Poop Report: 9 Places Fecal Matter Lurks

Your cell phone harbors germs

Fecal Matter Found in Surprising Places

Confession time: I have become a complete germophobe, and it's no wonder, given the secret lives of germs that you never think about, yet are lurking ... everywhere.

SymptomFind.com has come up with this helpful rundown of places where fecal matter may be hiding out. You know, so you'll never want to touch the surface of anything ever again.

Read on to see where fecal matter is hiding, besides in the bathroom, according to studies and reports:

Soda fountains - A report from the International Journal of Food Microbiology found a form of bacteria found in fecal matter, as well as other bacteria, on soda fountains. Everyone pushing buttons for their favorite beverage may not be washing their hands before doing so.

Cellphones - Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine report that 1 in 6 cellphones they tested in the UK had fecal matter on them. Don't put your cellphone on the bathroom sink and, of course, wash your hands after using the restroom. We all do that, right? Also (germophobe talking here), use a paper towel or tissue to open the rest room door after you've washed your hands -- no sense in contaminating yourself after you've just washed up.

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Kids' play areas/Ball pits - These places are breeding grounds for all kinds of craptastic germs, including fecal matter. Honestly, how can they clean these places up well enough to eliminate all of the funk in there? Interestingly, this study was paid for by a mom who had fast food restaurant play areas tested -- results showed that 8 out of 9 of them showed traces of fecal matter.

Tanning beds - Ew. A study from the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology found traces of bacteria found in fecal matter on tanning beds at salons in New York. Make sure those places disinfect the beds before you plunk down on one. Better yet, skip the tanning bed.

Sponges - Yep, sponges harbor all kinds of funky junk like germs and bacteria. Fecal matter can make its way there if someone didn't wash their hands and then touches the wet sponge. Always give sponges a quick zap in the microwave, or do what I do -- run them through the dishwasher with every load of dishes.

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Movie theater seats - Yeah, there's not a lot you can do on this one, except boycott movies, but theater goers may not wash their hands in the restrooms and then leave behind their germs for you to pick up. Lovely.

Computer keyboards - Not surprisingly, public computer keyboards can be contaminated with fecal matter because folks at the library or on campus don't practice good hygiene.

Public swimming pools - Chlorine doesn't kill everything, folks. One accident and a failure to sanitize the pool properly and you've got bacteria and other muck floating in the pool, leading to stomach bugs for the people swimming in it.

Shopping carts - This one is a no brainer, as a bajillion dirty hands lay themselves upon the cart, leaving behind all kinds of goodies on the handle. Some stores actually have cart wipes, but we always climb in the car after a shopping trip and pass around the antibacterial hand sanitizer.