Once used only to make and receive calls, these days our mobile phones are an extension of ourselves. We use them for everything from arranging online shopping and sorting our finances and travel to social media and entertainment.
People in the UK spend an average of three hours and 21 minutes a day on their phones, recent research by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising found. And more than half (57 per cent) of adults admit to taking their phone into the loo, according to a YouGov survey, including 8 per cent who say they ‘always’ do this.
Yet as we discovered in this unique experiment, where we measured bacterial load before and after a visit to the loo, this is a habit you might want to rethink. It could get you to regularly clean your mobile, too (something 15 per cent of Britons say they never do).
When you flush the loo it releases a ‘plume’ of droplets containing bacteria and excrement – and 2021 research by the University of Colorado Boulder found that this can travel 5ft in eight seconds, potentially landing on floors, sinks, the loo flush and door handles.
So bugs could be transferred to our phones even if they are just placed on a nearby windowsill or floor.
A 2020 review of 56 studies from 24 countries found that mobile phones commonly carry E. coli or Salmonella – food-poisoning bugs that can cause severe gastric symptoms (if someone doesn’t wash their hands thoroughly, tiny traces of faeces that contain these bacteria can be transferred from their hands to their phone). These may survive on the phone for a day or more.
And last month, researchers at Bond University in Australia analysed DNA samples from 95 mobile phones belonging to healthcare workers and identified so-called superbugs, which are resistant to antibiotics and so can cause fatal infections in hospitals or care homes.
‘Anything we touch becomes a transfer station for germs – and that includes our phones,’ says Lisa Ackerley, a public health and hygiene scientist and fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health.
‘Germs from dirty hands can get on to phones and, equally, dirty phones can contaminate our hands.’
More than half (57 per cent) of adults admit to taking their phone into the loo, according to a YouGov survey, including 8 per cent who say they ‘always’ do this (picture posed by model)
She believes cleaning our phones with an antibacterial wipe should be part of our regular hygiene routine.
But is that necessary? To find out, we asked five people to swab their phones using a special wipe. They then repeated the process with a second swab after taking their phones into the bathroom and allowing their devices to touch surfaces, including door handles, loo flushes and basins, as well as their hands after touching these areas.
The swabs were then sent to Dr Melody Greenwood, a consultant microbiologist at an independent microbiology laboratory and consultancy service, Microtech Services, based in Bournemouth.
The methods used to analyse the phones are the same as those the company uses for swabs taken in kitchens and catering facilities to check their cleanliness.
Each sample was tested for the number of bacteria from the phone surface. This is measured in colony-forming units (CFUs). In microbiology, CFUs are a way of estimating the number of living bacteria on a sample.
To put this in context, a freshly bleached kitchen surface should have a very low or undetectable count – even as low as ten.
So, who fared worst – and what can we all learn from the results? We asked Dr Greenwood to analyse them for us.
Patricia Porter, 55, an inventor of mental healthcare products, lives in North Yorkshire with her partner.
TOTAL BACTERIA COUNT
Before: 1,100 CFU
After: 2,300 CFU
EXPERT COMMENT: The total number of bacteria on Patricia’s phone roughly doubled after her visit to the bathroom in her home. But while anything over 1,000 CFUs suggests the phone hasn’t been cleaned recently, the species present matter much more than the number alone.
In Patricia’s case these included Staphylococci – a broad group of bacteria commonly found on human skin and in the environment. Many strains of Staphylococci are harmless, although some species, such as Staphylococcus aureus, can cause infections in people who are vulnerable due to illness or a weakened immune system.
The laboratory detected one additional type of bacteria here after the visit to the loo – Pediococci, which is linked to plants, fermented foods and the environment. It could be that when Patricia’s animals go outside, they come into contact with plants carrying the bacteria and these have ended up on bathroom surfaces, or on her own hands when she has touched her dog.
Patricia Porter, 55, had Staphylococci and Pediococci on her phone. Staphylococcus aureus can cause infections in people who are vulnerable due to illness or a weakened immune system
PATRICIA SAYS: I am on my phone constantly. It’s my second office, and can easily be in use for up to ten hours a day.
