Higher learning can be a down-and-dirty business.
A nightmarish new report reveals that the tables in your average college cafeteria harbor 60,000 times the bacteria of a typical household toilet seat.
Researchers at College Rover sought to identify the germiest places on multiple campuses by swabbing various areas including bathrooms, common areas in dorms and keyboards in computer labs. The swabs were then tested to determine the types and numbers of germs.
In addition to swabs, researchers also surveyed 1,000 students about their own experiences and hygiene habits.
“College campuses are a breeding ground for bacteria,” Bill Townsend, Founder and CEO of College Rover told The Post.
“It’s the first time thousands of people live alone, without anyone cleaning up after them. Without any constant hygienic habits, germs can build up quickly,” he said.
Common areas are, of course, a repository of scum, the study found. About half of students don’t wipe down shared surfaces — such as tables, desks or keyboards — before or after using them.
And while the college public bathrooms are predictably a germaphobe’s nightmare, other surprising places — such as communal laundry rooms — were plenty scary as well, containing on average 21 times more bacteria than a pet bowl.
Hiding out in your dorm room won’t necessarily keep you safe — nearly 30% of students admitted to reporting their roommate to a resident assistant (RA) over issues with cleanliness and hygiene. And 15% of students confess to cleaning their living space just once a month, while roughly 40% wait a month or more to change and wash their bedsheets.
Not all the filth is invisible — one in four students told College Rover they’d found a used condom somewhere on campus or in their dorms.
But in spite of all the self-caused schmutz, 45% of students surveyed claimed to be hyperconscious of germs.
Or, at least, other people’s.
Absent the ability to control another’s behavior, College Rover’s Townsend said, there are several simple measures those concerned can take to protect both themselves and everyone else.
“It’s important for students to be mindful, practice hygiene etiquette, and disinfect public surfaces,” he warned.
“As we all learned during the pandemic, there is a shared responsibility to be clean to protect us all.”