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It's no secret that simple things that not washing your hands thoroughly enough or not washing personal belongings as often as you should can cause the spread of germs. However, there's a lot more you can do that cause the spread of germs and can cause you, or someone else, to fall ill. In fact, you probably do one of two of these things once a day and don't even realize the effect it has on you. While it may not cause you to feel sick, the germs are still there and just not visible to the naked eye. Here are 10 unhealthy habits that you didn't know cause the spread of germs! Which ones do you do? 1. Using bar soap Wikimedia Commons Bars of soap can actually spread germs when used by multiple people. Liquid soaps are the best options for families who share showers. 2. Texting on the toilet The Daily Snug When you're doing your business, germs (like fecal matter) are released into the air and can end up on your phone screen. It doesn't matter if you wash your hands afterward, the germs are still on your phone's surface and it's pretty gnarly to think about. 3. Not washing your hands thoroughly enough Pexels You should be washing your hands for approximately 20 to 30 seconds. To ensure you've washed your hands long enough, sing the 'Happy Birthday' song twice in a row. 4. Sharing hand towels Ali Express It's best to have multiple hand towels up for use when sharing a bathroom and especially when sharing hand towels. Even if you need to have designated hand towels for members of the house, it's better than spreading germs by all family members using the same hand towel. 5. Leaving the toilet lid up when flushing froggy / YouTube Studies have shown that when you flush the toilet, the contents of what's in the toilet get splashed around and it sprays those contents into the air containing microscopic bacteria. By not closing the lid before you flush, you run the risk of that bacteria contaminating your hands and other surfaces; even your toothbrush! Read up on more bad habits that spread germs on the NEXT page... 6. Drying hands with an air dryer Snopes That awkward moment when this was actually supposed to prevent the spreading of germs. A study has confirmed that by using an air dryer in a public restroom to wash your hands, it can actually disperse bacteria throughout the room and even onto your freshly cleaned hands. 7. Opening things with your teeth WebMD By using your teeth to open stubborn packages, you may not only be damaging your teeth but also transferring the bacteria on the package to your mouth and vice versa. 8. Chewing on pens Speeli This is a common thing that school students or office workers tend to do from time to time. However, you don't know where that pen has been, and it probably hasn't been in the cleanest of places. 9. Eating at your desk Dr. Jack Singer Office workers, this one's for you. Unless you clean the contents and area of your desk regularly, your computer's keyboard is one of the #1 places at your desk to harbor some serious germs. Chances are you're eating lunch at your desk to multitask and do some work, using that same keyboard. 10. Blowing out birthday candles Wikimedia Commons Have you ever thought about where the contents and bacterias in your mouth go after you blow out the birthday candles? That's right. Right onto the cake for everyone else to ingest. There's a very slim chance anyone could actually get sick from this, but reports have confirmed that the amount of bacteria on a cake from blowing out birthday candles increases by 1,400%. Be sure to SHARE this article to spread awareness about these germ-spreading habits!