Since becoming self-employed five years ago, I worry about missing an important call, so I always keep my phone with me – admittedly sometimes even when I go to the loo.
Living in the countryside, I have rescue hens, a tortoise and a rescue cocker spaniel called Millie.
I always wash my hands after handling the chickens, but I don’t really think about it after walking the dog or stroking the tortoise, even though I might be holding my phone in my other hand.
I don’t give phone hygiene much thought. I keep it in a cover so I was surprised there were still lots of bacteria on the surface.
That said, seeing the figures, I now know I need to change my habits. For example, I often have my phone with me in the kitchen, propped up against the air fryer or microwave while I’m following recipes – so I’m touching both food and my phone. I don’t think I’ll be using it in the kitchen this way again without giving it a good clean first.
Antonia Hristov, 31, who works in marketing, lives in Maidstone, Kent, with her husband, Tony, 31, an operations manager.
TOTAL BACTERIA COUNT
Before: 540 CFU
After: 1,000 CFU
EXPERT COMMENT: Antonia had the cleanest phone before going to the loo at her workplace. What’s more, although the overall bacterial count doubled after testing, it was still within a very low range.
One of the bugs on Antonia’s phone, before and after, was Micrococcus, commonly found in soil, water, dust and air, as well as on surfaces. Although rarer, some Micrococci species can cause infections in, say, wounds or the bloodstream, especially in people with weakened immune systems. But, overall, this was a pretty clean phone.
Antonia Hristov, 31, had Micrococci on her phone. This is commonly found in soil, water, dust and air, as well as on surfaces. Some species can cause infections in wounds or the bloodstream
ANTONIA SAYS: I use my phone for both work and personal use, spending around two hours on it every day, but I’m conscious of my screen time and try not to doomscroll for more than half an hour. I might sometimes take it into the bathroom at home and work – as I did on this day – although never public loos.
I was surprised the result came back with such a low bacteria count after testing. That may be because our office bathrooms are cleaned very regularly.
I’m generally very careful about hygiene and cross-contamination – for example, if my phone rings while I’m preparing raw meat, I’ll wash my hands before touching it again – and I’m conscious of not transferring germs to my face. But I never specifically wipe my phone down.
I was really pleased to know that being careful about my phone has paid off.
Jonathan Royle, 50, a hypnotist, lives in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, with his wife, Rachel, 43, a film and television chaperone, and their daughter Ashley, 17.
TOTAL BACTERIA COUNT
Before: 2,700 CFU
After: 12,000 CFU
EXPERT COMMENT: The total number of bacteria increased by around 4.4 times after Jonathan visited the bathroom at home.
The phone already had more than 2,000 bacteria on it beforehand, which isn’t particularly surprising for a device that is handled so often (Jonathan says he uses it for at least four hours a day).
However, the increase seen after the phone was taken into the bathroom and used there shows just how much bacteria can be present in these environments – and how easily it can transfer from our hands to our phones.
The bacteria identified were mainly Micrococci and Staphylococci – common groups of bacteria often found on human skin and in the environment. There was nothing concerning, but it would still make sense for him to make sure he cleans his phone regularly given the increase.
Jonathan Royle, 50, says he visits a lot of venues when he's performing as a hypnotist, so is in contact with many different people and places
JONATHAN SAYS: I was shocked at how much the bacteria level rose – it’s not nice to think about having all those germs on my phone, even if the bacteria itself weren’t of any real concern.
I visit a lot of venues when I’m performing, so I’m in contact with many different people and places. I often travel by taxi, during which time I may be using my phone.
I also travel by train and sometimes put it on the table – which, thinking about it, isn’t always the cleanest surface.
I wipe the front of my phone with whatever is to hand from time to time, but regular cleaning isn’t something I really think about. But I will do from now on.
Law student Malik Fraz Ahmad, 22, lives in London.
TOTAL BACTERIA COUNT
Before: 14,000 CFU
After: 910,000 CFU
EXPERT COMMENT: The total bacterial count increased by 65 times after testing. The question is why did it rise so spectacularly after he took the phone into the bathroom in his home, where he did the test?
