Wash Your Hands!!!!

LilRedRooster

The reliance on anti-bacterials by the commercial masses is a huge contributor to bacterial resistance increasing so much in the last 10 years. The more exposure bacteria get to chemicals, the more resistance is likely to occur through mutation. So while you may believe you're doing yourself a favor now, wait a few years, and see what awesome superbugs pop up as a result of your continued misuse of antibacterials. It'll be a blast.

tsh0ck

there are roughly 40,000 bacteria in your mouth right now.
(seriously. that's why you've got bad breath straight off in the morning.)


aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!

javajunki

I'm not a germaphobe, but if I am in a public restroom washing my hands, and someone comes out of the stall and heads straight for the door, I ask them very loudly, "Aren't you going to wash your hands?" Most pretend they don't hear me and walk out, but I am betting they are very conscious of that experience every time thereafter.

proper reply to that bit of "invasive judgmental observation" is "I have learned to go to the bathroom without urinating on myself"

Jorra

The reliance on anti-bacterials by the commercial masses is a huge contributor to bacterial resistance increasing so much in the last 10 years. The more exposure bacteria get to chemicals, the more resistance is likely to occur through mutation. So while you may believe you're doing yourself a favor now, wait a few years, and see what awesome superbugs pop up as a result of your continued misuse of antibacterials. It'll be a blast.

Yay MRSA!

I had the stomach flu once and the urgent care doctor tried to give me an antibiotic. I fear for this world.

gp79

My gum hit the gym floor the other day...I picked it up and put it back into my mouth. It was like it never left.

repoman150

I am sooooo a germobphobe....yesterday i damn near went into a rage at the gym..... while walking into the locker room, it was very clear by the friggin smell, that the guy in the stall was taking a dump....then the toilet flushes, he comes out of the stall and proceeds directly to the workout equipment WITHOUT so much as even looking at the sink....i swear, i could have strangled him...im sure he heard me say what a scum he was for not washing his hands as he was walking out of the locker room.

LilRedRooster

They've actually done studies showing that no matter how hard you try, E. coli contamination (present in fecal matter), is everywhere. If you culture your toothbrush right now in an agar plate, it would grow E. coli bacteria. Even if it isn't in the bathroom. And washing your hands works, in the sense that soap decreases surface tension amd scrubs MOST of the bacteria from your hands. Doesn't kill any of them, in reality. It just makes it easier to detach them from the surface of your skin. If you atttempted a culture after washing your hands, you'd still grow bacteria, and some would likely be E. coli. It's inevitable, unless you live in a bubble: s*** is everywhere, and you can't do anything about it. May as well just not stress over it.

Do you know why E. coli is present in fecal matter? Because it's present in your digestive tract all the time. In fact, it's a good thing. We humans have a mutualistic relationship with most strains of E. coli.

Your gut has bacteria, your skin has bacteria, everything you touch has bacteria. Most of it is either harmless or good for you when kept in the right places. In fact, the bacteria that causes staph infection is commonly found on the skin or in your nasal passages.

I realize why it's present in the digestive tract, thanks. However, found outside the intestines, it is considered a pathogenic issue, and huge source of dangerous contamination. Why do you think processed hamburger is washed in ammonia? It's not because ammonia tastes awesome; it's to kill the E. coli contamination that could overrun the natural flora balance in the average human gut and cause sickness. Presence of E. coli signifies fecal contamination, period, no matter if it's a natural occurance or not.

jordanlell

I'm not a germaphobe, but if I am in a public restroom washing my hands, and someone comes out of the stall and heads straight for the door, I ask them very loudly, "Aren't you going to wash your hands?" Most pretend they don't hear me and walk out, but I am betting they are very conscious of that experience every time thereafter.

I am one who heads straight for the door but as soon as I'm outside the door, I'm using my Purell. I HATE those hand blowers and so many bathrooms use them. They just spread the germs all over. They don't dry your hands. I also figure that even if I wash my hands, there are those who do just walk out the door so I'm touching the germs anyway. For that reason, I use the Purell after I walk out. So...next time you see someone walk out without washing, they might be reaching for the Purell as soon as they get out the door.

