Wash your hands. That's a common mantra as the H1N1 flu continues to spread around the globe. But all the hand-washing in the world may not be a match for the germs and viruses lurking on household surfaces.

"There is a big appreciation for influenza that you can get it from your hands, but a lack of appreciation that viruses can be picked up on surfaces," said John Oxford, who heads the Hygiene Council and is a professor of virology at St. Bartholomew's and the Royal London Hospital.

The Hygiene Council - comprising global experts in the field of public health and infectious diseases - recently released the results of its second annual International Home Hygiene Study.

Oxford and Joe Rubino, another member of the Hygiene Council, have identified the dirtiest places in the home.

Kitchen cloths and sponges - Seventy percent of kitchen sponges in U.S. homes failed the hygiene test by having high levels of bacteria, according to the Hygiene Council. The council recommends running sponges through the dishwasher regularly and washing kitchen cloths on the hot cycle in the washing machine.

Kitchen faucets - Typically people wash their hands after handling raw meat in the kitchen, but they touch the faucet to turn on the water and do not think about the bacteria that they leave. The Hygiene Council found more than half of faucets in American homes are covered in bacteria. Use a disinfectant spray on faucets to kill germs.

Tub and shower - The bathtub may have 100 times more bacteria than the trash can, according to an in-home bacteria study by Simmons College in Boston. The Hygiene Council recommends that showers and tubs be disinfected twice a week.

Pet food dish - Most pet food dishes stay on the floor and do not get washed regularly. Rubino said "it's not practical to disinfect it every time, but wash your hands after you touch it."

Microwave touch screen - "You can put something in (the microwave) that is raw to cook it and could leave behind E. coli or Salmonella," Rubino said. It is important to wipe down the touch screen regularly, especially after cooking raw meat.

TV remote - "Anything in your home that you touch a lot leaves germs behind," Rubino said. Make sure to sanitize the remote control regularly to prevent sickness.

Light switches - The bathroom light switch can have as many germs as the trash bin. Disinfect light switches twice a week or every day if a member of your household is sick.

Baby changing table - During diaper changes, the baby wipes container, the diaper packaging, the trash can and anything around the changing area get contaminated with bacteria through touching after handling a dirty diaper. Clean the changing table often.