News, Soap up! The 12 germiest places in your life. (allergy, infections, elbow)

[John1960]

Could your purse be making you sick? ‘Health’ magazine on lurking viruses.

Sure, there are outbreaks of microbes and viruses across the country, but some of these germs are lurking where you least expect them. “Health” magazine senior editor Frances Largeman-Roth pinpoints the 12 germiest places you’re likely to encounter during an average day and devises ways for you to keep clean. After all, the fight is in your hands. Literally. Eighty percent of infections are spread through hand contact. So wash up, people, and get ready to wage a bit of germ warfare of your own:

1. Your kitchen sink
Kitchen sinks are dirtier than most bathrooms. There are typically more than 500,000 bacteria per square inch in the drain alone. Plus your sponge, basin and faucet handles are crawling with bacteria as well.

Soap up! The 12 germiest places in your life - Health - MSNBC.com

[Mattie Jo]

I have recently read somewhere that we are too fearful of germs, and that the disinfectant soap is not good to use. I imagine that my counter tops have germs, but I have never gotten sick by them. I was even told years ago to not eat raw eggs, but I have been eating two raw eggs a day for over 30 years and have never gotten sick. If my purse was about to make me ill, then it would have done so long ago.

Now I do agree with using antidisfectants on shopping carts only because you can get the flu from them, and maybe other things that people have.

[Paula Lynn]

I guess I'm going to have to load up on antibacterial wipes and carry them in my germ ridden purse throughout the day

[Ohiogirl81]

I do wish news outlets would stop spreading this tripe. Ordinary germs are nothing to be paranoid about. Wash your hands (with regular soap, not antibacterial stuff, which create superbugs and screw with municipal solid waste treatment and septic systems), sure, but the rest? Not necessary.

[Mattie Jo]

Thank you Ohiogirl, I upped your rep for that one. That was what I was trying to say but didn't remember.

[GreenMachine]

Telephones --- the receivers are always dirty!

[Mooseketeer]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

I do wish news outlets would stop spreading this tripe. Ordinary germs are nothing to be paranoid about. Wash your hands (with regular soap, not antibacterial stuff, which create superbugs and screw with municipal solid waste treatment and septic systems), sure, but the rest? Not necessary.

You are absolutely right, we are now so obsessed with germs that we have no immunity to some fairly innocuous germs . Asthma and allergy are more prevalent than ever and a new legion of super-bugs which are resistant to just about anything are being created which is dangerous for us.

Be clean but not obsessive about it, and a bit of 2clean2 dirt never hurt anyone. We need to get kids used to dirt and bugs from an early age so they develop an immunity and do not go down at the first infection. Kids used to play in the dirt and eat it for goodness sake.

We don't need anti bacterial cleaners and such. My house is spotless and hygienic, all it takes is a bit of elbow grease...

[DOUBLE H]

I gave ya a point ohiogirl!! The TV networks are good at working people into a frenzy over this nonsense that it is getting obscene.It is very simple-use soap, scrub hands, rinse hands, shut off the faucet, and give the network nanny on the tube the finger as you are changing the channel.

[kelly3120]

ummm I hate germs and I knew all this from being a germ a phobe!!!!
I don't' set my purse on the floor ever in a resturant, I clean my kitchen sing out regularly, I wash undergarments separate, I clean door knobs, light switches,keyboards,etc once a week, I never touch the shopping cart handle and use a public restroom requires lots of t.p. to make a barrier. I have a list and follow it to the T when it comes to cleaning, but I also teach out of our home and all those germy little kids touching my light switches and door handles gross me out. what's funny is I don't mind a bug in my drink if it's alcohol and I got no problem cleaning up after my animals or my nephew for that matter. my husband says I'm ocd. God forbid I find a roach in the house, because i will take the whole house apart and clean it at that moment, but I dig in the dirt and play w/ plants, and I'll move a bug if it's in the area i'm digging in rather then hurt it ...but if it's in my house dun dun duuuunnnn BUt I do not clean w/ strong cleaners as I think they can become unhealthy and don't' like the smells. I clean w/ vinegar(acid type and kills germs) and water, simple green, murphys, etc. ...