Santa Monica, CA -- Germaphobes have a new phone-friendly device to block germs on public telephones.

The so-called SaniPhones are a cloth cover, made of the same material that surgical masks are made of, which slips over the entire receiver of the phone so a user never has to put their mouth near the germs.

The company cites research done at the University of Arizona that shows that public telephones have more germs than a toilet seat.

Some of the worst telephones are in hospitals, where cell phones are banned. Also hotel and airport phones are swarming with diseases.

Irving Posalski, an Associate Clinical Professor for Infectious Diseases at UCLA, says germs can be left behind on phones for hours from mucus and grimy hands.

The device can also fit over the hand like a glove for using other public facilities like ATMs or gas pumps. A box of five phone wraps sells for $3.95.

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