Researchers found that the virus that causes the common cold was present on more than 60% of the equipment in the gym they tested. Even worse, they also found that disinfecting the equipment twice a day didn’t lower the virus count by much.

Several studies on mobile phones found that they carry heaps of bacteria including staphylococcus (which causes skin infections), pseudomonas (eye infections), and salmonella (gastroentritis). Mobile phones with cases on them were the worse because they provide plenty of crevices for germs to hide in.

Crazy as it sounds, there are more germs here than almost anywhere else. Remember, people who are already sick and may have an infectious disease were here before you so chairs, magazines, and even the doctor’s clothing could be contaminated.

Airline crews are exposed to hundreds of sniffling and coughing passengers and all the surfaces they touch. In fact, it’s those very surfaces throughout the cabin that harbour the most germs – especially your tray table.

Soap that harbours germs may sound bizarre yet studies have revealed that more than 30% of public toilet soap dispensers are contaminated with faecal bacteria. Many of these containers are never cleaned so bacteria grows as soap scum builds up.

Chlorine doesn’t always kill bacteria immediately so avoid swallowing pool water, shower before entering the pool to avoid infecting others, wash your hands if you use the toilet before swimming and don’t swim or allow your child to swim if she or he has diarrhea.

Unwashed bedspread covers and throws should be the least of your worries. The real concern is whether the bathroom has been cleaned thoroughly, as well as doorknobs, phones and bedside tables.

When you have so many people in close quarters for hours at a time, germs are bound to thrive. The most common bugs that lurk in movie theatres include the rhinovirus, which is responsible for the common cold.

After being dropped on the floor repeatedly, stuffed between the couch cushions, sneezed and coughed on, the TV remote control is probably one of the most germ-infested items in your home.

Almost two-thirds of all the handles on shopping trolleys around the world are contaminated with bacteria. Evidently, trolleys actually have more bacteria on them than the average public bathroom.

Studies found that 50% of all the vacuum brushes they tested contained faecal bacteria and almost ALL contained fungal spores. One way to get around this was to invest in a bagless vacuum that are shown to contain far less bacterial growth.