Once a somewhat justifiable go-to rule for many, the 5-second rule eating a piece of dropped food or re-using a baby bottle as long as it's within five seconds has been challenged by scientists at San Diego State University in a study funded by The Clorox Company.
The San Diego State University study team tested a carrot and a sippy cup (or baby bottle) after the items were dropped on countertops, highchair trays, tile floors and carpet. On most surfaces, the researchers believe that a significant amount of germs were transferred to both the carrot and sippy cup in five seconds. The most germs were transferred to the carrot from the counter followed by the tile floor and carpeted floor, while for the sippy cup, the most germs were transferred from the highchair tray.
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