Research – The most bacteria-ridden places in your kitchen? Check your appliances

Digital Trends

Human beings take a number of measures to keep ourselves and our surroundings free from harmful bacteria. We routinely wash our hands, clean our homes, and carefully prepare our food to avoid cross contamination. But despite all that, we often fail to clean the places where bacteria tends to gather and fester.

We’ve all heard that the sponge is the germiest article in the kitchen. According to Charles Gerba, Professor of Microbiology at the University of Arizona, after that comes the sink, and then the cutting board. But you’d be surprised at the other places where germs gather.

Gerba was part of a study, where he and his colleagues measured fecal coliform bacteria on kitchen and bathroom surfaces (yeah, you read that right, we said “fecal”). The items he listed contained the highest densities of coliform, fecal coliform, and HPC bacteria, according to the results of the study.

Here at Digital Trends, we wanted to find out what tech in the kitchen is covered with nasty bacteria, and were surprised at the answer. Hint: check your appliances.