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Why you should NEVER take your phone into the bathroom

Browsing endlessly through your mobile phone while sitting on the toilet has become a daily routine for millions of Australians across the country.

But experts are now warning those brief five minutes scrolling through Facebook as nature calls could be seriously affecting our health.

“Touching your phone between using the toilet and washing your hands is a very bad idea,” says Dr Paul Matewele, microbiologist at London Metropolitan University told The Sun.

According to experts, using your phone while in the bathroom is a bad idea. Source: Getty
According to experts, using your phone while in the bathroom is a bad idea. Source: Getty

The toilet bowl is obviously one of the dirtiest places inside the home but that's not the main culprit in the bathroom when picking up illnesses.

Dr Matewele points out phones are particularly dangerous because we carry them everywhere we go.

Using them constantly without a thought means they're exposed to high risk areas such as the bathroom and dinner table.

“Toilet seats, handles, sinks and taps are covered in germs such as E. coli, which can cause urinary tract infections and intestinal illness, C. diff which can result in diarrhoea, and acinetobacter which can cause a contagious respiratory infection," Dr Matewele said.

Phone screens are breeding grounds for germs. Source: Getty
Phone screens are breeding grounds for germs. Source: Getty

In order to prevent the spread of germs, ideally, mobiles should be left in your bag or pocket, well clear of contamination.

But if your Instagram fix can't wait or that bathroom mirror selfie is high on your list of priorities, Dr Matewele says to make sure you're thoroughly washing your hands before and after any visit to the toilet cubicle.

“The main thing is to practice regular handwashing and to keep critical surfaces, such as door handles and mobile phones, as clean as possible,” microbiologist Professor Sally Bloomfield of the International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene reiterated.

She also pointed out to phone users that flu virus dies off within minutes of being outside a person, but norovirus can survive for several weeks on dry surfaces such as mobile phones.