What’s Lurking on “Clean” Surfaces? A Utah Homeowner’s Guide to Residue-Free Cleaning

Did you know your countertop has 18 times more bacteria than your dog's food bowl? Our lab compared the average CFU per square inch throughout our kitchens with the averages for other common household surfaces. Surprisingly, our kitchens are probably a lot germier than we'd like to think. Even if you use one of the best countertop materials out there, this spot remains one of the dirtiest surfaces in the kitchen. Other grimy contenders include refrigerator handles, which average over 55,200 times more bacteria than a remote control; dishwasher handles, with 1,392 times more bacteria than a child's hand; and oven handles, with 4,550 times more bacteria than a toilet seat.