I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dropped food — on the floor at home mostly, maybe sometimes in the street — and depending on what kind of substance it was, shrugged, cited the “five-second rule” and picked it back up. I’ve never gotten sick from doing so, but now science has cracked that whole way of life wide open and said that actually, germs can totally stick to food within five seconds. Nooo!

Germs are speedy little things, says a new study co-funded by Clorox and conducted by researchers at San Diego State University. Scientists there found that germs can attach themselves to edible items within that amount of time, reports the McClatchy-Tribune News Service via KVTQ News.

Using baby carrots as germ bait, researchers dropped the food on things like a countertop, kitchen sink, a table and both carpeted and tiled flooring. They used a clean carrot as a constant, and found that germs stuck onto carrots within five seconds of contact on the different surfaces. Let’s not even get into what they would’ve found on a street corner. Gulp.

I’m not the only one who lives by (or used to) the five-second rule —  a survey done in tandem with the study reports that 65% of parents admitted they use the rule in their own homes.

Now I just need to find another popularly held belief to cling to now that the five-second rule has been ruined for me.

Germs trump the five second rule [KVTQ.com]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.