The Germaphobe's Handbook, Page 2

In the The Germaphobe's Handbook, Page 1, I confessed my dire opposition to all things germ laden. Yes, I'm a certified germaphobe and a clean freak. In my laptop satchel I always carry hand sanitizer and I wash my hands more times per day than I can count. I also obsessively clean everything I own. Because I know that I'm not alone, I now begin my second hub for fellow germaphobia sufferers, featuring more likely places to find germs and what to do to protect yourself in a terribly unclean world. Once again, to help control the spread of the seasonal flu and the swine flu, you have to focus on cleanliness and hygiene.

On shopping cart handles, you encounter saliva, bacteria and fecal matter, to name just a few. When you stop to think about it, you're placing your smaller grocery items in the space previously occupied by a child's rear end. Raw food also carries germs and bacteria, and now that many stores have caught on to the health risks, they place disinfectant wipes near the carts. Make sure to use them, and if your chosen store doesn’t offer this necessity, bring along your own sanitizing wipes to clean the top cart rack and handle. I like the Mr. Clean Multi-Surface Wipes for this purpose because they are one of larger and stronger wipes on the market. When your are shopping, make sure to put your raw meat and vegetables in plastic bags, even if they are already shrink wrapped. If you do get liquid on your hands from the meat, make sure to use a wipe or your hand sanitizer immediately.

If you ever flown, you no doubt know the horror of the airplane bathroom. Since there’s a ratio of about one toilet for every 50 people, those bathrooms hardly stay pristine! Researchers have found traces of E.coli and fecal bacteria on the faucets and door handles because it’s very hard to wash hands in such a small sink. The biggest problem in the small bathroom, however, is the flush of the toilet--it sends material into the air that lands on the walls, floors, and other surfaces. To make your visit a little safer, use the paper toilet seat cover, and when you have finished, wash and dry your hands thoroughly. Make sure you use a paper towel when touching the toilet seat, lid, faucets, and doorknob. If your restroom features a toilet seat lid, put it down before you flush! If not, flush as you are quickly exiting the facilities.

Fancy a nice hot bath after a long day? That bathtub you're jumping into to get clean might be rather dirty. In a recent study of staphylococcus bacteria, a common cause of very serious skin infections, researchers found that 26 percent of tested bathtubs contained the bacteria, as compared with just 6 percent of trash cans. In fact, studied bathtubs regularly contained more than 100,000 bacteria per square inch. Given that you wash germs and viruses off your body in the bathtub, which is a moist environment, you have created a great breeding ground for bacteria. I recommend, twice a week, sanitizing the tub with a disinfecting cleaner. After cleaning, make sure to dry the tub well with a clean towel. (If you leave the tub wet, germs can survive.)  Pay extra attention to removing any soap scum, as it will aid in bacteria growth. If someone in the family with a skin infection uses the tub, make sure to disinfect it with a solution of two tablespoons bleach mixed in one quart of warm water before anyone else uses the tub.

The buttons you use to help you get your cash are dirtier than the door handles in most public restrooms. Other buttons to watch out for are those on vending machines. Banks don't place a high priority on cleaning ATM’s, yet the buttons are frequently touched, so we have a perfect storm for germs. Always carry an alcohol-based hand-sanitizer with you and rub it on your hands after a visit to the ATM. Also, sanitize your hands after you handle money, as paper money carries an outrageous number of germs that can make you very sick.

Office phones have been found to have more than 25,000 germs per square inch. If that isn't bad enough, your desk, computer keyboard, and mouse are almost as infested. Desk telephones and mobile cell phones can get covered with germs from your mouth and hands very quickly. Just by cleaning your phone, desk, and keyboard everyday, you can make your workspace much safer and kill 99.99 percent of the bacteria and viruses.

Recently, when a team of researchers tested women’s handbags, most were found to have tens of thousands of bacteria covering the bottom, while a few were laden with millions of germs. In an another recent study, backpacks, handbags, wallets, make-up cases, cellphones, and PDAs were found to harbor pseudo-monas (that cause eye infections), staphylococcus bacteria, salmonela and E.coli. Next time you think of throwing that bag on the floor, hang it on a hook or chair, especially in public toilets, and keep your bag off the kitchen counter. Choose leather or vinyl products which, in general, are easier to wipe clean than cloth. Also, make sure to wipe down your bag often with a disinfectant, and then give it plenty of time to air dry.

In case you started with this hub, don't miss the original page from The Germaphobe's Handbook!