The scariest part about commuting isn’t the traffic: Your trip to the office could make you sick.

What’s the first thing you do when you get to work? If it’s answer e-mails or scarf down a quick breakfast at your desk, you might want to put washing your hands at the top of your to-do list.

Gas pump handles, escalator rails and many other things that you commonly come in contact with on your commute are germy enough to make you sick, according to new research by the hygiene products and services company Kimberly-Clark Professional.

Testers swabbed high-trafficked surfaces in six major cities, measuring for levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP exists in all bacteria, including Staphylococcus and E. coli, and its presence is a good measure that something is unsanitary.

“Surfaces with ATP readings of 300 or higher could make you ill,” said study coauthor Kelly Arehart.

Here Prevention shares the percent of common surfaces that are dangerously dirty. Avoid touching them when possible, and use hand sanitizer when you can’t.

– 68 percent of sidewalk mailbox handles

– 71 percent of gas pump handles

– 43 percent of escalator rails

– 41 percent of ATM buttons

– 35 percent of crosswalk buttons

– 35 percent of vending machine buttons

– 40 percent of parking meters

By Prevention magazine