You might think that the bathroom is by far the dirtiest place in your home.
But scientists warn that there is another common location that makes the toilet seem squeaky clean by comparison.
Although you probably use it every day, this item can be 75 times dirtier than a toilet seat.
And scientists warn that the situation may be even worse for pet owners.
A study has revealed that the innocent-seeming sofa is actually the dirtiest place in your home.
Researchers from Melbec Microbiology and Sofa Club swabbed six sofas across different UK households to see what bacteria were lurking beneath the cushions.
They revealed that sofas harboured an average of 508,883 Aerobic Mesophilic Bacteria (AMB), a group of bacteria often associated with dead skin and food particles, per 100cm squared.
By comparison, the toilet seat was only home to 6,800 AMB per 100cm squared, while the kitchen bin had only 6,000.
You might think that the toilet is the dirtiest place in the house, but a new study shows a common household item could be 75 times dirtier
Researchers found that the sofa was by far the dirtiest place in the home, with over half a million bacteria per 100cm squared on average
To see how the sofa compared to other potential sources of germs, the researchers also swabbed a number of other household items.
Shockingly, this revealed that a number of objects you touch every day are almost as bad as the dirtiest parts of the house.
Swabs taken from a work desk showed 5,900 AMB per 100cm squared, only just cleaner than a bin.
And it’s bad news for anyone who likes to relax on the sofa and watch TV in the evenings.
Your laptop could be home to as many as 5,800 AMB per 100cm squared, while the TV remote was home to 3,700.
Even walking around the house could expose you to more germs than you think, since the door handle is covered by 1,800 AMB per 100cm squared.
But, compared to the sofa, all of these may seem relatively clean.
The sofa is not only teeming with low-risk bacteria such as AMB, but also with potentially more dangerous pathogens.
In bad news for anyone who likes to watch TV or movies on the sofa, the laptop and TV remote were also found to be sources of high levels of bacteria
The sofa had an average of 508,883 Aerobic Mesophilic Bacteria (AMB), a group of bacteria often associated with dead skin and food particles, per 100cm squared (stock image)
Monika Puccio, Interior Expert at Sofa Club, told MailOnline: ‘Outside of the bed, the sofa is likely the second most-used piece of furniture in the home and is subject to other factors that can cause bacteria to grow, such as having dinner on the sofa, taking naps or allowing pets on the couch.
‘While many clean their bedding once a week, we often neglect to give the same treatment to our sofas.’
Sofas contained yeast and mould, which can cause problems for individuals with asthma or compromised immune systems, as well as Coagulase-positive Staphylococci, which cause food poisoning, sepsis, and staph infections.
Most worryingly, the researchers also discovered E. coli, a bacteria which lives in our guts and is spread through particles of faeces.
The dirtiest sofa of all belonged to a household with two cats, which had over a million E. coli bacteria living in a 100cm squared patch.
Overall, the cat lovers’ sofa had 2,730,000 colony-forming units (CFU), a measure of how many live bacteria are in a sample, per 100cm squared.
That is a staggering 400 times more bacteria than were found on the toilet seat.
Following with the second dirtiest sofa was a couple with a dog who had 193,000 CFU per 100 cm squared – despite the couple claiming to clean their sofa monthly.
Sofas were also found to contain yeast, mould, E. Coli and the bacteria S. Aureus, which causes Staph infections
The dirtiest sofa tested belonged to a couple with two cats. This sofa had over a million E. Coli bacteria living in a 100cm squared patch
In comparison, a sofa belonging to an adult living by themselves had 46,000 CFU per 100cm squared – still over six times dirtier than a toilet seat.
Surprisingly, the study found that the cleanest sofa belonged to a couple with a young child who had 17,300 CFU per 100cm squared.
Luckily, experts say that you can keep the bacteria at bay with a few simple cleaning techniques.
Ms Puccio says: ‘A quick daily wipe can stop stains from setting in and keep everyday dirt at bay.
‘For a deeper clean, baking soda is an excellent and affordable choice to help you refresh sofa fabric. Sprinkle it generously over the sofa and let it sit for 20–30 minutes. Following this, give it a vacuum.’
Ms Puccio also recommends washing the cushion covers if they can be removed and are machine-washable.
Just be sure to check the label for the right temperature and ensure they are fully dry before putting them back on to prevent mould developing
Ms Puccio says: ‘Your sofa might be the dirtiest seat in the house. But the good news? With a few simple cleaning habits and a little consistency, you can kick the germs to the curb and reclaim your sofa from the grime.’
