Thursday, August 22, 2013

Germ-Free Living

Germs are a little annoyance that we have to put up with on a daily basis everywhere we go. They are inescapable and most of the time harmless, but should be understood as a potentially serious risks to our health. There are few precautions you may already make to protect yourself from unwanted germs like flushing the toilet with your foot when using a public bathroom and grabbing an extra paper towel to open the door. Unfortunately, avoiding the toilet handle and bathroom doors might not be enough to keep you germ-free and healthy. Here are a few other places to be concerned about as well as some tips to keep clean.

Shopping Carts

You can bet that any area frequented by the groping and grasping of countless unwashed hands is going to be a health risk. This makes shopping cart handles one of the dirtiest places to come in contact with. Many stores have antibacterial wipes near the cart stands for you to wipe down the handles before use. Take advantage of this and keep clean!

ATM Buttons

Next time you're standing in front of one of these, entering your pin code and grabbing some cash, remember you'll be leaving there with more than just your withdrawal. I don't think banks are required to clean these regularly if at all,, and we all know how many people use these things everyday, do remember to wash your hands after visiting an ATM.

Handbags

I've never really cleaned my purse, besides emptying it out now and then. So having not been properly disinfected, it carries with it germs from every surface its ever touched. The fabric of your purse will determine how you need to clean it. Often times, wiping down the bottom with a towelette will be sufficient. Carrying a purse hook with you will keep you from placing your purse down on unclean surfaces.

Bathtub

We all know how dirty public bathrooms are, but don't think that your bathroom at home is any less filthy. Sinks can be well-managed and even toilets too, but the worst offender of nasty germs is your bathtub. Bathing and showering washes off bacteria and viruses from your body that you've picked up throughout the day. The dampness of the tub is the perfect breeding environment for all those microorganisms. To avoid this, scrub your tub weekly and wipe it dry afterwards.

Doctor's Office

Sadly the very place you turn to for treatment from germ-causing illnesses is possibly the germiest place of all. With sick patients being seen regularly here, it means that everything you've touched has been previously sneezed on or coughed on. When visiting your doctor, skip flipping through the magazines in the office and instead bring your own reading material and plenty of hand sanitizer. You might not be completely germ-free when you leave, but you might have saved yourself from an unnecessary illness.

Condiment Dispensers

Before you go about decorating your burgers with mustard and ketchup, consider wiping down those bottles or wrapping a napkin around them before serving yourself. Many times we use these kinds of condiments before eating finger foods, which means with each bite, we get a little food and side order of bacteria.

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