Many of the surfaces that we come into contact with on a daily basis are a breeding ground for dangerous germs -- including the viruses that can lead to cold and flu.
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10 Germy Surfaces You Touch Every Day
Experts Tell Where Cold and Flu Viruses and Other Germs Lurk
Many surfaces and objects you come in contact with every day are covered in germs -- but then again, so are you.
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"Ninety percent of you is composed of germ cells," said Philip Tierno, director of clinical microbiology and immunology at NYU and author of "The Secret Life of Germs."
He explained that while we are constantly in contact with germs, only a small minority will cause any harm.
"Of the 60,000 types of germs that people come in contact with on a daily basis ... only about 1 [percent] to 2 percent are potentially dangerous to normal people with normal immunity," he said.
That works out well for us, because pretty much any surface contains some of these microscopic organisms.
"There's very few surfaces that are truly clean," said Dr. Aaron Glatt, president and CEO of New Island Hospital in Bethpage, N.Y., and a spokesman for the Infectious Disease Society of America. "You're almost never going to culture something and not find some germs on it."
With that in mind, there is a simple activity that anyone can engage in to stay as safe as possible from surface germs.
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"People should know that washing their hands is the single most important mechanism we have to prevent infection," said Glatt.
While he stressed that "the optimal goal is to practice good personal hygiene, good household hygiene and good food hygiene," Tierno also noted the importance of clean hands.
"You don't need to live in a bubble ... but you do need to be aware," he said. "You can touch surfaces, but just clean up before you eat or drink or before you touch your face."
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"If you wash your hands prior to touching your face or prior to eating or drinking, which should be the norm, you cut your risk to virtually nil."
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