The germs lurking in your cinema: Disgusting graphics reveal the bacteria and mold hidden in seats and cup holders – with some seats harboring 14 times as many bugs as the average toilet

With rain forecast for much of Britain this weekend, many Britons are planning a fun trip to the cinema.

But a new study might encourage you to carry some disinfectant spray along with your snacks.

Swab tests have revealed how many germs live and grow in cinemas.

Experts found that huge colonies of bacteria and mold were hiding in both the seats and cup holders – with some seats harboring fourteen times as many bugs as the average toilet.

“Note to self: bring hand sanitizer to the photos (and maybe a hazmat suit)!” Betway said.

Experts found that huge colonies of bacteria and mold were hiding in both the seats and cup holders – with some screens harboring fourteen times as many bugs as the average toilet

In their research, the team swabbed five seats and five cup holders in five cinemas in the UK before sending them to a microbiology laboratory for testing.

For comparison, they also removed and tested three toilet seats.

The seat swabs revealed an average of 1,864 bacterial colonies on one seat – 14 times more than the average number on the toilet seat.

“It is clear that the cleanliness of the seats in different cinemas will vary, not to mention the seat styles and fabrics,” Betway explains.

‘We won’t mention names, but the dirtiest cinema seat we tested was home to around 3,000 bacterial colonies.

“On the other hand, the cleanest movie theater seat had only 80 bacterial colonies, which is about 55 times fewer than the average toilet seat.”

The cup holders turned out to be even dirtier than the seats.

On average, a cup holder contained 2,396 bacterial colonies – 18 times more than a toilet – while at least one cup holder tested even contained mold.

On average, a cup holder contained 2,396 bacterial colonies – 18 times more than a toilet – while mold was even found in at least one cup holder tested

The seat swabs revealed an average of 1,864 bacterial colonies on a single seat – 14 times more than the average number on the toilet seat (stock image)

Digging deeper into the analysis, the researchers identified four major microbes lurking in movie theaters.

Staphylococcus and Micrococcus – the types of bacteria found on human skin – were found on all cinema seats tested, while Bacillus was found in all cup holders.

Meanwhile, Pseudomonas was found to be living on several chairs and cup holders, and mold was found to be living in one cup holder.

“Most of these bacteria are harmless and are found in almost all environments around us, so this should not be too much of a concern,” Betway reassured.

Fortunately, there are several things you can do to avoid bringing germs home from the movie theater, such as washing your hands, taking off your shoes, and changing clothes as soon as you get home.

“With so many great films coming out this year, we don’t want to completely turn you away from the movie theater experience,” Betway added.

‘Just make sure you follow basic hygiene rules so you only catch a blockbuster.’

Digging deeper into the analysis, the researchers identified four major microbes lurking in movie theaters