What’s the Dirtiest Thing in a Grocery Store?
2019 me didn't care about germs. I never thought about germs. I washed my hands when it was appropriate but I didn't go out of my way if I didn't need to.
2020 me only thinks about where to put my face when I sneeze. What to do with my hands after I open a door without a sleeve used as a prophylactic.
So, it's new to me to give a damn about what the highest-risk thing is we might come in contact with a a grocery store.
So the CBC (which I think is Canadian, so we can trust them) found researchers who swabbed various surfaces at a handful of stores and came up with a new list of things to worry about.
Thanks CBC.
They went to 24 different stores and swabbed all sorts of areas of the public and it turns out the thing to worrry about least is the shopping cart handle. I guess since employees and customers both wipe them down they end up actually getting cleaned.
1. Credit card pin pads. I don't know where your fingers been...but I'm a pretty good guesser. So, yeah. I'm going to need some sanitation services over here.
2. The handles on shopping baskets. These things have pretty deep crevasses. Plenty of room for nasties to hide.
3. The front of your shopping cart. No one would think to clean that part. Plus...that's where my son rides, so you can guarantee if he it touching it...it's dirty now.
4. Freezer door handles. They're like a germsicle.
5. The baby seat in shopping carts. When fecal matter is literally 1/2 an inch from the surface you can expect leakage.
6. The handle of your shopping cart. Not on the top of the list...but still gross.