My boyfriend thinks I'm a'freak'! Are you a 'freak'???

shartran
shartran Posts: 304 Member
Ok...sounds a little weird, but I wash EVERYTHING I purchase. I mean, I wash every bottle (lotion; cosmetics, food bottles, etc.,) tea box, can...even the kitty liter container.

Doesn't matter what it is...I wash it before it goes into my cupboards.
I just imagine all the hands that have touched the product, plus the dust it has on it from sitting on the shelf...

Do you wash your items? Or is my boyfriend right? I need to be able to tell my boyfriend that SOMEONE out there does the same thing as me...(I hope I can...) LOL:))

P.S. I just heard from some documentary that the grocery shopping cart handle has more germs than what's on your toilet - they tested many handles only to detect feces and other 'lovely' germs on it!!
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Replies

  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Nope...You're a freak!:wink::laugh:
  • cronly
    cronly Posts: 307 Member
    And now we have super-germs thriving in the very places that we would hope would be the most sanitary....
  • loribethrice
    loribethrice Posts: 620 Member
    I wash all clothes, underwear, socks, etc that I buy before I'll wear them. Otherwise I just get grossed out.
  • j4nash
    j4nash Posts: 1,719 Member
    That would drive me crazy, lol. I've heard of washing food, but never to that extreme.
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    Wow, my husband is clinically OCD and won't touch the handrails of anything and even he's not this bad. :tongue: OP, you're ok, but I think your BF may have a point.
  • my_2_cents
    my_2_cents Posts: 109 Member
    Yeah, you're definitely struggling on the edge of mental illness there. There are germs and dirt everywhere, and for a normal healthy person they are not a problem. As a matter of fact, avoiding germs entirely actually leads to your immune system being weaker as it doesn't have experience with these bugs before you are actually ill. It means when you do get sick, its likely to be far harder on you than on a normal, healthy person.

    Anti-bacterial cleaning supplies also lead to bacteria evolving to survive. You kill the 99.5 percent described on the bottle, but those 0.5% that survive are the ones that will keep getting stronger in the next generation of bacteria and will eventually kill us all. Stop cleaning everything, you're going to kill my kids lol.
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    And now we have super-germs thriving in the very places that we would hope would be the most sanitary....

    That's more to do with an over use of antibiotics than a lack of basic washing hygiene.
  • bryttanid
    bryttanid Posts: 14
    I don't think you're a freak. I'm a bit of a neat freak myself. Sounds like you may be a little ocd but that's ok =)

    Actually, since I read your first post I thought that it made a lot of sense. I wash my hands as soon as I get home from the store and purell instantly if I think I may have touched something questionable. The next step would be to wash the groceries. I have actually washed lotion/soap bottles upon bringing them home before. Maybe you're onto something. lol :smile:
  • KseRz
    KseRz Posts: 980 Member
    Your boyfriend should be lucky he has a clean environment to be in. He doesnt have to even implement a 5 second rule!
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
    There are probably more "germs" in your handbag in and in your mouth than on those things. Calm down and let your immune system do what it was designed to do.

    I did a bacteria culture of a keyboard spacebar once. It came out beautifully!
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    Your boyfriend should be lucky he has a clean environment to be in. He doesnt have to even implement a 5 second rule!

    I implement the five second rule in my house whether the floors are clean or not.

    ETA: unless there's cat hair on it, not because I think it'll kill me, but the texture is nasty.
  • SunshineInWA
    SunshineInWA Posts: 2 Member
    Freak!
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
    And now we have super-germs thriving in the very places that we would hope would be the most sanitary....

    Ding, ding, ding!

    Anti-biotic resistant tuberculosis, anyone?
  • aedreana
    aedreana Posts: 979 Member
    I wash many, many of my purchases! I always wash bottles of rubbing alcohol, packages of trash bags, cans of air freshener, etc. I am also careful to avoid Icky Lickies-- those cashiers with the NASTY GROSS habit of licking their fingers to open up plastic grocery bags or count money..I DON'T WANT SALIVA ON.MY MERCHANDISE!

    I predict that the title of this thread will generate many clicks...!
  • SunshineInWA
    SunshineInWA Posts: 2 Member
    Germaphobes, just use common sense... Oh that's right, it's not common :s
  • KseRz
    KseRz Posts: 980 Member
    Your boyfriend should be lucky he has a clean environment to be in. He doesnt have to even implement a 5 second rule!

    I implement the five second rule in my house whether the floors are clean or not.

    ETA: unless there's cat hair on it, not because I think it'll kill me, but the texture is nasty.

    I agree. Dog hair on da foodz at any time interval is contamination that cant be reversed.

    But if we lived with the OP we could take 10, 20, even 30 seconds. And there probably wouldnt be any hairs. Crazy for others, perfect for clutzy people like me who drop food all the time. :tongue:
  • KseRz
    KseRz Posts: 980 Member
    And now we have super-germs thriving in the very places that we would hope would be the most sanitary....

    Ding, ding, ding!

    Anti-biotic resistant tuberculosis, anyone?

    If it doesnt kill you, it makes you stronger. :wink:
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    Your boyfriend should be lucky he has a clean environment to be in. He doesnt have to even implement a 5 second rule!

    I implement the five second rule in my house whether the floors are clean or not.

