Brits are being warned about a grim germ hotspot hiding in plain sight – after a microbiological study found an ATM keypad was eight times dirtier than a toilet seat.
While most of us wouldn’t think twice about tapping in our PIN, touching our phone, and then grabbing food straight afterwards, new microbiology testing reveals ATM’s are grimmer than a toilet seat.
In collaboration with microbiologists at BioLabTests, the mBit team swabbed five common casino surfaces across five venues and benchmarked the results against toilet seats.
The most shocking result showed that one ATM number pad was the dirtiest individual swab, registering at least 1,200 colonies, a staggering 8x more than the average toilet seat.
The bacteria found on the ATM’s was E. coli, which can cause diarrhoea, stomach pain and digestive issues.
Reynold Mpofu, Microbiologist at BioLabTests said:
“The results show that high-touch surfaces can harbor significant levels of bacteria and fungi, significantly exceeding those found on toilet seats. This highlights how frequent human contact, combined with inconsistent hygiene practices, drives the spread of microorganisms across shared environments.”
“Surfaces that we assume are dirtiest, like toilet seats, are often cleaner because they are cleaned more regularly, while high-touch/high-traffic items accumulate more microorganisms due to constant handling and less frequent cleaning”.
Mpofu shares three steps to reduce risk of contamination when withdrawing money at an ATM:
- Cover cuts or broken skin
“Ensure any cuts, scratches, or abrasions are covered with a plaster. This reduces the risk of bacteria entering the body and causing infections.”
- Avoid touching the face after handling shared items
“Try not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth while playing. This is one of the main ways bacteria such as E. coli or Staphylococcus spp. can enter the body.”
- Regular handwashing or use of hand sanitizer
“Clean your hands before consuming food or drinks. Avoid eating directly after handling chips or machines without sanitizing first.
“Use hand sanitizer frequently, especially after handling high touch items like touchscreens.
“Wipe down machines where possible. Use alcohol based disinfectant wipes on slot machines, buttons, and any screens before using.”
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