to minimize the number of germs you will pick up.
Dr Ackerley said: “Let me make it clear – I’m not advocating using phones in the loo, but just being realistic about what people do. “Keep the phone in your left hand.
“Don’t touch anything else with your left hand. “Use your right hand to wipe your bum, flush the loo and touch the door handle. “Put your phone in your pocket or handbag with your left hand and then wash both hands thoroughly.” If you are left-handed, you can hold your phone in your right hand to free up your left hand for the job. Norovirus is one of the most common stomach bugs in the UK and is also referred to as “the winter vomiting bug”. It is very unpleasant but usually clears itself up in a few days.
Though it sounds a bit grim and is unlikely, it can happen – in particular when you touch a contaminated surface and then put your hand in your mouth or if you eat food that has been contaminated. Symptoms include a sudden sick feeling, projectile vomiting and watery diarrhoea as well as a slight fever, headaches, painful cramps and aching limbs.
So if you want to avoid an onset of that illness, it’s best to keep your phone well clear of the toilet cubicle.
