Common Places for Germs
Did you know that shopping cart handles can harbor ten times more germs than almost anything else you touch during the day? Studies have found germs, viruses, bacteria and bodily fluids on these seemingly innocuous plastic handles. And even more unpleasant? Think of how many times your child has touched one of these handles, or even worse, moved down to chew on one!Fortunately, antibacterial wipe dispensers are beginning to spring up in many community grocery stores. Of course this is not foolproof, as many antibacterial products must remain on surfaces for up to four minutes before completely disinfecting. So use these, and follow up with antibacterial hand wash when you get back to your car.
And for extra confidence, you may choose to purchase a grocery cart handle cover for your weekly shopping trips. Found in both cloth and plastic, these can be placed on cart handles and removed without making direct contact with the handle. So use those wipes, wash your hands after, and go take advantage of that special in aisle five! Take your own wipes if you have to.
Public Restrooms
Yep, we all knew, but how do you keep the germs from getting on your hands? You do your business and even use a toilet cover and then squat down not sitting all the way, just to be sure not to touch the seat with your bottom. So, you touch the handle and flush, go to the sink wash your hands and turn the water off. You've just touched the handle to turn the water off and viola you get the germs back on your hands. It's best to grab a paper towel, dry your hands and then turn the water off. Next, use the same towel to open the restroom door and hold it open with your foot tossing the used towel toward the trash can. That's the way I do it.Try not to put your purse on the floor as it is usually more germ infested than other areas of public restrooms. Not all floors get cleaned, unfortunately. Be careful too not to place purses on the door on a hook that someone can reach over and grab. More and more restrooms are placing hooks further down on the door to keep anyone from reaching over and grabbing your purse.
Your Kitchen
Did you know that one of the germiest places in your house is the kitchen? The kitchen sink has many different germs breeding around the faucet, on sponges and down the drain. Any time I make spaghetti and rinse in a colander in the sink, I use a bleach soft scrub beforehand, no exceptions. In fact, I frequently use bleach to rinse my sink. Think about all the food that go down the drain and into the garbage disposal from meats to veggies that can carry salmonella, campylobacter and E. coli.Toss your sponges into the top rack of the dishwasher each time you run it to reduce germs. And, always, use a disinfectant on the counters after cutting up veggies or working with meat. Wash hands for at least 20 seconds after working with food products.