Most likely this huge number of bacteria could have been due to a build-up of contamination on the taps, door handle and loo flush in particular, which were transferred to his hands and then his phone.
What’s more, his ‘after’ swab also contained a bacteria called Enterobacteriaceae, which the others didn’t have on their phones. This could be of concern because some pathogens such as Salmonella belong to this group of bacteria – which can make people sick (this test didn’t specify exactly which type was found).
He really does need to think about cleaning his phone and – dare I say – his bathroom surfaces regularly.
The total bacterial count on student Malik Fraz Ahmad's phone increased by around 65 times after the bathroom test
MALIK FRAZ SAYS: I can’t remember the last time I cleaned my phone – these shocking results are proof of that – and I usually only clean the camera lens.
My phone spends maybe five to six hours a day in my hands, so I really should clean it. I use it for watching videos, listening to podcasts during my commute, at the gym and for revising.
These results have been a bit of a wake-up call. I really didn’t expect this! Though, given the places I go, including public transport and the gym, there’s so much scope for it to become contaminated with bacteria.
I’m going to clean my phone straight away with disinfectant wipes, and use AirPods more so it’s not held next to my face.
Nicola Jenkins, 39, runs a virtual support company for small businesses and lives in Cardiff with her husband Daniel, 39, a service manager, and their daughters, Pearl, four, and Jasmine, two.
TOTAL BACTERIA COUNT
Before: 10,000 CFU
After: 2,300 CFU
EXPERT COMMENT: Nicola’s phone gave us an unusual result since the total number of viable bacteria fell by around 77 per cent after testing. That said, the swab taken from her phone after being brought into the loo contained two types of bacteria that weren’t there before: Micrococci and Bacillus.
Micrococci can occasionally cause infections if they enter the body through a wound or medical device such as a catheter.
Bacillus is also usually harmless but some types can survive cooking as they’re more resistant to heat. If cooked foods such as rice are left sitting at room temperature, for example, spores can grow into active bacteria and produce toxins that cause food poisoning.
It’s unclear what led to the significant decrease of bacteria on Nicola’s phone.
What’s significant is that the phone had a high bacterial count initially – second only to Malik’s – which highlights how bacteria can accumulate on everyday objects. Again, it shows the importance of cleaning our phones.
While the number of bacteria on the phone belonging to mum Nicola Jenkins, 39, actually decreased in the esecond test, the sample did contain two types of bacteria that weren’t there before: Micrococci and Bacillus
NICOLA SAYS: Having young children, my phone is part of everyday family life. My two little girls play everywhere, as kids do – they play on the carpet and spend time with our elderly dog, Jack (who sometimes has accidents on the floor).
They also like to touch my phone, say when I am taking photos, which could explain the high ‘before’ result.
My phone usage varies, but I do scroll a bit, perhaps when I’m parked up in the car during the day while eating a sandwich in the other hand. I don’t fancy doing this now I’ve seen these results.
I normally keep my phone next to my bed because I use it as my alarm clock. However, thinking about all the bacteria that can gather on it, I think I might keep it further away.
I clean my phone sometimes – when I take it out of its case, I use a microfibre cloth, and if I’m cleaning my glasses I’ll often wipe the screen, too. I realise now this is nowhere near enough.
Public health and hygiene scientist, Lisa Ackerley, suggests these simple tips for keeping your phone clean:
- Use a microfibre cloth and a phone-safe disinfectant wipe (such as a 70 per cent alcohol wipe).
- Avoid using your phone in places where it can get dirty, such as bathrooms, kitchens while preparing food or on public surfaces.
- Clean your phone case and accessories (such as earbuds and chargers) regularly with an alcohol wipe, as they can collect bacteria, too.
- Do not place your phone on dirty surfaces such as bathroom counters, floors or shared tables.
- Avoid sharing your phone with others where possible, as phones are frequently touched and can carry germs from hands, faces and surfaces. Sharing a phone with family members, friends, colleagues or others can allow bacteria and viruses to transfer between people, including germs that may cause common illnesses such as colds, flu, stomach bugs and other infections. And clean it regularly, especially if it is handled by multiple people.
