Germ patrol: Where germs are lurking in schools

Jul 30, 2012 1:41 AM by Elaina Verhoff

Posted in Living / School & Education / School Tips for Moms

Bacteria In The Cafeteria

Grab the disinfecting wipes. You'll want to do some serious sanitizing after reading this article. In 2010, scientists from the University of Arizona swabbed six K-12 schools to find out where the germs were congregating. The most contaminated area? The cafeteria. Here, we share the other top spots germs are found in schools, plus tips on how to keep your little scholars clean and healthy.

kids in cafeteria line

TIP: Talk to the school and raise your concern about cafeteria cleanliness. Find out if there are any procedures they can implement to better disinfect eating surfaces.

Cafeteria contamination

The germiest place found by the University of Arizona study, led by Dr. Charles Gerba, was none other than the very place where school kids eat — the school cafeteria. Yes, kids are eating off surfaces infested with heterotrophic bacteria and coliforms (microbes found in the intestines of humans and other animals). Yummy.

TIP: Send in a case of Clorox Disinfecting Wipes for your child's teacher. Teachers can use these to disinfect desks, headphones, computer keyboards and mouses and other germ-ridden surfaces throughout the day.

Computer viruses

When you hear the term "computer virus," you're probably not thinking about the microscopic bugs crawling around the laptop — or more specifically, on the computer mouse. When you think about it, it makes sense. Kids are using the same hand on the mouse that they use throughout the day to grab door handles, rub their noses, even wipe themselves. (We warned you this wasn't going to be pretty.) The computer mouse was crawling with twice as many germs as the desks analyzed in the study.

TIP: Teach kids to avoid touching bathroom surfaces. Show them how to flush with their shoe and turn off the faucet with their paper towel.

Bathroom bugs

You may have the best little hand washers in town. Despite their best efforts, they may be picking up viruses directly from the bathroom sink and paper towel handle — two of the most germ-infested spots in school.

TIP: Send your kids to school with their own reusable water bottles and encourage them to reach for their bottle when they're thirsty instead of heading to the water fountain.

BYOB

It's no surprise water fountains are swarming with bacteria. Some students think they need to make out with the faucet to quench their thirst. Ew.

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Tags: healthy kids school and your child

Comments

Comments on "Germ patrol: Where germs are lurking in schools"

Oh my! So many germs! I'm a total germaphobe and this just disgusts me. I will definitely be sending my kids off to school loaded with Clorox wipes or something of that nature! I'm also teaching them how important it is to wash your hands every chance you get! You can never be "too clean" in my book!

I am not the least bit surprised by the findings in this study. I used to work in a school and I can attest to how they are breeding grounds for germs. Making out with the water fountain has been going on for so long that it’s a miracle any of us have made it to adulthood. I think that more education is needed to make young students more aware of the invisible dangers of microbes and bacteria. Parents can only do so much to educate their children, and they can’t be there with them at school to remind them to wash their hands and cover their mouths when they cough. Sending your son or daughter to school with a water bottle is a good place to start, but I think the tip about talking to the school to raise concerns about cleanliness is the best strategy. It might be tough to get the school to listen to one parent, so it might be best if a group of parents broach the subject with the school. Either way, the findings of the study prove that something has to be done.

Yikes! Who would have thought that schools were this germ infested? This news comes at a good time when millions of parents are preparing to send their kids back to school. Armed with the knowledge of this study and the tips in this article, hopefully parents can teach their kids how to avoid germs so they can stay healthy during the school year. Keeping kids healthy has benefits for the whole family, since kids bring germs they pick up at school home with them.