15 Household Items That Can Make You Sick

In keeping with the theme of “communal objects touched by multiple hands that can make you sick,” the refrigerator door handle makes the list as another potential germ site. Besides microbes that live on poultry and pork (i.e., salmonella and E. coli), people are also in danger of exposure to bacteria that cause strep throat, staph infection, and diarrhea, as well as the flu virus. These organisms can be brought in on the hands, or they can come from the raw meat housed in the fridge when we take it out and then don’t wash our hands immediately afterwards.

So, when handling raw meat, keep the surrounding environment as clean and sterile as possible. Moreover, be sure to wash your hands before going to the fridge to avoid spreading germs onto the door handle as well as your food, and wipe down the handle of your refrigerator frequently. You can do it at the same time you clean the inside of your fridge!