It is small, discreet and yet it accumulates everything: fingerprints, dust, microbes … A real nest with bacteria, glued to children, which deserves much more maintenance.
Experts from MatetSNEXTDAY wanted to know how contaminated this familiar object could be. For this, they used a measurement apparatus called ATP, which detects the traces of triphosphate adenosine, a molecule present in all living cells, including bacteria. The higher the ATP, the more dirty the object.
The results? Surprising. The favorite object of children displays, on average, dirt levels much higher than those of many places of the house which are considered to be frankly disgusting. For example, a toilet seat raises 836 units on the ATP scale. A trash cover reaches 294 units. And this object used every day by your child? It exceeds 1900 units in almost 30 % of cases. The comparison hurts. The object is therefore twice dirty as a WC bowl, and more than six times more contaminated than a trash cover. In some cases, it even worse than a kitchen board after cutting raw chicken. That’s not all: children’s covers are not outdone. They go up to more than 1600 units on average. In other words, almost twice dirty as a toilet seat.
But then, why are these objects so contaminated? The answer is simple: they are rarely washed. Too fragile to be thrown into machine regularly, or simply forgotten in the daily rhythm, they shed slowly, in silence. They accumulate dust, saliva, crumbs, sweat, microbes, and even mites. And as they are in direct contact with the skin, face, children’s hands … These bacteria find direct access to their body. Experts therefore insist: you must closely monitor the hygiene state of your children.
Katy Roberts, washing expert at Ao.com, gives concrete advice to limit risks. She recommends washing this object at least once a month, and the covers every two weeks. For resistant models, a cold machine passage with a soft detergent is enough. If it is more delicate, hand cleaning, with a damp cloth or sponge and a little soft shampoo, can do the trick. Think about it!
