girl meets: 4 easy ways to avoid germs.
As a healthy living blog, I think it’s quite necessary to address the topic of germs. In fact, did you know that I’m kind of sort of a germaphobe?
Don’t worry – I’m not on the Howie Mandel level or anything. I like to think of myself as a realistic germaphobe, which I believe is a quite healthy characteristic to have. I mean, why wouldn’t you want to avoid germs if it’s possible? And, isn’t it like a social duty to avoid passing germs along to others??
You see, study after study shows that germs. are. everywhere. The bottom of your purse, the ketchup bottle, your cell phone…
…the list goes on.
Sure, maybe not all of those germs are going to give you a deadly illness, but why not take some simple precautions to make sure that you’re not getting someone else’ fecal matter in your body? Sorry, the bluntness was indeed necessary.
Here are some simple but realistic ways to keep germs at bay.
1. WASH YOUR HANDS!
No surprise there, right? According to the Mayo Clinic, you should wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds. I’ve heard that it’s better to use warm water. Also - to ensure that you’re washing long enough, sing “happy birthday” to yourself…or the person in the stall behind you. I’m sure they’d like that.
2. Keep disinfectant wipes handy.
You can get these wipes at almost any pharmacy or grocery store. I have a tub of them in my car, which I use almost any time I come out of a store, finish pumping gas, etc. I also carry individual wipes in my purse – they’re compact enough to even fit in your wallet. I recommend wipes over the liquid hand sanitizer. While liquid hand sanitizer is better than nothing, it’s not as effective at killing germs.
3. Don’t bring your germs home.
Your hands aren’t the only carrier of germs. Like I mentioned earlier, things like your purse, cell phone, laptop keyboard, steering wheel, etc. might be holding onto germs from last week. Whenever I get back to the house, I make sure to wipe these things down so germs from the outside world aren’t getting into my humble abode.
4. Watch out for the usual suspects.
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When it comes to being out in public, there are little things you can do to avoid germs, which is especially key if you don’t feel like washing your hands every 5 minutes. Some of the usual suspects are: door handles, toilet flushers, railings, ketchup bottles, and buttons (ATM, elevator, etc.). Ways around them: cover your hands with a napkin/paper towel (I even use my shirt sometimes), use your arm to push doors open, and use your pinky finger instead of index finger when pushing buttons (because your pinky is less likely to touch your face, food, etc.).
Once you start adopting those simple tricks, they’ll quickly become habits. And, I don’t know about you, but a habit that can keep me from getting sick is a habit I want to have!
- Are you a germaphobe?
- Would you like to add any germ-avoiding tips?
Jackie @ carolina_vogue says
I wipe down my phone constantly - sometimes with the toner I use for my face! This also prevent pimples, plus gets rid of the germs.
Your oats look so creamy today. I am a fan of the 30-second kind too. I wouldn’t call myself a germaphobe but there are plenty of things I do to avoid them. I wash my desk and phone with Clorox wipes every morning. I never touch the door when leaving the bathroom. I always use Purell after looking at a restaurant menu. Okay…maybe I am a germaphobe.
I’m not a germaphobe but I don’t even want to think about the germs that my crackberry is carrying…ugh.
Nice post! You have a lot of valuable tips on here that I hadn’t thought of before. Especially as it gets closer to winter time I know that being super diligent about keeping germs at bay is really important.
I’m a major germaphobe. Once on a roadtrip we stopped at McDonald’s to pee. The bathroom was so disgusting that once I washed my hands I didn’t want to touch anything (and of course there were no paper towels). I actually called my husband from the bathroom and asked him to open the door.
You are really helping me to stop fearing fats. I loveee my nut butter, but tend to only use ~1 tbsp at a time because of the cals, etc. I think I’m going to try upping these amounts, because I know the healthy fats in it will keep me full longer, which when you are a student is very important!
Girl, I just flew back home from Texas yesterday and you better believe I was extra cautious while on the plane and at the airports to wash my hands after touching all those escalator railings YUCK! I’m a “semi” germaphobe.Some things freak me out and some don’t, depending on what it is and where I am. I carry a travel-sized- Lysol bottle in my car as well as wipes and anti-bac in my purse, but I don’t go spraying and wiping down everything before I touch. I do, however, make it a point to be cautious in overpopulated places where a lot of people congregate, but it also doesn’t bother me if I get dirty once in a while:)
I always hear you are suppose to wash your hands and sing the “happy birthday” song. By the time you are done with the song your hands should be germ free.
I was in the audience for a deal or no deal showing and after every commercial break, Howie had everyone sterilize the cases and wipe the area around which he stood. It was pretty weird to see all of that stuff.
I am probably the least germaphobic person ever. I wash my hands a decent amount and spray Lysol sometimes if someone in the hosue is sick, but in general I don’t really think about it. And I almost never get truly sick
Yes I am!! Germaphobe tip: Use your own pen to sign receipts. I always carry extra pens in my purse so I don’t have to touch the same pen everyone else had been touching. Also I always have hand-sanitizer stuff in my purse. I hate when my hands feel dirty, ughh!
jamie @ jamelafamela says
i go around my office all the time wiping everyones phones. ewe. haha
I’m the total opposite of a germaphobe - I work with kids, I’ve been exposed to every jacknasty susbtance imaginable, but I take care of myself pretty well so I figure a few germs never killed anybody!
I am not a germaphobe by any means! I do keep up with hand washing and disinfectant but don’t think about it much. Which is why I never thought about phones, purses, steering wheels, etc to be germy germy.
I’m not a germaphobe, but I try not to think about germs too much or else I would be. I do use a lot of antibacterial and wash my hands religiously!
