18 Unbelievably Gross Facts That You'll Wish You Never Read
91% of people pick their nose. You're one of them. Don't lie.
1. Only 5% of people wash their hands correctly...
Ninety-five percent of people don't wash their hands long enough to get rid of bacteria.
2. ...and only two out of three use soap.
Ten percent of people don't wash at all.
3. When people blow out candles on a birthday cake, there is a 1400% increase in bacteria on the frosting as a result.
The amount of bacteria depends on how sick or drool-y the birthday person is.
4. Picking your nose is an almost universal practice.
In a study with a random sample of people, 91% of adults admitted to doing it.
5. Demodex, the mites that live on your face, have no anus. They release a lifetime of poop on your face when they die.
Though they vary in quantity by individual, studies show that the DNA from these mites is present on the majority of faces.
6. Studies show that most US bills have hundreds of species of microorganisms on them, and around 80% of bills have traces of cocaine.
In a 2017 study, researchers swabbed bills in New York City and found a variety of microorganisms, including bacteria from the mouth, vagina, and skin.
7. A sick person's cough can contain up to 200,000,000 individual virus particles.
The saliva in a cough can travel up to speeds of 50 MPH.
8. Seventy-two percent of shopping carts contain fecal bacteria.
And 50% of shopping carts contain E. coli.
9. Only 1/3 of restaurant workers wash their hands when they're supposed to.
And 57% of restaurants handle food with their bare hands.
10. In a study, FitRated found that 70% of the germs you come in contact with at the gym are potentially harmful to humans.
A 2014 study found a "rich bacterial diversity" on gym equipment in fitness centers that came in contact with skin.
11. To put that into perspective, a toilet seat has about 3,200 CFUs (colony-forming units) of bacteria. The treadmill at the gym has over 1.3 million CFUs.
The exercise bike is up there at 1.3 million, too.
12. You could fill a bottle of wine every day with the amount of saliva you produce.
That equates to 53 bathtubs full in your lifetime!
13. And you have more of a risk of getting sick from kissing another human than kissing a dog.
Dog mouths aren't necessarily cleaner than human mouths, but you have a much smaller chance of picking up harmful germs from a dog than you do another human.
14. A study of popular cosmetic retailers found Staphylococcus on 40% of makeup testers and mold on 28% of makeup testers.
The study pulled samples from eyeshadow, mascara, lip gloss, lipstick, and blush at Sephora, The Body Shop, MAC, and Shoppers Drug Mart.
15. House flies and blowflies carry over 600 types of bacteria, some of which are linked to human infections like stomach bugs, pneumonia, and blood poisoning.
House files were found to carry 351 types of bacteria, while blowflies carry 316.
16. And you could be eating up to half a million insect fragments per year.
That's a worst-case scenario based on how many fragments the FDA allows.
17. If you're reading this on your phone, you should know that the cell phone you're holding carries 10 times more bacteria than a toilet seat.
Keeping your phone out of the bathroom helps prevent some of these germs.
18. And if you're reading this on your computer, you should know that the average desk has 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat.
Computer mice and keyboards are pretty nasty, but the dirtiest is the telephone.