\nThere’re many tricks to avoiding germs that actually don’t work. If you try to avoid germs by using your foot to flush public toilets or your knuckle to press elevator buttons, prepare to be disappointed. Here’s what doesn’t work\u2014and what really does\u2014according to hygiene experts.\n
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You may feel more comfortable in public restrooms when you can place that thin sheet of paper between the bare toilet seat and your bare behind, but in reality, you might as well sit straight down. Those toilet seat covers, which are often made of tissue paper, are absorbent, and any bacteria or liquids will quickly be wicked up to your tush. But don\u2019t fret. Your skin is all the protection you need. Any potentially problematic bacteria you might pick up would have to find a way into your body through an open wound or, more likely, your hands.\n
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Everyone does it\u2014scoop up a snack, pacifier, or utensil that just hit the floor and claim that it\u2019s OK thanks to the \u201cfive-second rule.\u201d Research shows, however, that this bit of wisdom is a myth. Yes, the longer something stays in contact with a dirty surface, the more bacteria it will pick up. But germs can be picked up in as little as one second, so wash it or toss it\u2014the damage is done.\n
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Creating a block between a germy door handle and your hands is a good idea, but your own shirt sleeve isn\u2019t idea, says Jessica Pettit with statefoodsafety.com. \u201cUsing your own clothing, such as a shirt sleeve, to open doors doesn\u2019t actually help you avoid germs, because any bacteria that are on the door handle will just move to your clothing,\u201d she says. \u201cIt can hold on to pathogens easily, and the moment your hands brush against the clothing, they will become contaminated.\u201d Your best bet is to use something disposable, like a paper towel, she adds.\n
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Some people, in an effort to avoid bacteria and viruses on public surfaces, will use the back of their hands, forearms, or even elbows to touch surfaces. That\u2019s an admirable effort but not very effective, says Nidhi Ghildayal, PhD, an infectious disease researcher at the University of Minnesota. \u201cThe thought process behind this habit is likely that less skin is being exposed to the unwanted germy surface,\u201d she says, \u201cbut the back of your hand, just like your front, also has a likelihood of subsequently touching your face or other vulnerable areas. So using the back of your hand may or may not actually be helping you.\u201d\n
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\u201cFlush handles do harbour a lot of bacteria,\u201d Ghildayal says, \u201cbut it\u2019s partially due to individuals using their feet rather than their hands to flush. The floor and the bottom of your shoes are generally some of the dirtiest parts of a bathroom.\u201d You can skip this precaution because what\u2019s the next thing you\u2019ll do after flushing? That\u2019s right\u2014wash your hands, which is the best way to avoid transferring bugs.\n
Another reason to skip this habit, says Ghildayal, is that the bacteria you\u2019re trying to avoid are likely already dead. \u201cGut bacteria don\u2019t thrive for long on the cold, smooth surfaces of public restrooms, such as bathroom fixtures, as this environment is quite different than inside the human body.\u201d\n
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\u201cRemember when someone last sneezed or coughed in your face and you instinctively held your breath for the germs to pass?\u201d asks Caleb Backe, a health and wellness expert for Maple Holistics. \u201cUnless you can manage to rapidly move away from the affected area, the chances of holding your breath long enough to avoid any germs are slim.\u201d The bigger issue is\u2014ick\u2014any droplets that transfer from the sick person to you. Most germs transfer through the hands, so the next time you scratch your nose or rub your eyes, you\u2019ll be giving the germs entry to your body.\n
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Keeping your house clean will help protect you and your family from infectious bugs. However, you may be doing more harm than good if you\u2019re hurriedly wiping down multiple surfaces with one antibacterial wipe. You may end up spreading bacteria around the room if you don\u2019t frequently swap to a fresh wipe; look closely at the directions and you\u2019ll probably see that the surface should stay wet for four or more minutes after wiping if you want them to clean properly. Plus, some harmful bacteria survive a cursory swipe\u2014they need a more potent solution to knock them out.\n
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Slipping on a pair of gloves to grip potentially grimy handles, doorknobs, or poles may not achieve what you\u2019re hoping. The material is most likely absorbent, and many of the bacteria and viruses you\u2019re coming into contact with may live just as long on fabric gloves as they do on your hand. When you pull them off or put them back on, you\u2019ll still pick up living germs on your bare hands. Even worse: gripping the fingertip of a glove with your mouth to take it off.\n
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While these gels are handy when you don\u2019t have access to soap and water, too much sanitizing with these products may actually be bad for your health, Ghildayal says. \u201cWhile many hand sanitizers have been found to be just as effective as hand-washing,\u201d she says, \u201coveruse can cause your natural skin bacteria to be stripped away, and that leaves you more vulnerable to other bacteria.\u201d\n
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Women may think it\u2019s safer to hover over a toilet seat than sit down for fear that bacteria on the seat may stick to your skin when you stand up. They will, but as we\u2019ve already learned, that\u2019s OK. The problem with this habit is that, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, hovering can make emptying your bladder more difficult. Do that too often, and you could end up with bladder problems.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There’re many tricks to avoiding germs that actually don’t work. If you try to avoid germs by using your foot to flush public toilets or your knuckle to press elevator buttons, prepare to be disappointed. Here’s what doesn’t work\u2014and what really does\u2014according to hygiene experts. Using a paper toilet seat cover You may feel more\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15719,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"There're many tricks to avoiding germs that actually don't work. If you try to avoid germs by using your foot to flush public toilets or your knuckle to press elevator buttons, prepare to be disappointed. Here's what doesn't work\u2014and what really does\u2014according to hygiene experts.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[85,51,115,30,6,125,31],"class_list":{"0":"post-15718","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tie-life-style","8":"tag-cleaning-mistake","9":"tag-healthy","10":"tag-healthy-lifestyle","11":"tag-household-hacks","12":"tag-life-style","13":"tag-mistake","14":"tag-tips"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/avoid-germ.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15718"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15718\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}