No matter how hard you try for cleanliness, the bathroom will never be perfectly clean, what's more, you wouldn't even think that this is the dirtiest part of it.
You might think that the most dirty and impure part of the bathroom is the toilet, but according to the latest research, this is not the case. As Charles Gerba, professor of microbiology at University of Arizona in an interview with Reader's Digest, hard surfaces in the bathroom are often scrubbed. Let's face it, the toilet bowl and seat are often at the top of the to-do list. We pay too little attention to the fabrics in the bathroom, the microbiologist is convinced. Let's say the bathroom rug, which he believes is much dirtier than the toilet bowl. Towels are also very close.
As he said, they have done a lot of research on the microbiology of homes, including bathrooms. Bath mats have proven to be problematic for two reasons: they get wet when we step out of the shower and have a hard time drying in a humid bathroom. Another problem is that many people wear shoes in the bathrooms, which contributes to additional dirt on the bathroom carpet. According to his research, as many as 90% shoes have feces on their soles, because during the day we also step on excrement without realizing it.
Often, you can also find liquid from the toilet bowl splashing around on the carpet. This does not mean that you should close the toilet lid when flushing. According to the microbiology professor, this would only narrow the opening, causing the water to erupt at a faster rate. This would additionally contaminate the toilet seat and the underside of the lid.
Either way, the next time you're doing a thorough bathroom cleaning, don't forget the carpet. It makes sense to wash it in the washing machine, and change the towels much more often than you are used to.
