11 Things That Are Extremely Unsanitary, But Most People Still Do Them Anyway
You could be putting your health at risk with these habits.
Ground Picture | Shutterstock Most people are blissfully unaware of their unhygienic habits and unsanitary behaviors on a day-to-day basis, according to a report titled "The Dirty Truth," commissioned by Vital Vio. Whether it's using the bathroom, getting ready, or eating at a restaurant, they put themselves at risk for touching and digesting thousands of germs without even realizing it.
Many of the things that are extremely unsanitary, but most people still do them anyway, fall under this umbrella. Some are common knowledge that people simply underestimate, but others are entirely unsuspecting. So, if you're trying to combat illness or protect yourself from germs, consider avoiding these habits and behaviors in your daily life.
Here are 11 things that are extremely unsanitary, but most people still do them anyway
1. Not washing their hands after using the bathroom
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Despite research that consistently proves that washing your hands regularly helps to reduce your risk for illness like a respiratory infection and protect you from germs, hand-washing levels are still relatively low across the nation's population. It's one of the things that are extremely unsanitary, but most people still do them anyway.
Of course, it's also possible that low levels of hand-washing in some environments and households is a result of low accessibility — people not having access to soap, clean water, or knowledge about hand-washing. But, in many cases, it's simply a choice of convenience, despite putting health at risk.
2. Leaving the toilet seat open
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Flushing with the toilet seat open and never closing the lid is one of the things that can be extremely unsanitary, but most people do anyway. Especially if you're not regularly cleaning your toilet and bathroom, this habit can lead to more germs and bacteria than you realize.
While some research suggests that flushing with the toilet lid down is key to preventing contamination of bathroom surfaces, others, like one from the American Journal of Infection Control, argue that as long as the toilet and bowl itself are being thoroughly disinfected on a regular basis, closing the lid has little effect.
3. Blowing out birthday candles
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According to a study from the Journal of Food Research, blowing out candles on a birthday cake significantly increases the amount of germs that live on it. This means that when people cut into the cake and actually eat it, they're also eating that bacteria.
Especially if someone is fighting an illness or actively sick, the pathogens living on the cake after they blow on it could make you sick, yet it's still one of the extremely unsanitary habits that people still do anyway.
4. Wearing 'outside clothes' in bed
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If you're already cognizant of what you wear to bed, chances are you'd never wear your "outside clothes" — the same clothes that you wear to work or when you leave your home — in your bedroom; however, some people don't mind. According to a Sleepopolis survey, the majority of people do change into different clothes when they go to bed, but there's an alarming 9% that "never" do.
So, whether they're in the gym, coming home from work, or navigating their daily life around a million people and germs all day, they don't mind bringing those same germs into their sheets.
5. Swimming in public pools
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According to a survey from the Water Quality and Health Council, 1 in 5 adults admit to peeing in public pools while swimming. Not only is that an unsettling statistic considering there's likely a much higher percentage that wouldn't admit to it, there are a number of other things that are extremely unsanitary about public pools that most people don't realize.
Chlorine isn't killing all of the bacteria that lives in pools, so every time you're swimming, you're not only surrounded by bacteria and germs, but also a range of bodily fluids. In fact, part of the reason your eyes turn red after swimming in a chlorinated pool isn't because of those chemicals, but all of the other germs and fluids lingering in the water.
So, if you haven't considered it before, this might be the perfect time to opt for another summer activity or invest in a cleaner, more controlled swimming pool.
6. Using or handling money
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Using and handling money are some of the things that are extremely unsanitary, but most people still do them anyway, oftentimes because they have no other choice. However, knowledge about the kinds of germs and bodily fluids that are unsuspectingly living on dollar bills and coins could have more people switching to electronic payment options.
According to a study from PLOS One, many of the germs that live on dollar bills and coins are easily transferred onto human hands when handled. If you're not careful about washing your hands after handling it, the chances that you'll end up eating, touching your face, or spreading the germs is much higher.
7. Eating at buffets
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Food buffets are one of the things that are extremely unsanitary, but most people still do anyway. While most have truly closed down in recent years to prevent the spread of illness, the ones that still remain are continuing to spread illness, especially ones that have little regulation and oversight.
From unsanitary food standards, to contamination, and even germs from other patrons, buffets are largely hot spots for spreading germs and illness. Outside of avoiding raw foods and other meals clearly kept at the wrong temperature, it seems like the best way to navigate a buffet to protect yourself from germs is to avoid it completely.
8. Using a phone in the bathroom
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According to gastroenterologist Dr. Saurabh Sethi, using your phone on the toilet or in the bathroom — especially in public restrooms — can be detrimental to your health. Outside of spreading germs and bacteria, the stress and physical distress that being on your phone in the bathroom causes can be equally unhelpful for physical wellbeing.
Of course, outside of simply avoiding germs and protecting immune health, many of the things that are extremely unsanitary in the bathroom aren't common knowledge — putting people at risk for illness, even when they don't realize they have unhealthy habits.
9. Having long nails
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Our hands are hot spots for germs, considering we use them to navigate so many things throughout the day, both inside our homes and beyond. However, nails can foster bacteria and germs that go relatively undetected, and the more surface area there is for germs to live, the more unsanitary they tend to be.
Having long nails, especially without a strong hygiene routine, is one of the things that are extremely unsanitary, but most people still do them anyway. Especially when people with long nails eat food or touch their face without intentionally cleaning under their nail beds and washing their hands, it can be more harmful than people realize.
10. Eating while bowling
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Similar to other high traffic areas, like gas station pumps or shopping carts at the grocery store, bowling balls are incredibly dirty. They not only harbor a ton of germs and bacteria, they easily transfer it to hundreds of people who share the same bowling balls at the alley.
While you should be washing your hands before eating, no matter what environment you're in, doing it at the bowling alley after sharing bowling balls with strangers should be nonnegotiable. It's probably best to opt for a fork and knife instead.
11. Drinking out of a can
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If you consider just how many people touch a soda can before you drink it, it might inspire you to clean the top before ever drinking one again. They're a haven for germs and especially harmful to personal health and hygiene considering we touch our mouths directly to the top every time we take a drink!
While it's likely something people don't think about, it's a really good idea to clean the top of any cans you purchase in the store. Otherwise, you're leaving yourself vulnerable to a potential illness.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
