How To Find the Germs Before They Find You

When it comes to germs, what freaks you out the most?  Gas station bathrooms? Port-A-Potties? Public restroom door handles? 

Did you know the bulk of germs are hibernating in places you least suspect? Here’s the list:  playground equipment, the phone receiver, ATM keypads and elevator buttons.   

"Dr. Germ," a professor of environmental microbiology cautions: “People have a false sense of security when it comes to germs.”

The kitchen sink is one place with the most germs because it contains the most surfaces that remain moist. Though the kitchen is more germ populated than the bathroom, our restrooms still have their fair share of illness-causing bacteria.

Yet if we change some of our hygiene habits, we can get our bathrooms as germ-free as an operating room.

Color code hand and bath towels. It’s important that family members don’t swap towels and viruses.  Neil Schachter M.D., author of The Good Doctor’s Guide To Colds and Flu advises: “If people are burrowing their faces in towels, they are doing more than drying off, they are depositing germs.”

Don’t share toothbrushes. Color-code your toothbrushes to make sure everyone has their own. Here’s why: when you brush, you remove plaque and particles. Your toothbrush becomes infested with bacteria, blood, saliva and oral debris. These contaminants are passed on to you if you share someone else’s toothbrush. WebMD suggests toothbrushes make no contact with any other toothbrushes stored in the same holder.

Always flush with the lid down.  Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona warns, “Polluted water vapor erupts out of the flushing toilet and it can take hours for these particles to finally settle.” Make sure your toothbrush is not too close to the toilet if you choose to keep the lid up when you flush.  You don’t want to brush your teeth with what’s in your toilet.

Wipe down high-touch surfaces. WebMD suggests using disinfectant spray or wipes on faucets, toilet flusher handles, cupboard handles, doorknobs, shower door handles and any other areas that come into contact with your hands.

Set up a paper cup dispenser.  It sounds like a good idea to use paper cups in the bathroom rather than plastic or ceramic cups.  An enormous amount of germs are spread when we use plastic cups that are shared among the family members.

Wash your hands thoroughly when you use the bathroom.  Dr. Germ reminds us, “80% of infections are spread by hand. The solution is proper hand hygiene with soap and water or an alcohol-based sanitizer.”

Here’s bad news for men.  According to ABC News one-third of men don’t bother to wash after using the bathroom, compared to 12% of women.

Frequent hand washing is the single best thing people can do to avoid getting sick from colds and the flu.

One microbiologist from Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City suggests carrying sanitizer gels and wipes in case you are unable to wash your hands.

Shake water from the curtain after showering. Why?  Getting rid of excess water will prevent buildup of mold and mildew.  Always leave the curtain open as well as a bathroom window so water evaporates.

Occasionally, remove your shower heads and soak them overnight in vinegar.  You can also use a commercial cleanser.  This process removes build-up and dirt that clogs the head and contaminates the shower water you stand under for ten to fifteen minutes a day.

These simple clean-up tips can make quite a difference in creating a sanitary environment in your bathroom.

John   
Email: johnsblog@teshmedia.com

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Comments

[miss cleanliness]

Hi John. THese are all excellent tips. I wish more people would listen and be more preventative with their cleaning habits. I am very careful especially in public places. Germs freak me out.LOL. But it is true the info you gave especially about the home stuff made even me more careful with our family's personal germs. Good One!