Could you actually be brushing your teeth with faeces?

We're all guilty of putting off the cleaning for longer than we should - but these stomach-churning images might just convince you to pick up the hoover.

A team of experts have researched the type of germs found in different areas of the home - from your toothbrush to your kitchen sponge - to show just how quickly they can multiply if not cleaned thoroughly.

Using one dot to represent roughly 100 billion bacteria, they created these images to show how harmful hidden germs including e. coli, staph and mould could be hiding in plain sight around your home, reports the Daily Mail.

According to the research, from Mattress Online, not cleaning thoroughly could lead to you brushing your teeth with faeces, getting spots on your face and welcoming mould, bed bugs and tapeworm into your house.

Read on to find out the stomach-churning truth about hidden germs around the house...

You could be brushing your teeth with faeces

"If you flush the toilet with the lid open, particles of water, urine and faeces can travel up to six feet," says Steve Adams, managing director at Mattress Online.

"So, if your toothbrush is anywhere near the toilet, you'll probably want to find it a safer space."

Photo / Mattress Online

Your phone could have 10 times more bacteria than a toilet seat

"It's in your pocket, your bag and against your face. It's probably been dropped on the floor, in your car, even perhaps down the toilet.

"So, it's no wonder that scientists at the University of Arizona found that mobile phones have 10 times more bacteria than most toilet seats."

Photo / Mattress Online

Getting spots? It could be your makeup brushes

"Make-up brushes go straight on your face every day. They can pick up skin cells, sweat and of course, the left-over make-up from the day before.

"This dirt can cause spots and even infections like conjunctivitis. Makeup brushes need to be washed on a weekly basis."

Photo / Mattress Online

Wiping your face with a dirty towel is like flushing your head down the toilet

"Your hand towel could be harbouring many germs including e. coli and those found in faeces.

"These germs multiply fast in the warm, damp environment and if you don't wash or change your towel every couple of days, wiping your face or hands with it is like flushing your head down the toilet."

Photo / Mattress Online

Black spots on your shower curtain are billions of mould spores

"Mould spores can cause upper respiratory irritation and an allergic reaction such as sneezing, a runny nose, wheezing, red eyes and a skin rash. You should be cleaning your shower and shower door or curtain at least once a week.

"If you're seeing tiny bits of black here and there, that's actually millions or billions of mould spores."

Photo / Mattress Online

Your kitchen sponge could have more bacteria than a toilet seat

"E. Coli is usually found in meat, unpasteurized milk and fresh produce, so is more commonly found in the kitchen. It can cause intestinal infection including diarrhoea, abdominal pain and vomiting.

"As the dirtiest room in the house, everything in the kitchen needs to be washed after every use. The sink and surfaces should be washed with disinfectant between each meal.

"The cutlery drawer should be washed out once a week and cupboards should be emptied and cleaned once a fortnight."

Photo / Mattress Online

Your dog could be 'fetching' you tapeworm

"Your pets bring the outdoors indoors, into your sitting room, on the furniture and if you let them sleep in your bed, on your pillows and duvet covers too.

"Animals are a common trigger for those with asthma, and homes with pets typically carry around 50 per cent more different types of bacteria than those without.

"Making sure your pet, especially their derrière is clean will avoid some of the nastier bugs entering your home. That includes tapeworm, fleas and Cryptosporidium, which can cause respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses."

Photo / Mattress Online

Dust mites are everywhere and you're breathing in their faeces

"A dust mite produces an average of 20 faecal deposits each day. They are so light that any movement in the room can cause a stir and make them rise in the air.

"We then breathe them in and a protein found in their faeces is what causes allergic reactions."

 
Photo / Mattress Online

An infestation of one female bed bug can rise to 5000 in 6 months

"Bed bugs are tricky. They can live in and around your bed and in places you wouldn't normally think to look. In wooden headboards, cracks in the wall, piles of laundry and even smoke alarms or the head of a screw.

"They can travel up to 20 feet from their hiding place to feed and are now developing thicker skins, which makes them more resistant to insecticides.

"There are no quick fixes in getting rid of them either, so prevention is better than cure. And although they are not known to carry disease, they do bite and it's the bites that can become infected if they aren't kept clean and dry until healed."

Photo / Mattress Online

This article was first published on Daily Mail and is republished here with permission.