Actually, anyone who has worked in food service is trained that hand sanitizers DO NOT make up for washing your hands with anti-bacterial soap for at least 20-30 seconds and drying with a clean or disposable towel. The only time sanitizers are truly effective is after a good hand washing, by food serving standards. So, by all means use the Purell after you leave the restroom, but please don't skip the hand washing.

mes1119

Personally, I don't get pee or crap on my hands when I use the restroom. Just saying.

jordanlell

The reliance on anti-bacterials by the commercial masses is a huge contributor to bacterial resistance increasing so much in the last 10 years. The more exposure bacteria get to chemicals, the more resistance is likely to occur through mutation. So while you may believe you're doing yourself a favor now, wait a few years, and see what awesome superbugs pop up as a result of your continued misuse of antibacterials. It'll be a blast.

This is very true. Also, misuse of antibiotic medications. If you start an antibiotic, always FINISH the perscription.

KJVBear33

Im not saying I myself rely on anti-bacterial gel.........I prefer to wash my hands rather than anything else.......but I have had to use a lot of it in the past........I used to work at a hospital and it was mandatory that we cal-stat our hands before and after we go into a room. At my current job, there is some at the counter because we can't go running to the bathroom after handling money just to wash our hands.

zlem

that keyboard you're typing on right now prolly has more germs than your average toilet seat!

gp79

Something that is surrounded by cloth all day is going to be cleaner than something exposed to the elements. I have good aim most of the time. I should probably wash my boy parts instead of my hands.

SilverStrychnine

Never mind the not washing hands after using the bathroom, it's people who leave the toilet lid up when flushing that should worry. The force of the flush pushes the germs in and around the toilet up in the air and in your face.

True story.

ALWAYS CLOSE THE LID WHEN YOU FLUSH!

Jennyisbusy

They've actually done studies showing that no matter how hard you try, E. coli contamination (present in fecal matter), is everywhere. If you culture your toothbrush right now in an agar plate, it would grow E. coli bacteria. Even if it isn't in the bathroom. And washing your hands works, in the sense that soap decreases surface tension amd scrubs MOST of the bacteria from your hands. Doesn't kill any of them, in reality. It just makes it easier to detach them from the surface of your skin. If you atttempted a culture after washing your hands, you'd still grow bacteria, and some would likely be E. coli. It's inevitable, unless you live in a bubble: s*** is everywhere, and you can't do anything about it. May as well just not stress over it.

bubble won't help, you still would need to poo. Unless the bubble is from the wast up! lol

SilverStrychnine

that keyboard you're typing on right now prolly has more germs than your average toilet seat!

This is true. Also mobile phones, light switches, and door handles, they're are the germiest places.Toilet is actually not that bad. I wipe my keyboard and phone down once a day with an anti-bacterial wipe, but still...

KJVBear33

Actually looked it up..........the thing that has the most germs on it is your cell phone..........go figure........

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_has_the_most_germs

tsh0ck

I am sooooo a germobphobe....yesterday i damn near went into a rage at the gym..... while walking into the locker room, it was very clear by the friggin smell, that the guy in the stall was taking a dump....then the toilet flushes, he comes out of the stall and proceeds directly to the workout equipment WITHOUT so much as even looking at the sink....i swear, i could have strangled him...im sure he heard me say what a scum he was for not washing his hands as he was walking out of the locker room.

does the toilet at the gym have a lid? I'm guessing no. so, if you would have strangled him, you would have gotten poop germs on your hands. actually, there's a good chance you got them all over you in the first place.

According to Charles Gerba, PhD, a professor of microbiology at University of Arizona in Tucson, flushing the toilet with the lid up is not wise. "Polluted water vapor erupts out of the flushing toilet bowl and it can take several hours for these particles to finally settle."

gerba's study found that droplets from a flushed toilet can travel sex to eight feet up and out. so, really, does it matter if they wash their hands? they already infected you with the flush. just sayin.

oh, and then this:

"The greatest aerosol dispersal occurs not during the initial moments of the flush, but rather once most of the water has already left the bowl," according to Philip Tierno, MD, director of clinical microbiology and diagnostic immunology at New York University Medical Center and Mt. Sinai Medical Center. He therefore advises leaving immediately after flushing to not have the microscopic, airborne mist land on you.

SilverStrychnine

You can't go overboard though, exposure to germs is good as it helps strengthen your immune system. No wonder people get sick so easily these days.

gp79

Yeah if your toothbrush is within 5 feet of the toilet, it's being peppered with treats whenever you flush with the lid up. All I can say is yes, yes and I'm 32 without any cavities.