When you flush a toilet, they say germs can shoot up to fifteen feet in the air and linger for several hours. Guess where many of them end up? Toothbrushes are often near toilets and become home to those germs. Next destination for the toothbrush: your mouth!

Your average kitchen sponge harbors 10 million bacteria per square inch. It’s no joke; sponges can be 250,000 times dirtier than your toilet seat. They get reused over and over, accumulating more germs after each use.

In 10 years, your mattress will double in weight, thanks to the accumulation of dust mites and their feces. But that’s not all; mattresses are also breeding grounds for bacteria and other germs, including norovirus, staphylococcus, and campylobacter.

How often do you change your pillows? Pillows accumulate dust mites, skin cells, dead bugs, body secretions, and fungi, making up a third of their weight. It’s recommended to replace your pillows every six months or so.

Your bathtub drain holds about 19,500 bacteria per square inch. The warm, moist environment of the bathtub is perfect for bacteria to thrive, especially those washed off the human body or from toys and other objects in the tub. The dirty water contaminates the entire tub, making it not as clean as you might think when you step in to wash yourself off.

A study on cleanliness at a fast food restaurant revealed that ice cubes contain 70% more germs than toilet water at the same establishment. While this might sound surprising, the secret lies in the fact that ice machines are rarely, if ever, cleaned, whereas toilets are cleaned regularly.

Bacteria accumulates around shower heads and forms a biofilm that coats the apparatus. Each time you turn on the shower, it blasts the bacteria onto your body through this film.

Almost every refrigerator in the world contains traces of E. coli, salmonella, and listeria.

Elevator buttons are, on average, 40 times dirtier than toilet seats.

Your average home carpet harbors 200,000 bacteria per square inch! That’s a staggering 4,000 times more than a toilet seat!

Cellphones carry 10 times more bacteria than your toilet seat. Surprisingly, 16% of all cellphones actually have traces of fecal matter on them.

Faucet handles in your bathroom have 21 times more bacteria than a toilet seat, and in your kitchen, it’s a staggering 44 times more! Since you typically turn them on with dirty hands, faucet handles are crawling with germs.

Most cutting boards come into contact with raw meat products at some point during their time in the kitchen. Since raw meat contains bacteria, including traces of fecal bacteria, these microbes are transferred to the board. As a result, there are 200 times more fecal bacteria on a chopping board than on a toilet seat.

Those gas pump handles you use every week or so? Well, they’re 11,000 times dirtier than your toilet seat. It makes sense when you consider how many different people touch them throughout the day without any cleaning happening.

While your laundry may get clean in the washing machine, germs and bacteria remain and thrive there. Undergarments pose the biggest problem since they often have traces of fecal matter. Your average wash load will transfer 100 million E. coli bacteria into the wash water, which can then be transferred to the next load. By the way, detergent does nothing to fight these bacteria; you must use bleach!

If you think ATMs are dirty, wait until you hear about money. There are about 200,000 bacteria per square inch on any dollar bill in circulation. It’s no wonder, considering how many people handle each bill without it ever being cleaned. Did you know money can carry the flu virus for up to 17 days after coming in contact with it? Another solid argument for using credit cards.

Your keyboard hosts 20,000 times more bacteria than your toilet seat. Since most people never clean their keyboards, think about all the things your hands touch during the day that end up on your keyboard when you type.

One in every four hand soap dispensers in public bathrooms is contaminated with germs that could make you sick. Hands-free soap dispensers greatly reduce your chance of getting sick.

Each button on an ATM carries around 1,200 bacteria per square inch. You never know what germs the person who used the touchscreen left for you to catch. Mostly “red flag bacteria” are found on these buttons, which could lead to infection if they enter your body through a cut. Next time, use your knuckles.

The moist environment in the reservoirs of coffee makers is ideal for yeast and mold to flourish. Regular cleaning and drying of these parts can prevent bacterial and fungal growth, which often goes unnoticed.

These devices are in constant contact with your skin and sweat, creating a breeding ground for bacteria. Regularly cleaning the band and the watch face is essential to maintain hygiene.

The steering wheel gets touched frequently, often with unclean hands, which makes it a hotspot for germs. Cleaning it with disinfecting wipes regularly can help maintain a healthier environment.

Shared amongst colleagues and rarely cleaned, office phones can harbor a significant amount of germs. Disinfecting these devices regularly is crucial, especially during flu season.

Accumulation of snack residues and frequent handling make game controllers a germ hub. Regular cleaning, especially during gatherings, can help prevent the spread of germs.

Used for everything from drying hands to handling hot dishes, kitchen towels can become contaminated very quickly. Washing them frequently at high temperatures can help kill bacteria.

Constantly touched by hands that handle food, microwave door handles can become contaminated easily. Regular disinfection is necessary to prevent the spread of bacteria.

Placed on floors and various other surfaces, the bottoms of handbags are seldom cleaned and can collect numerous germs. Wiping them down with antibacterial wipes can reduce germ transmission.

Often beloved by children who may also frequently put them in their mouths, stuffed toys can harbor allergens and bacteria. Regular washing or surface cleaning of these toys is recommended to keep them safe and clean.