Does The 5 Second Rule About Food On The Floor Actually Work?

The five second rule is something we’re all guilty of succumbing to. I’m the first to hold my hands up to say that if I drop a piece of food, I will 9/10 pick it back up and pop it right in my mouth. Unless it falls into a piece of cat shit, obviously. That was until this study came along and ruined the whole rule, and our lives.

According to Doctor Paul Dawson, a professor at Clemson University, if you drop your piece of toast on the floor, chances of bacteria and germs contaminating it are slim to none. Unless (there’s always an unless), the floor is seriously dirty. So rather than it depending on how long your toast spends on the floor, it actually all depends on how contaminated the surface actually is.

So basically, if you’ve spent your life shouting ‘5 second rule,’ when something drops from your plate, take a second to consider when you last mopped the floor before you grab it and eat it. Unless that is you don’t care, then go right ahead.

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Follow Alyss on Twitter @alyssbowen

This article originally appeared on The Debrief.