The sofa is often the centrepiece of the living room– it's where most of us fling out tired bodies at the end of a long day at work.
But some of our sofa sitting habits may be responsible for those constant coughs and colds we're picking up.
A study conducted by sofa and carpet specialists ScS have found that we may be sitting in our own FILTH, with 14% of Brits cleaning their sofas as little as once a year - or less!
The study also looked at the activities that members of the public do on the sofa most often, finding 70% of us eat or drink there, and 51% of people rest on their couches when they're unwell.
In addition to this, the study, which surveyed 1,019 people in Britain, found 17% of us are guilty of cutting our nails on the sofa, and 15% use their sofa as a dumping ground for dirty clothing.
Tut tut!
Shockingly, fifteen participants in the study had even GIVEN BIRTH on their couches. Yikes.
By not cleaning our sofas, they are prone to becoming breeding grounds for bad bacteria, making tending to our favourite seating area essential in order to have a healthy and happy home.
Microbiologist Dr. Laura Bowater from the University of East Anglia, said of the findings:
"Bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus can lurk on many surfaces in our homes, including door handles and remote controls, but also on soft furnishings."
"The same is true for viruses, which can land on surfaces, like a couch, where someone else can come into contact with them and become infected themselves."
Dr. Bowater says regularly cleaning of your home is what will prevent germs from spreading.
"Ensuring that surfaces in your house, including the sofa, are deep cleaned and perhaps steam cleaned after someone in the household has been ill can destroy the microbe and prevent the spread of disease."
The research suggested people only tended to clean their sofas when they only appeared to be visibly dirty, with 15% cleaning their couches when there is something is spilled on them, and around one in ten people (11%) only cleaning when they are expecting visitors.
Managing Director of ScS, Kevin Royal, argued that we should give our sofas the same level of care we give to our bed linen, adding:
"If you regularly eat on your sofa, our advice would be to clean up any crumbs afterwards, and hoover your sofa once a week with a soft attachment, this will ensure your couch is as hygienic as possible.
"However, always check the best method of cleaning for your sofa’s material so as not to cause any damage.”
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