The grim germ hotspots in your home with up to six times more bacteria than toilet seat

As a nation obsessed with watching strangers on the internet clean things, it may surprise many that our own homes could be much dirtier than we think. Despite our best efforts, some areas are regularly overlooked in our daily clean-up.

According to new research from Initial Washroom Hygiene, everyday touch points such as light switches, oven doors, kettles, and door handles are the worst culprits for microbial contamination. This information was gathered from a swabbing study carried out across a sample of homes.

The research revealed the grizzly fact that many Brits admit to never even wiping a cloth around the most used touchpoints in their homes. As well as showing the deep cleans may be out of fashion.

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While a little dirt never hurt anyone, high levels of bacteria can harbour all sorts of nasties you wouldn't want to find in your home. Ironically, most of us spend more time cleaning our toilets than we do wiping over everyday areas that could contain up to as much as six times the amount of bacteria.

The scientific assessment used an ATP bioluminescence reader to detect the levels of biological life not visible to the human eye. Alongside the swabbing exercise, a consumer research survey of over 2,000 respondents was also undertaken to uncover the cleaning habits of Brits.

Despite being some of the most commonly touched items in the home, it turns out that a fifth of those surveyed only clean their light switches once a year or less, with 8% admitting that they have never cleaned them.

The sample tests showed that 60% of light switches swabbed gave a reading of over 500 ATP units, indicating a high level of contamination. The same was true for door handles with 65% of the door handles swabbed surpassing 500 ATB units, reaching an average reading of 995, almost twice what would be considered a normal level.

Even worse, 41% of Brits admitted they don’t always wash their hands after getting home each day. One in 10 say they never sanitise the handle of their kettle and 13% admit to not cleaning their electric toothbrush for six months or more.

Our TV remotes and technology didn't fare much better either. Gamers in the North West (22%) and Midlands (19%) are most likely to have consoles left uncleaned for a year or more, and a fifth (19%) of parents with children under the age of 10 said they cleaned their games consoles once a year or less.

Busy lives and long working hours have led to a decline in the popularity of the deep cleans or 'spring cleans' in our homes. Jamie Woodhall, spokesperson for Initial Washroom Hygiene, said “Whether or not you plan to conduct a deep clean of your home at some point during the year, it’s important to think about where biological life may be accumulating. So a regular clean with an antibacterial wipe of remote controls, door handles, game consoles, and so on, is advisable.

“Bacteria good and bad are naturally present in every household, but to help protect loved ones and reduce the risk of illnesses spreading, people should remember to clean everyday items that are regularly handled and high touchpoint surfaces. It doesn’t take long if you make it part of a cleaning routine, and combined with regular handwashing, can make a real difference in helping to create healthier, safer living environments.”