It's impossible to say for sure how long germs can live on a plunger, as it depends on the specific type of germ and the conditions of the plunger itself. However, we do know that some types of germs, such as Norovirus, can survive for weeks on dry surfaces. This means that even if you clean your plunger, there is still the potential for remaining germs to cause illness. For this reason, it's always best to disinfect your plunger after cleaning it, just to be safe.