Okay, so it isn’t always possible to avoid taking a shopping cart while you’re at the grocery store. However, you may want to be a bit more mindful of who touched that cart before you arrived at the store. The reason? Shopping carts are serious havens for bacteria. A study of 85 random shopping carts found that 50 percent tested carried E.coli. Another 72 percent contained dangerous coliform bacteria (which tends to come from feces in warm-blooded animals). Each has the potential to cause life-threatening illness in adults and children.

Studies suggest that the levels of bacteria found on the average shopping cart handle are higher than those found in a public restroom. How can you combat this bacteria if you need a cart? Simply put, you should always wipe your cart down with a sanitizing wipe before you start grocery shopping. It is also important to wipe your hand down with sanitizer after touching the car initially and avoid touching your mouth or face. Another bacteria culprit in the grocery store? Touchscreen self-checkouts.

You don’t have to get carried away with a germ phobia, but it is important to be mindful of just how bacteria-ridden these shared surfaces can be!