Your TV remote harbours more bacteria than the toilet seat
No one likes the thought of bacteria around the home. While it’s too small to be seen by the naked eye, it can multiply in areas we forget to clean, leading to unwanted smells while also spreading potential diseases. One such surface which can carry shocking levels of bacteria is the TV’s remote control.
New research from Churchill Home Insurance has found that the TV remote control harbours more bacteria than the toilet seat. But why is this item such a prime location for bacteria and what can we do to change this?
How dirty is the TV’s remote control?
The lab study found that the average TV remote control carries very high levels of Enterobacter (15x more than the toilet seat); a type of bacteria found in faeces, as well as moderate levels of yeast and mould, and low levels of streptococcus. The toilet seat by comparison carries low levels of Enterobacter, high levels of yeast and mould, and moderate levels of streptococcus.
You would think the toilet seat would naturally carry a higher level of Enterobacter, but considering that our hands rarely touch this surface, and we’re more likely to touch the remote control afterwards to unpause our favourite show, transference isn’t so surprising (especially if we don’t wash our hands). We’re also naturally more likely to clean the toilet seat on a regular basis, which will help keep bacteria levels in check.
We touch our remote controls more often than you’d think. According to a recent survey by Dettol, each person will touch the remote 5,475 times a year on average, and considering that 25% of people never clean their remote, according to Churchill's survey, such bacterial growth is to be expected.
Enterobacter has the potential to spread disease and infections, including bloodstream infections and pneumonia. So you’ll want to limit this bacterial growth as much as possible. You can do so by routinely cleaning your remote control.
Cleaning essentials
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How to clean your TV’s remote control in 3 steps
1. Start by removing the batteries and giving it a dust by wiping it over with a soft microfibre cloth.
2. Next, spray an antibacterial solution, such as Dettol Antibacterial Disinfectant, onto a fresh part of your microfibre cloth and use that to wipe over the remote control, front and back. You can alternatively use an antibacterial wipe if that’s easier.
3. Use a cotton bud to reach between the buttons if needed. A toothpick can help dislodge any dirt around the buttons too. Leave to dry before replacing the batteries.
You can use similar instructions to clean any gaming controllers too. Just make sure it’s unplugged first!
We recommend cleaning your TVs remote control monthly, but it should be cleaned more regularly if someone is sick in the household. Remember to wash your hands thoroughly after using the toilet too!
What else should you be cleaning?
The same survey from Churchill Home Insurance also found that kitchen surfaces and bed sheets harbour more bacteria compared to the toilet seat and the remote control. Kitchen surfaces showed very high levels across the board, while bed sheets showed very high levels of streptococcus, with moderate levels of Enterobacter and yeast and mould. Most of us will disinfect our kitchen surfaces regularly, but how can you keep bacteria at bay in your bed sheets?
Start by not making your bed – not immediately in any case; this encourages bacterial growth because all the heat and moisture from the previous night gets trapped in the bed. Just pull back the sheets and open up the windows for at least a couple of hours to vent residual moisture.
When the time comes to wash your bedding, make sure you wash at 60°C to effectively kill bacteria. You should be washing bedding at least once every two weeks; once a week if you suffer from allergies, according to Allergy UK.
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