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A recent study conducted by College Rover has revealed that the average college cafeteria table harbors a staggering 60,000 times more bacteria than a typical household toilet seat. The research involved swabbing various areas across multiple campuses, including bathrooms, dormitory common areas, and computer lab keyboards, to identify the germiest places.
In addition to the swabbing, the study also included surveys of 1,000 students about their personal experiences and hygiene practices. The findings indicated that public bathrooms ranked as the most germ-infested area on campus, with a whopping 47 million colony-forming units (CFU). Within this, 64 percent were gram-negative rods and 34 percent were of type II.
Surprisingly, campus laundry rooms were found to be even more germ-ridden, boasting 30.5 million CFUs, consisting of 98 percent gram-negative rods and 2 percent bacillus. This made laundry rooms more germ-laden than campus cafeteria tables, which had 100,000 fewer CFUs.
While the kitchen sink is considered one of the dirtiest spots in most homes, with an average of just under 11.4 million CFUs, this pales in comparison to college library desks, which were found to have 2.6 times more bacteria, according to the study.
The researchers also delved into the hygiene habits of college students, discovering that almost 15 percent cleaned their living spaces only once a month. Female students expressed particular discomfort when witnessing people cough or sneeze without covering, with nearly four in five finding it to be the most unhygienic habit they observed on campus. Other unsavory hygiene practices noted included neglecting to wash hands after using the restroom, infrequent showering or tooth brushing, and failing to flush the toilet, as reported in the study.
