Latest news with #emergencydoctor
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Doctor dishes on the five surprising things in your home that are DIRTIER than your toilet seat: 'Gross'
An emergency doctor has revealed surprising everyday household items that are crawling with far more bacteria than your toilet seat - leaving thousands disgusted. Dr Joe Whittington, an emergency medicine physician from California, shared the top five unsuspecting items in your home that are secretly filthy - and some might be within arm's reach as you read this. According to the medical expert, the average toilet seat has just 50 colony-forming units (CFUs) of bacteria per square inch. But what he revealed next has many reconsidering their cleaning habits - or lack thereof. A TV remote contains a staggering 5,000 CFUs, making it 100 times dirtier than your toilet seat. Cutting boards - where many home cooks prepare raw meat and vegetables - have been found to hold up to 10,000 CFUs, making it 200 times filthier. Your mobile phone? That's 25,000 CFUs, or 500 times dirtier than the loo. How often do you change your pillowcase? Dr Whittington pointed out that a single pillowcase, if left unwashed for a week, can harbour three million CFUs. But the worst offender out of the list is the kitchen sponge, which has 10 million CFUs - that's 200,000 times more bacteria than your toilet seat. Dr Whittington simply summed it up: 'I think it's time we all stop scrolling and start cleaning.' How to clean germ-laden items 1. TV remote Wipe down regularly with disinfectant wipes or a cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol. Be sure to get into crevices and under the buttons, where grime and bacteria collect. 2. Kitchen cutting board Wash thoroughly with hot, soapy water after each use. For a deeper clean, sprinkle with coarse salt and scrub with half a lemon to disinfect and deodorise. You can also sanitise plastic cutting boards by running them through the dishwasher. Never use the same board for meat and vegetables - use separate boards for different food groups. 3. Mobile phone Use a microfibre cloth slightly dampened with a isopropyl alcohol solution. Gently wipe the screen and case - but avoid excess moisture near ports and buttons. 4. Pillowcase Wash at least once a week in hot water (60C or higher). Use a hypoallergenic detergent if you have sensitive skin. For extra cleanliness, add a scoop of baking soda or white vinegar to the wash to eliminate bacteria and odours. 5. Kitchen sponge Soak it in a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water for five minutes and replace your sponge every 1-2 weeks regardless of cleaning. The video left thousands in shock - and some a little amused. 'That's it. I'm cutting vegetables on the toilet from now on,' one viewer joked. 'I can't believe my kitchen sponge is 200,000 times dirtier than my toilet seat. Time to clean up,' said another. 'My pillowcase deserves to be tested. I'm not ever going to say how long it's been there,' another admitted. One confessed: 'I will not be showing this to my wife. Me and the bacteria need peace.' Others shared their cleaning hacks. 'That's why I don't use a sponge. I have two spray bottles: one with water and bleach and one with water and alcohol,' wrote one hygiene-conscious commenter. 'This is why my grandma insisted on a cutting board for every food group since the 80s,' added another. Dr Whittington's post prompted people across the country to deep clean their often neglected everyday items. So next time you reach for your phone, grab the remote or wash the dishes with a sponge, spare a thought for the microscopic world living on it - and maybe give it a good wipe-down. Your immune system will thank you.
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
My husband is an ER doctor... here are the things he would NEVER do
Medical professional have seen it all - and one emergency doctor has a definite list of things he would never do. Claire Edwards, who is based in Arkansas, took to TikTok to share the habits and activities her ER doctor husband would never participate in. She began by explaining one thing he doesn't care about is sodium content in foods and drinks - but said if she so much as 'looks' at acetonaphthone (an active ingredient in Tylenol) after drinking he 'drops down like a SWAT team member.' This is because the combination of drinking and acetonaphthone can lead to liver damage. 'Big no-no,' she shared. When Claire was pregnant, she said her husband wasn't fussed about her eating deli meats - but instead cared a lot about her folic acid intake. 'When I'm not pregnant he calls my vitamin regiment "expensive pee,"' she said indignantly, adding he claims you 'pee it all out.' Claire's husband also heavily advises parents to keep glitter away from babies and toddlers, because if they get it in their eyes it's hard to get out. According to the doctor, he can 'sense' when his wife has been using nasal spray for more than two days, which he also deems a 'big no no,' due to it becoming ineffective is overused. For anyone taking metabolism-boosting medication, Claire's husband swears it's 'just a myth,' and there's no real way to measure metabolism. He also advised to take the full course of prescribed antibiotics - even after feeling better - and keeping a close eye on all dogs around children. 'Kids be getting attacked by dogs a lot,' she shared. 'He doesn't really care about trampolines,' Claire shared, adding he sees 'more injuries from fish hooks.' While he encourages trampoline use, his easy-going attitude doesn't extend to everything. 'He's hypervigilant about doors, and when the kids are playing around the door - so many slammed fingers in the ER [and] deglovings,' she adds. Surprisingly, he isn't focused on hydration goals - instead drinking only when he is thirsty. 'We will never, ever, co-sleep with a baby under one year,' Claire continued. His other no-nos include not wearing a mask to apply spray tan solution and swinging kids around. But although there are plenty of things that her husband doesn't like, Claire's husband swears by using Vaseline on wounds and is also okay with her taking melatonin every night before bed. Users chimed in with their thoughts over the list. 'I fear I know nothing about health…,' one user joked. 'So an ER doctor is going to care about different things than a long term care doctor for sure. But there are still some valuable lessons to avoid ER visits!' another advised. 'I'm an ER resident and 100000 percent feel the same hahahah. Heavy on the sharpish objects thing. People think I'm nutssss but I'm not letting my kid walk around with anything remotely sharp,' chimed in someone else.
