How Clean are the Netflix DVDs and Mailers?

KLTV 7 East Texas sent out six Netflix DVD mailers for testing by the pathology lab at University of Texas to check for bacteria and diseases.

We began our test by unsealing each Netflix envelope. We removed each disk from its sleeve, and the lab supervisor swabbed them front and back. Once each petri-dish was swabbed, the plates were placed inside an incubator.

A few days later, we found at least four different kinds of bacteria growing inside the plates. But it wasn't what Dr. Wallace expected.

"They were fairly clean," said Wallace. "If I took my fingers and laid them on the top of the plates, this is what you'd grow."

As for the disks themselves, Wallace said he found nothing that could potentially cause disease.

If you've ever wondered how clean the Netflix DVDs are, you should watch the video.

Comments

[Matthew]

I've never really thought about that. Good investigation... I guess I shouldn't worry too much about getting the Netflix flu.

[Ewingo401]

This has crossed my mind once or twice. I always figured that the sleeves would be just as clean (or unclean) as any other piece of mail. The discs are another story though, I've seen some VERY funky looking discs!

[cg]

To me this is like going to the grocery store and pulling packages of food off the shelf to undergo the same testing since so many individuals with unwashed hands have touched the items before we ever get home with them. Outside of the stockroom and manufacturing, you have a cashier touching all that dirty money before holding onto your food packaging to ring up.

Wash your hands. There you go.

[Sam]

Wasn't a study done a few months ago saying that traces of cocaine was found on our money? Thankfully that's not the same result with our Netflix DVDs

[SockPuppet]

Blah Ha Ha! At least the taxpayers didn't get stuck footing the bill for the lab-work!

Must have been a very slow news day at KLTV...

[Seth]

Did they test the sleeves and the discs? Or just the discs?

It seems like the sleeves would be the environment for pathogens. I don't think bacteria would like the discs themselves very much.

[Chance the Gardener]

Did they test the sleeves and the discs? Or just the discs?

So we moved on to a second experiment. We swabbed each sleeve, front and back, and those plates joined the others inside the incubator.

The results?

"The sleeves were as contaminated, or more contaminated than the disks," said Dr. Wallace. "This is pretty good compared to a lot of other things that could be heavily contaminated."

[Seth]

Thanks for the bold type, implying perhaps that I am unable to read?

In fact, I thought the story was just the text that Hacking Netflix posted. I didn't see the link.

[MCW]

In fact, I thought the story was just the text that Hacking Netflix posted. I didn't see the link.

C'mon now, you've gotta admit, that giant video is hard to miss sitting on top of the text.

[tsrblke]

@MCW,

Except for thise of us who look at the RSS feed typically, the video doesn't show up.

[Uosdwis]

If it takes more than a few hours after they touch it to get to you, then anything on the paper surfaces should've died. H1N1, for instance, lives better on non-porous suraces (the disc) than porous (the envelope and sleeve). You've got much more to worry about when in a group of people who are actively expelling live virii into the air and onto surfaces which you soon touch and transfer to your mouth, nose or eyes. I've taken to remembering to use my knuckles to open pushable doors, and not on the most worn part. No swine flu so far!

[Red Smith]

What if you lick them?

[Fred]

Germs are everywhere. Get use to it.

[QP]

I guess I shouldn't worry too much about getting the Netflix flu.

Yeah, especially seeing as flu is caused by a virus that lasts less than a day without an active biological medium.

As for bacteria, they are everywhere, folks, and a lot hardier than a virus. I'm amazed they found only four. A gram of soil might have 50 million bacteria. There are nearly 10,000 known types and estimated to be upwards of a billion types. Most are harmless to humans and some we couldn't live without.

[Ritch]

I noticed one of the DVDs they tested was "Robocop 3". Come on, how many people could have possibly touched that DVD?

[danny]

That's a good point, Ritch. They should test one of the children's dvds or a popular tv series dvd.

[a]

Robocop 3? That's hilarious. I didn't even know that movie existed.

[viagra online]

Netflix !!! what a great application!

[health tips blog]

Thanks for the information. I really didn't know that there can be bacteria staying on the DVDs and mailers we use.

[Rob]

Of course the disks are clean:

Half of them looked to have been cleaned with industrial solvents and steel wool.

[Generic viagra]

Ha ha ha .. good to see the video and yeah of course good to read the post well.Thanks for sharing

[website design]

Hilarious, thanks for sharing.

[How to Lose Weight Fast]

I was always sure they were clean.

[levitra]

Thanks for the test on how to clean DvDs mailers.

[Muska]

Thanks for the information. I really didn't know that there can be bacteria staying on the DVDs and mailers we use.

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[speeding up a slow computer]

Had no idea how nasty the netflix dvd's really were!

[home drug test]

This is indeed great article for many of your regular followers, thanks for sharing this article.

[Inviseble_Demon]

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[Replica jerseys]

That's a good point, Ritch. They should test one of the children's dvds or a popular tv series dvd.

[Magnetic Generator]

Anything that the public touches is by no means clean. Every looked at just how dirty money can be?

[from youtube to mp3]

You've got much more to worry about when in a group of people who are actively expelling live virii into the air and onto surfaces which you soon touch and transfer to your mouth, nose or eyes.

[ベネトリン]

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