    ETA: unless there's cat hair on it, not because I think it'll kill me, but the texture is nasty.

    I agree. Dog hair on da foodz at any time interval is contamination that cant be reversed.

    But if we lived with the OP we could take 10, 20, even 30 seconds. And there probably wouldnt be any hairs. Crazy for others, perfect for clutzy people like me who drop food all the time. :tongue:

    I just put the dropped food on my husband's plate. Privilege of being the cook.
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
    People are too obsessed these days by germs in my opinion.

    A programme in the UK showed people who were obsessed by germs and cleaned everything. They were terrified of trying on shoes so the makers of the programme gave them these gadgets that are used by hygiene inspectors to test the bacteria levels in restaurants. They first tested shoes in a shop that people had been trying on, the levels were surprisingly low. They then tested their own shoes which had been wiped twice a day before and after being worn with antibacterial wipes. Their own "sanitized" shoes had bacteria levels that were 3 times higher than the shoes in the shop.

    They did the same thing on delivery van steering wheels and on their own car steering wheels (yes they wipe their own steering wheel before and after driving with antibacterial wipes) and the levels were again higher on the "sanitized" wheels than on the ones that were driven by multiple people and hardly ever cleaned.

    Surprising huh?

    After seeing this programme I would be more worried about handling your "sanitized" items than the ones straight from the store.

    Stop obsessing about germs so much and spend your time doing more fun things with your boyfriend.
  • 303enfield
    303enfield Posts: 239 Member
    you have ocd
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    I have a no hand sanitizer rule in my classroom (it's actually for the sake of the biological filter in our fish tanks). I have sinks with soap and water, everything else is complete overkill and unnecessary.
  • PrissyPisces
    PrissyPisces Posts: 117 Member
    I wouldn't say you're a freak.

    I HAVE to wash bowls, glasses, and ALL things that go in me and my family's mouth, before using them. I even wash the disposable baking pans, and yes, I rinse, wipe, or wash the tops of canned sodas. Especially if I don't have a straw for it. I just imagine someone sneezing on those items, picking their nose, or not washing their hands after a bathroom visit, and then touching my things before I bought them. ICK! :sick:

    Glad I don't eat out much, but we won't even GET on that. You should see how I inspect my food before I eat it. I take apart burgers, open the tops of my fountain drinks, and make sure I order clear beverages. Even though I know there are some things you can't see. :noway:

    Oh dear God, help me! :sad:
  • KseRz
    KseRz Posts: 980 Member
    Your boyfriend should be lucky he has a clean environment to be in. He doesnt have to even implement a 5 second rule!

    I implement the five second rule in my house whether the floors are clean or not.

    ETA: unless there's cat hair on it, not because I think it'll kill me, but the texture is nasty.

    I agree. Dog hair on da foodz at any time interval is contamination that cant be reversed.

    But if we lived with the OP we could take 10, 20, even 30 seconds. And there probably wouldnt be any hairs. Crazy for others, perfect for clutzy people like me who drop food all the time. :tongue:

    I just put the dropped food on my husband's plate. Privilege of being the cook.

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    I only do that with the food that falls on the ground while grilling outside. Dirt is high in essential minerals!
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    This isn't what I was expecting. But, no I don't do this.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    Yeah, you're freaky. Exposure builds your immune system.
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    Your boyfriend should be lucky he has a clean environment to be in. He doesnt have to even implement a 5 second rule!

    I implement the five second rule in my house whether the floors are clean or not.

    ETA: unless there's cat hair on it, not because I think it'll kill me, but the texture is nasty.

    I agree. Dog hair on da foodz at any time interval is contamination that cant be reversed.

    But if we lived with the OP we could take 10, 20, even 30 seconds. And there probably wouldnt be any hairs. Crazy for others, perfect for clutzy people like me who drop food all the time. :tongue:

    I just put the dropped food on my husband's plate. Privilege of being the cook.

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    I only do that with the food that falls on the ground while grilling outside. Dirt is high in essential minerals!

    I do all the grilling as well. But that's usually some of my favorite food so I tend to be more careful.
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    exposure to dirt and germs develops our immune systems,

    http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/31879/title/Let-Them-Eat-Dirt/
  • There are probably more "germs" in your handbag in and in your mouth than on those things. Calm down and let your immune system do what it was designed to do.

    I did a bacteria culture of a keyboard spacebar once. It came out beautifully!

    Yes, but have you been brave enough to do one on your phone yet? :wink: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • RabbitLost
    RabbitLost Posts: 333 Member
    Oh, dear. :noway:
  • kt2007
    kt2007 Posts: 302 Member
    Your boyfriend should be lucky he has a clean environment to be in. He doesnt have to even implement a 5 second rule!

    I implement the five second rule in my house whether the floors are clean or not.

    ETA: unless there's cat hair on it, not because I think it'll kill me, but the texture is nasty.


    Thats to funny. I cook out on the grill all the time and drop food and throw it back on for a few mins and put it on the plate.
    I agree. Dog hair on da foodz at any time interval is contamination that cant be reversed.

    But if we lived with the OP we could take 10, 20, even 30 seconds. And there probably wouldnt be any hairs. Crazy for others, perfect for clutzy people like me who drop food all the time. :tongue:

    I just put the dropped food on my husband's plate. Privilege of being the cook.