It’s no secret that New Yorkers love their Citi Bikes, but we bet they never thought about the plethora of germs that come along for the ride.
That’s right — Citi Bikes are 45 times germier than a subway poll, according to a new study from Men’s Health’s “Gross” series. Bet you didn’t see that one coming.
In the report, Editor-in-Chief Matt Bean used a handheld germ counter to test a bunch of things many New Yorkers likely touch repeatedly on a daily basis.
“These things are consistently among the most-disgusting surfaces that we’ve tested in all of New York City,” Bean said.
With the swipe of a swab, the counter determines how germ-riddled a surface may be. The lower the number, the less germy it is.
For example, Bean found that a Citi Bike handlebar had 1,512 germs, while a subway pole had 35.
But luckily, Bean found that most of the bacteria he detected is fairly harmless — but you should still scrub your paws several times a day because it’s “one of the most important things we can do to stop the spread of germs and stay healthy,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
And in case you need a refresher in hand washing, though we really, really hope you don’t, here are the CDC’s tips to make sure you’re washing them the right way:
• Wet your hands with clean warm or cold running water and apply soap.
• Lather the soap by rubbing your hands together and be sure get the backs of your hands, between fingers and under nails.
• Scrub away for at least 20 seconds. Need help? Sing “Happy birthday” (to yourself, please, thanks) from start to finish twice.
• Rinse well under clean, running water.
• Air dry your hands or use a clean towel
The germiest things New Yorkers touch
According to the Men’s Health’s “Gross” study, these are the most germ-riddled surfaces New Yorkers touch — and remember, the lower the number, the fewer the germs:
1. Citi Bike handlebar: 1,512
2. Starbucks door handle: 1,090
3. LinkNYC kiosk: 807
4. Taxi handle: 424
5. Grand Central door knob: 45
6. Subway pole: 35
