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What Are The Germiest Public Places?
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Tuesday, November 08, 2011
by Janelle Sorensen, Chief Communications Officer, Healthy Child Healthy World
My husband and I were out running errands with my daughter the other day and after visiting about five different stores and touching innumerable surfaces, we realized we had been neglecting to sanitize our hands. Days later, my daughter became ill - and then I followed suit.
This is not the time of year to forget that simple measure.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a germaphobe (read here about my feelings on the benefits of dirt and germs), but I do like to try to avoid being sick and having sick kids. So, I take some simple precautions to reduce our exposure to germs when we’re out and about.
Before I dive into the issue any further, I’d like to make something very clear: Germs are generally benign. In fact, according to Scientific American:
"Most bacteria are well-behaved companions. Indeed, if you are ever feeling lonely, remember that the trillions of microbes living in and on the average human body outnumber the human cells by a ratio of ten to one. Of all the tens of thousands of known bacterial species, only about 100 are renegades that break the rules of peaceful coexistence and make us sick."
That said, here are some surfaces with more than their fair share of germs that you may want to be attentive to:
According to a new study from Kimberly-Clark Professional identifying the filthiest surfaces you might touch on your way to work, gas pump handles, handles on public mailboxes, escalator rails, and ATM buttons are the top offenders.
Closely following on the filthiest list were parking meters and kiosks, crosswalk buttons, and buttons on vending machines in shopping malls.
NSF International, an independent global organization that certifies products and writes public health standards for food, water and consumer goods, regularly tests public surfaces for germs, as well, and some of their recent findings highlight classroom drinking water fountain spigots, cafeteria drinking fountain spigots, reusable cafeteria trays, public restroom faucet handles, and public park sandboxes as being germy hot-spots.
So what can you do?
It’s simple: Wash your hands often. The way the bad germs make us sick is by clinging to our hands and then taking a free ride into our mouth, eyes or nose. If your hands are clean before you touch your face (or food), you're giving yourself an enormous barrier of protection. Here's a CDC primer:
- Apply soap (regular soap works just as well as antibacterial and poses less risks).
- Rub hands together vigorously to make a lather and scrub all surfaces.
- Continue for 20 seconds! It takes that long for the soap and scrubbing action to dislodge and remove stubborn germs.
- Need a timer? Imagine singing "Happy Birthday" all the way through - twice!
- Rinse hands well under running water.
- Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer.
- If possible, use your paper towel to turn off the faucet.
If washing your hands isn’t possible, stash some natural hand sanitizer in your car or purse (those potent antibacterials like triclosan are still unnecessary). Read this blog to learn how to find the safest options and visit Shop Healthy to find some recommended options.
What do you do to keep germs at bay in public spaces?
Photo courtesy SCA Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget / CC BY 2.0
Posted by Swan on 11/11/2011 at 08:40 PM
We use Dessert Essence hand wipes most of the time. The ingredients are even better than the CleanWell ones, though we use those some times. My children like the smell of the CleanWell wipes better.
Posted by Paige on 11/11/2011 at 06:09 PM
We use the paper towel to open public restroom doors, and elbows to or the wrist bone to push elevator buttons and the like.
I keep a CleanWell spray in every back I take out and wipes in the car.
With an uncooperative 2 and 4 year old, it doesn’t always work, but I try to enforce a ‘wash your hands when you walk in the door’ policy. And the kids preschool enforces washing hands upon arrival, which I really like.
Posted by Vicki on 11/11/2011 at 01:46 PM
I actually take a couple of wash cloths in a bag with us when we go out…before leaving the house I get them wet and put a little liquid soap on one side. That way, I can scrub my daughter’s hands after we visit stores, etc. I use the soapy side first, then the wet side. After I wipe her hands then I use the towel too. It only takes a few seconds to get the towels before we leave the house and it’s a routine for us now. She and I are rarely sick.
Posted by Sam on 11/09/2011 at 06:35 PM
Thanks! I’ll look for ethanol-based sanitizer pronto.
Posted by Betsy (Eco-novice) on 11/09/2011 at 01:23 PM
We like CleanWell spray and wipes, and I just got some EO lemon hand sanitizer for the winter season—it has ethanol, so I’ll only let my kids use it with close supervision, but I was pleased to see that EWG’s database gives a low hazard (2) rating to ethanol (the active ingredient in most hand sanitizers). Unfortunately, many hand sanitizers have other weird ingredients, like artificial fragrance and parabens, so read the ingredient list carefully and try to find a more natural brand! We are also working on good hand-washing around here. Sometimes my kids aren’t so cooperative with that one!
Posted by Samantha on 11/09/2011 at 05:55 AM
I 100% agree that hand washing is the best measure. My only problem is that I have 2 kids under 4, so when I go out, my main priority is keeping them strapped down so I can get out of the store. A bathroom stop can easily turn into a half hour. I try to bring a little hand sanitizer in my purse, but last week it fell out and I ran over it with my car (might give you a feeling for the level of chaos). It could be months before I remember to buy another. But I digress, is hand sanitizer a decent second best? Any differences between hand sanitizers on the market? The stuff I bought last time advertised “kid friendly” but it also said “alcohol free” without describing what else it contained. Thinking about it now, I almost prefer alcohol as a germ killer because I know it is not some freaky chemical…
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Posted by Suzanne on 11/12/2011 at 08:43 AM
We always carry a wet antibac enviro cloth with us to wash things like shopping cart handles or restaurant tables. It works really well.