Expert reveals why you shouldn’t take your smartphone into the bathroom

We have it in our hands dozens of times a day, some even take it with them to the toilet: the smartphone. The touchscreen must be teeming with germs, right?

The all-clear comes from Markus Egert, Professor of Microbiology and Hygiene at Furtwangen University. His research shows that the smartphone is not such a big germ spreader. Provided you practice good hand hygiene when you’re not busy scrolling.

Question: Mr. Egert, why are you sitting on your smartphone

not as many germs as expected?

Markus Egert
: The touch screen does not provide good living conditions for microorganisms. Because it is very smooth, dry and relatively poor in nutrients. What sticks might be a few flakes of skin or a bit of fat.

In addition, we often clean the smartphone unintentionally – for example by wiping it on our pants or t-shirt. This removes germs mechanically.

To the best of my knowledge, this has not yet been studied in a structured manner. However, we were able to show in a small study that simply wiping with a microfiber cloth removes 80 to 90 percent of the microorganisms.

Question: But the germs that are on our hands inevitably end up on the smartphone

or?

Markus Egert
: Yes, the smartphone is a bit of an extension. However, not all germs from our hands end up on the smartphone. Some germs do better there than others – there is a selection.

However, the smartphone is an object that is usually only used and touched by oneself – nobody else. Therefore, the hygiene significance of such a device for the individual is relatively unspectacular. It’s different, for example, with business smartphones or tablets in the hospital, which are used by several people.

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Question: Many people also use their mobile phones in the toilet. What does this mean for the germ load?

Markus Egert
: The scenario is: You sit on the toilet, take out your cell phone and read something. Then you pack up the phone, clean up and leave. Nothing happens with the smartphone in terms of germs. Because the ambient air does not get more bacteria onto the cell phone than usual.

Your hands are the key. Of course, if you go to your smartphone with hands contaminated by fecal bacteria, they end up there too. If you practice good hand hygiene, this shouldn’t happen.

But of course there are differences: If you are in a public toilet, there is of course more to it when it comes to germs. In most households, however, the bathroom and toilet are cleaner than the kitchen, for example.

Question: What does that mean exactly – with a view to the smartphone?

Markus Egert
: It is much more problematic if you use your mobile phone while cooking. Few think about that. An example: You defrost a chicken, listen to music on your cell phone or watch a cooking video.

In such a situation, it is much more likely that you will contaminate the smartphone with food pathogens. There are millions to billions of germs per cubic centimeter on such a piece of meat.

In addition, when you taste something, you might put a finger in your mouth. You would never do that in the toilet.

This is probably related to the fact that people have a basic fear of feces. Toilets are therefore places where hygiene is particularly important – unlike perhaps the kitchen.

Question: What can I do to keep the germ load of the smartphone under control?

Markus Egert
: Of course, if I wash my hands regularly, my smartphone stays clean. Otherwise wipe regularly with a slightly damp cloth. This is a good thing to do after you’ve cooked or been to the hospital.

Personal details: Markus Egert is Professor of Microbiology and Hygiene at Furtwangen University. Among other things, he researches the germ load of glasses and dishwashing sponges.