The fact is, the bathroom harbors germs, and they are everywhere. Not only the bathroom but everywhere throughout the house, there are germs.

I mean our bodies carry germs and I think I’m a pretty clean person but germs cannot be avoided, no matter how hard we try and most household germs are fairly harmless.

But not all of them, there are some that can make you sick and when you think about how many times you’re in a bathroom and how many times your hands touch your face; it’s kind of gross to think about what you might be leaving behind.

Most of us clean the bathroom weekly, maybe even more often than that, which helps tremendously when it comes to germs and bacteria, but if you don’t and many people; family and friends, are using the bathroom the chances increase for germs and bacteria to spread.

What are the Worst Germs Found in Your Bathroom?
As I’ve already said, if you clean the bathroom regularly and if you wash your hands after each potty break, there is little possibility of the worst of the germs affecting your living space. But for those who aren’t so inclined to clean regularly, well there are several types of germs that could make you sick.

Let’s take a look at some of the worst offenders and what they are on.

The Porcelain Throne a.k.a. the Toilet
I think we’ve all heard the stories of how dirty a toilet can be and it’s real if left unclean. Some of the viruses that can happen are:

Enteric bacteria can cause gastroenteritis which causes your stomach and intestines to become irritated and inflamed leaving you with abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Gastrointestinal illness is a virus caused by feces which poor hygiene habits can leave traces on toilet seats, countertops, and faucets. And the simple act of flushing can cause sprays of water that can be contaminated with fecal matter and people touching a dirty toilet seat not washing hands then touching their face and mouth, just think of what is being left behind.
Other bacteria found around toilets that can be spread are salmonella and E-coli. These bacteria can be eliminated by simply cleaning weekly, maybe more often if there are several people sharing a bathroom.

What Bacteria Lurks in Your Shower?
Oh that nice warm shower, how good it feels in the morning to wake us up and sometimes in the evening to wash off the dirt and sweat of the day.

The shower is the perfect warm environment for mold, mildew and bacteria to thrive. The bacteria in the shower will most likely not threaten most people but could possibly cause a problem with someone who is not so healthy or has a weekend immune system.

The one item in the shower that gets overlooked even by the best of us is the shower head. It’s a great spot for bacteria and biofilms to thrive. Below is a link to Cleaning the Shower Head.

Cleaning a Shower Head

Having a shower that is not clean and shared by others can also aggravate allergies and asthma symptoms.

Is There Bacteria on Bathroom Towels
There are many of us that reuse our bath towels and hang them to dry afterwards. Although dead skin cells and bacteria will accumulate, as long as the towel is allowed to dry afterwards, bacteria growth is slowed.

I might use my towel twice before washing but honestly, I wouldn’t let it go more than a few days. Hand towels on the other hand, now that’s a different story.

Hand towels are used to dry our hands, our face and can become heavily soiled with dead skin cells and makeup. Quite often hand towels are wetter than a bath towel and instead of being hung to dry; hand towels are left bunched on the counter where they are not drying out as well which means more bacteria and mold can grow on the surface.

There can potentially be many disease causing bacteria on hand towels like e-coli and salmonella and when the towel is wet they can grow fast over just a few days.

The Bathroom Sink
Think of all the things that go down the bathroom sink drain – we spit in the drain, rinse a razor over the drain, soap from washing our hands goes down the drain, skin cells and more creating a buildup of bacteria and slime.

Again, for most of us it won’t cause a problem but it could for some. When you clean the bathroom every so often think about cleaning the drain.

Baking Soda and Vinegar Drain Cleaner Recipe

First pour about 1/ 2 cups of baking soda down the drain.
Follow this with white vinegar, pour about 1 cup down the drain. You’ll notice the fizzy reaction that occurs when these two meet.
Cover the drain with a rag and let sit about 10 to 15 minutes.
While the baking soda and vinegar do their thing, boil about 4 cups of water. Carefully take this to the sink and pour it down the drain to help dislodge any debris.
If someone knows how to remove the P-trap remove it and clean out any debris then replace.
What Lies on the Bathroom Floor?
Well for one thing, it’s the bath mat. It just sits there on the floor damp from us getting out of the shower providing a lovely place for bacteria to live.

And what about athlete’s foot fungus? With many people sharing a bathroom, walking in and out barefoot increases the risk of this type of fungus to spread to floor surfaces.

In order to eliminate bacteria and foot fungus, be sure to wash bath mats and floors regularly.

Other places in the bathroom where germs and bacteria can be left behind are light switches, doorknobs, drawers, faucets, and countertops. Here is another article on cleaning the bathroom:

Step by Step Instructions on Cleaning the Bathroom

The majority of us keep a clean home and the dangers of serious germs and bacteria affecting our health are eliminated when we clean on a regular basis. But for those who aren’t as diligent, I hope after reading about the possible dangers of having an unclean bathroom, you clean more often.

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Does Your Bathroom Harbor Germs and Bacteria