shot-button
Navratri Navratri
Home > Lifestyle News > Health And Fitness News > Article > College cafeteria tables carry 60000 times more bacteria than toilet seats Study

College cafeteria tables carry 60,000 times more bacteria than toilet seats: Study

Updated on: 23 October,2023 11:49 AM IST  |  San Francisco
IANS |

The study, conducted by College Rover, identified the germiest places on multiple campuses by swabbing various areas, including bathrooms, common areas in dorms, and keyboards in computer labs

College cafeteria tables carry 60,000 times more bacteria than toilet seats: Study

Image for representational purpose only. Photo Courtesy: istock

The average college cafeteria table hosted 60,000 times more bacteria than the average household toilet seat, a new study has found.


The study, conducted by College Rover, identified the germiest places on multiple campuses by swabbing various areas, including bathrooms, common areas in dorms, and keyboards in computer labs.


The swabs were then tested to determine the types and numbers of germs. In addition to swabs, researchers polled 1,000 students about their personal experiences and hygiene practices. According to the study, public bathrooms were the germiest area of all the campus hot spots. With 47 million colony-forming units (CFU), 64 per cent gram-negative rods and 34 per cent type II, campus bathrooms were home to more would-be infections than a Saturday night party.


While germy bathrooms weren’t surprising, campus laundry rooms were shockingly germ-infested, with 30.5 million CFUs: 98 per cent gram-negative rods and 2 per cent bacillus. Laundry rooms were even more germy than campus cafeteria tables, which had 100,000 fewer CFUs. The kitchen sink is one of the dirtiest places in most homes, with an average of just under 11.4 million CFUs -- but that's nothing compared to college library desks, which had 2.6 times more bacteria, the study mentioned.

The researchers also surveyed college students about their hygiene habits and found that nearly 15 per cent of college students only cleaned their living space once per month.

Female students were particularly grossed out when people coughed or sneezed without covering; nearly four in five said it was the nastiest hygiene habit they saw on campus. Students saw other nasty hygiene habits like not washing hands after using the restroom, not showering or brushing their teeth regularly, and not flushing the toilet, the study said.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!

Register for FREE
to continue reading !

This is not a paywall.
However, your registration helps us understand your preferences better and enables us to provide insightful and credible journalism for all our readers.

Mid-Day Web Stories

Mid-Day Web Stories

This website uses cookie or similar technologies, to enhance your browsing experience and provide personalised recommendations. By continuing to use our website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. OK