Objective – I can observe and summarize characteristics about bacteria.

Top 30 Spots for Bacteria in theHome

Listverse Staff/listverse.com, October 5, 2007

This list is from statistics published by the Center for Disease Control. In order to compile the list, researchers visited 35 U.S. homes, swabbing for bacteria in 32 locations in each home. Once you have read this list – if you feel the urge to clean, the FDA recommends 1 teaspoon of chlorine bleach to 1 quart of water for home disinfecting. Get scrubbing!

1. Toilet bowl: 3.2 million bacteria/square inch

2. Kitchen drain: 567,845 bacteria/square inch

3. Sponge or counter-wiping cloth: 134,630 bacteria/square inch

4. Bathtub, near drain: 119,468 bacteria/square inch

5. Kitchen sink, near drain: 17,964 bacteria/square inch

6. Kitchen faucet handle: 13,227 bacteria/square inch

7. Bathroom faucet handle: 6,267 bacteria/square inch

8. Bathroom sink, near drain: 2,733 bacteria/square inch

9. Pet food dish, inside rim: 2,110 bacteria/square inch

10. Kitchen floor, in front of sink: 830 bacteria/square inch

11. Toilet floor, in front of toilet: 764 bacteria/square inch

12. Kitchen countertop: 488 bacteria/square inch

13. Bathroom countertop: 452 bacteria/square inch

14. Garbage bin: 411 bacteria/square inch

15. Dish towel: 408 bacteria/square inch

16. Toy: 345 bacteria/square inch

17. Kitchen tabletop: 344 bacteria/square inch

18. Home office phone or refrigerator door: 319 bacteria/square inch

19. Toilet seat: 295 bacteria/square inch

20. Bathroom light switch: 217 bacteria/square inch

21. Microwave buttons: 214 bacteria/square inch

22. Kitchen chopping board: 194 bacteria/square inch

23. Child-training potty: 191 bacteria/square inch

24. Infant changing mat and infant high chair: 190 bacteria/square inch

25. Kitchen phone: 133 bacteria/square inch

26. Bathroom door’s inside handle: 121 bacteria/square inch

27. Toilet’s flush handle: 83 bacteria/square inch

28. TV remote control: 70 bacteria/square inch

29. Home office computer keyboard: 64 bacteria/square inch

30. Home office computer mouse: 50 bacteria/square inch

Name ______

Top 30 Spots for Bacteria in theHome Worksheet

1. How many of the top 30 spots are in the bathroom?

a. 3c. 8

b. 6d. 11

2. How many of the top 30 spots are in the kitchen?

a. 7c. 15

b. 12d. 17

3. At which spot will you find 3.2 million bacteria per square inch?

a. Pet food dishc. Toilet bowl

b. Sponged. TV remote

4. On which spot would you find the most bacteria?

a. Garbage binc. Kitchen sink, near drain

b. Kitchen floord. Microwave buttons

5. On which spot would you find the fewest bacteria?

a. Bathtub, near drainc. Pet food dish, inside of rim

b. Kitchen phoned. Toilet floor, in front of bowl

6. Which has fewer bacteria per square inch, a bathroom light switch or the kitchen drain?

a. Bathroom light switchb. Kitchen drain

7. Which has the most bacteria per square inch, the kitchen faucet handle or the bathroom faucet handle?

a. Bathroom faucet handleb. Kitchen faucet handle

8. Which has the fewest bacteria per square inch, a home office computer mouse, the kitchen chopping board, or the bathroom door’s inside handle?

a. Bathroom door’s inside handlec. Home office computer mouse

b. Kitchen chopping board

9. Which has fewer bacteria per square inch, the bathtub (near drain), the kitchen tabletop, or a dish towel?

a. Bathtub, near drainc. Kitchen tabletop

b. Dish towel

10. Which has the fewer bacteria, a home office phone, a toy, or a counter-wiping cloth,

a. Counter-wiping clothc. Toy

b. Home office phone

Place the following items in order from the fewest bacteria to the most.

_____11. Child-training potty
_____12. Infant changing mat and infant high chair
_____13. Kitchen chopping board
_____14. Kitchen drain
_____15. Microwave buttons
_____16. Toilet bowl / A. 1 (fewest)
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
E. 5
F. 6 (most)

Top 30 Spots for Bacteria in theHome Worksheet

Scoring Guide

1. d
2. b
3. c
4. c
5. b
6. b (2 choices)
7. b (2 choices)
8. b (3 choices)
9. c (3 choices)
10. c (3 choices)
11. B (6 choices)
12. A (6 choices)
13. C (6 choices)
14. E (6 choices)
15. D (6 choices)
16. F (6 choices) / Scoring Guide
12-16 – 3
7-11 – 2
1-6 – 1
0 – 0

Top 30 Spots for Bacteria in theHome Worksheet

Scoring Guide

1. d
2. b
3. c
4. c
5. b
6. b (2 choices)
7. b (2 choices)
8. b (3 choices)
9. c (3 choices)
10. c (3 choices)
11. B (6 choices)
12. A (6 choices)
13. C (6 choices)
14. E (6 choices)
15. D (6 choices)
16. F (6 choices) / Scoring Guide
12-16 – 3
7-11 – 2
1-6 – 1
0 – 0

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