Ladies may want to think twice when visiting their partner’s bachelor pad. In fact, they best take some CSI-like equipment in the form of gloves, tweezers and a blue light, as new research shows that a man's pad festers a plague of germs.
Unfortunately, gentlemen, it is true. And this unhygienic claim that preys on single men stems from much more than soiled socks lying on the floor or dirty dishes being neglected in the sink for longer than necessary.
According to a study conducted by Dr. Charles Gerba, a standard bachelor pad has 15 times the amount of bacteria compared to the homes of bachelorettes. Yes, you read correctly — 15 times more. Scientists tested for germs on four common surfaces — TV remotes, coffee tables, nightstands and doorknobs and found an alarming (uneasy) discovery.
Seven of every 10 coffee tables checked at bachelor pads harbored coliforms — a variety of bacteria copious in the feces of warm-blooded animals.
What does this mean in laymen terms?
"They have poop on the coffee table," Gerba said.
Um, what?
"I would suspect the guys probably put their feet up on the coffee table. About 90 percent of shoes have fecal bacteria on the bottom after you wear them for three months," said Gerba, professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona. "My wife never puts her feet on the table. I do, and I keep getting told to take them off."
But before and women flinch with disgust, it was also discovered that female homes harbour the same bacteria but to a lesser extent: 33 percent of the women's front doorknobs fester colonies of coliforms.
"The entrances into the women's homes — we haven't quite figured out yet," Gerba said. "But I assume that’s why women always expect guys to open the door for them."
We hate to be the bearer of bad news, guys, but next time your girlfriend nags (and nags, and nags) at you about cleaning up your pad she is (unfortunately) justified.
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