How often do you clean your cellphone?

(iStock)And you thought your phone service providers were parasitic.

There's a good chance your mobile phone carries a whole lot more than your contacts list and SIM card, according to a study out of London.

Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Queen Mary University of London took 390 samples of bacteria from the hands and phones of people in 12 cities across the U.K.

They found that 16 per cent of phones sampled had traces of E. coli, which is transmitted in fecal matter.

Despite 95 per cent of participants claiming to wash their hands with soap "whenever they could," according to The Telegraph, 92 per cent of participants had some form of bacteria on their hands, and 82 per cent had bacteria on their phones.

Researchers said the finding suggest that few people wash their hands as frequently or as thoroughly as they claim, especially after using the bathroom.

"I hope the thought of having E. coli on their hands and phones encourages people to take more care in the bathroom," said Dr. Val Curtis, who headed the study. "Washing your hands with soap is such a simple thing to do but there is no doubt it saves lives."

How often do you clean your cellphone or home phone? Do you regularly wash your hands with soap? Celebrate Global Handwashing Day, which is tomorrow, by sharing your comments in the comments section below.


(This survey is not scientific. Results are based on readers' responses.)