WASHINGTON – With flu season gearing up and reminders about washing hands often, a new study has found there are even more sources where germs can thrive.
It turns out credit cards are an unlikely source of bacteria, according to a study from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Queen Mary, University of London.
Researchers found that one in 10 credit cards were contaminated with fecal organisms.
The study was done to raise awareness of Global Handwashing Day, which highlights the importance of washing your hands with soap before eating and after using the bathroom.
Money Blue Book lists the five biggest reasons credit cards can carry germs:
- Flu germs remain alive on surfaces
- Germs thrive in conditions where you keep your credit cards – dark, warm, slightly moist places
- Being too casual about where you’re placing your credit cards
- Many people touch the credit card
- Credit cards touch other germ-laden objects
Money Blue Book recommends keeping yourself safe this flu season, by sanitizing your hands often, wiping credit cards down with sanitizer, avoiding the use of communal pens, keeping your hands away from your face and keeping credit cards in individual plastic cases.
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