You wash your hand after you use the restroom, or handling raw meat, or riding the subway. That’s a great start. However, our immediate surroundings harbor more bacteria than we like to imagine – and not just the usual suspects. The fact is, germs are all around us – it’s their world, we’re just living in it. Often they’re harmless, but not always, and it’s a good idea to avoid taking any unnecessary risks.

It all starts with awareness – knowing which items, areas and surfaces are likely to harbor unwanted bacteria. From there we can take measures to disinfect those spaces and prevent potentially disease-causing germs from invading our bodies. Read on to learn which everyday items tend to be the most infested. The results may be surprising.