I am such a germaphobe. I use hand sanitizer right after I go to the gas station. Even if there is a huge line of cars waiting to use the pump I have got to do it before I touch the wheel. A bit obsessed? Yes. But hey, at least my hands are clean 😀
Hey girl!!
I totally understood your comment and loved what you said- loved how you voiced your opinions.. but you also need to remember that most of the blog world are girls that have struggled with eds, and I know what that’s like and i know that people use excuses so they can eat “diety” things and run half a ton. Its different when you actually KNOW how an eating disordered girls mind thinks, and that is why I wrote out those things. It is WAY different than a non-ed person’s mind. I do see many girls on the blog world that are in denial that they have a problem because I used to be that girl, so that is why I feel like I have a right to say stuff like that. And the low carb/high protein thing really is NOT healthy at ALL.. My family is all in the medical field and I have not heard ONE medically knowledgeable person say that high protein/low carb is healthy for you.. ive only heard trainers and/or body builders say that. but youre right- everybody is different in how their bodies respond to different things. I wrote that last post in response to the billions of disordered sounding emails I get and seeing what the blog world has done to MANY MANY girls that are in recovery and/or struggling with eds, who look at other blogs of girls who are in total denial of their problems and who dont eat normally. Its their life and they can do what they want, but I just needed to get that out because its really NOT normal to be that regimented. I def was NOT talking about you in any way! You have an amazing balance of life and food and exercise. Its just way different when you know how the mind of an ED works and how the blog world affects it.
I am a rampant pyscho with my hand sanitizer - hello SUBWAY?!?!? Bleehhhhhk. But I could definitely do more spray downs/wipe offs of keyboards, phones, etc.
Ooh I have an unopened jar of Naturally More that I cannot waittt to try! And I am a huge proponent of hand sani. I keep mini ones in my purse and bookbag!
Alina says
i didn’t know wipes were more effective than liquid sanitizer?! need to google that! i always use hand sanitizer before eating sth with my hands when i’m not at home, though i MUST wipe my cell phone, thanks for reminding!
Tracy says
Hi. I just discovered your blog today. It’s great! Very entertaining and very informative so thank you. I also love the Naturally More PB. It’s widely available where I’m at (and for cheap!) so if you ever want any, let me know and I can send some your way. Thanks again for the great reading and please keep up the good work!
I used to be a super germaphobe - but now I’m way more realistic. I can’t understand how my younger sister and her friends can share food and drink at school, but then wonder why they’re always getting sick.
I am a definite germaphobe at school! My kids wash their hands ALL the TIME!
eeeek I hate germs! i try not think about them so much!!
i am OBSESSED with naturally more! it seems like they stopped sellign it at all grocery stores!! wahhhh
“a habit that can keep me from getting sick is a habit I want to have” is actually an interesting statement after what you just wrote since your immune system is only effective in conquering something fast so you don’t get sick if it already knows the harmful agent and has practice. For example you will not get a flu twice and the chances of not getting sick from an alike flu are higher when you already had a flu.
What I’m trying to say? In Germany we never bother with desinfection wipes or the like. And it’s not like we get sicker more often. In Germany a healthy exposure to bacteria is considered normal meaning washing your hands with normal soap is enough. You don’t need to have anti-bacterial soap or desinfection stuff.
Even as a nurse I am aware of germs more that the average German but still am not as guarded about them that the typical american. Of course it is a good idea to have desinfection wipes with you but wiping everything when entering your home is a little obsessive for my thinking. But when it comes to wiping a toilet seat in a public setting having desinfection wipes is a good idea.
I never really think about germs. I wash my hands and I like a clean space around me and such, but I’m definitely not a germaphobe. I like your idea about cleaning your cell phone though, I feel like I could manage this haha
P.S. I just realized this is the first time I’m commenting on your blog. I love your blog!
I don’t really pay attention to germs. The only thing I do out of that list is wash my hands regularly. But I haven’t gotten sick in over 2 years. I guess I’m lucky. 😛
Hi Stef! I appreciate your point of view…especially as a nurse! You do make an interesting point. Definitely something to consider!
I’m a pretty big germaphobe. I carry hand sanitizer and won’t eat anything off the floor - even my own - even if I just cleaned it. And in the back of my mind I don’t like shaking hands! haha
Stacey says
I never considered myself a germaphobe until I took Microbiology last semester. We had to take Q-Tips and find random places to swab, and then let the bacteria grow to see what kind of cultures we would get. Wouldn’t you know that I swabbed a handrail that was leading down the staircase, and it came back with a bacterial growth that is mainly from feces!!!!! It was DISGUSTING. So now I am a freak about not touching door handles and what-not. Yucko
That brand is SO GOOD! Have you tried their almond butter?
Fats are your friend!
Overnight oats plus nut butter always stays with me for a while
Agreed on the fats! I had over 4 tbsp once (ha!) and was full for hours!
Since I’ve been in nursing I’ve become a bit of a germ phobe in once sense, but also in another sense I’m less of a germphobe. For example, I carry hand sanitizer with me everywhere and use it all the time! And the first thing I do when I get home is wash my hands. ha! But in another way I’m not as terrifed about other things like some people are.. like MRSA. Sure I take precautions but most healthcare workers have the virus anyway, it’s just inactivated! And HIV is actually really hard to catch as well. So I guess it depends!
I just pictured you having touched something that is full of germs grabbing into your purse to get out your hand sanitizer and then thought about the fact that in the hospital we’re not allowed to carry sanitizer in our scrubs because reaching into our pockets to get the sanitizer would mean first spreading the germs in the pocket and thus accumulating them in there…just something to think about.