Germophobes.

[kyuuei]

Do you do anything that's germophobic?

I can't really think of anything that I do that avoids germs except wash my hands after I utilize the latrine and sneeze into my sleeve/arm instead of my hands. I'm not talking regular, common sense things like that.

I see tips in magazines and things all the time that irritate me.

Things like, "Keep that pair of paper-shoes you get from your next pedicure! That way, when you fly, you can keep on your shoes instead of walking on the floor barefoot! "

...

Really?!!

My mother is constantly worried about the kids touching dirty things and such, but I don't really see a problem with half of the things she yells about. I don't keep hand sanitizer on me or anything like that.. my excuse for eating things after shopping, or driving, or touching anything is, "Something in Iraq I ate was probably worse, I'll be fine."

Do you keep wipes on you, or use the sani-wipes at the grocery store for your cart?
Do you refuse to touch sink handles after washing your hands, or the door knobs for that matter?
Refuse to use public toilets?
Refuse to flush a public toilet with your hand? (where you kick your foot up to hit the flush button... )
Do you Lysol everything in your house?
Are you not particularly picky about yourself, but your kids sort of lived in a sanitary bubble when you had them?
Won't go to buffets because you've watched nasty shows before that showed them being nasty?
Anything I'm missing?

So let's hear your germ-avoiding habits.

 

[Rail Tracer]

No germ avoiding nonsense here. Probably only the so called "common sense" ones is where I keep myself clean.

I only really bring hand sanitizers with me when I am sick (after all, I am coughing... and well, me spreading it to other people and all.)

 

[Halla74]

Do you do anything that's germophobic?

Other than walk around in a full body condom, and purify everything I touch by UV sterilization, nahhh. Not really.

I can't really think of anything that I do that avoids germs except wash my hands after I utilize the latrine and sneeze into my sleeve/arm instead of my hands. I'm not talking regular, common sense things like that.

God gave us immune systems, so no need for paranoia, but common sense never hurts, as you said.

I see tips in magazines and things all the time that irritate me.

Which magazine?

Things like, "Keep that pair of paper-shoes you get from your next pedicure! That way, when you fly, you can keep on your shoes instead of walking on the floor barefoot! "

BRRrgaaarr-LuuuRRRppp!!!!! <vomits!!!>

:boring: Really?!!

Yup! Me after that remark IRL conversation-->

My mother is constantly worried about the kids touching dirty things and such, but I don't really see a problem with half of the things she yells about. I don't keep hand sanitizer on me or anything like that.. my excuse for eating things after shopping, or driving, or touching anything is, "Something in Iraq I ate was probably worse, I'll be fine."

If I summarize the above quoted text I come up with:

"Warfare is an effective cure for hypochondriasis."

Do you keep wipes on you, or use the sani-wipes at the grocery store for your cart?

Nope!

Do you refuse to touch sink handles after washing your hands, or the door knobs for that matter?

Nope, but I do twist the knobs with my pinkies if I can.

Refuse to use public toilets?

Hell no. I find the cleanest public toilet I can if I do have to use one, but if you gotaa' go, you gotaa' go!

Refuse to flush a public toilet with your hand? (where you kick your foot up to hit the flush button... )

Nope, but I flush the toilet with my pinkie, and flush the urinal with the bottom of my fist.
It takes no extra effort, and I'm not a foot flusher, so I get a waiver on being germ paranoid for that, right?

Do you Lysol everything in your house?

Nope, just the cat box from time to time.

Are you not particularly picky about yourself, but your kids sort of lived in a sanitary bubble when you had them?

Nope. My kids are normal kids. Energetic, extremely talkative, and dirty from playing like crazy outside or at school.

Won't go to buffets because you've watched nasty shows before that showed them being nasty?

I buffets.

Anything I'm missing?

I think your list is pretty comprehensive.

So let's hear your germ-avoiding habits.

I don't go to filthy places, and I don't hang out with filthy people, so that takes care of all reasonable germ avoidance measures in my book.



-Alex

 

[ceecee]

Do you keep wipes on you, or use the sani-wipes at the grocery store for your cart?

Not unless there is something visible on it.

Do you refuse to touch sink handles after washing your hands, or the door knobs for that matter?

No but I have been known to use a paper towel.

Refuse to use public toilets?

No

Refuse to flush a public toilet with your hand? (where you kick your foot up to hit the flush button... )

No. I'm going to wash my hands in a few seconds anyway.

Do you Lysol everything in your house?

No.

Are you not particularly picky about yourself, but your kids sort of lived in a sanitary bubble when you had them?

I have two sons. They were a mess when they were little and I could have chased them around all day long and they wouldn't have stayed clean. Baths every night was the best it was getting most days.

Won't go to buffets because you've watched nasty shows before that showed them being nasty?
.

I'm not real excited about buffets but that goddamn Szechuan chicken at the Chinese place always sucks me in.

Anything I'm missing?

So let's hear your germ-avoiding habits

Mostly just normal common sense stuff. Don't sneeze and cough on people. Wash hands when handling food and after the bathroom. I do love my floor steam cleaner though.

 

[Mole]

Hand Washing

I have found a cheap and easy way to avoid illness.

I wash my hands after using the keyboard and before eating.

And not only do I avoid illness, my hands are smooth and fresh and warm.

I have noticed though that hand washing is now compulsory for everyone working in the local hospital. So I guess they have discovered how to avoid illness too, and how to have smooth, warm and fresh hands.

 

[kyuuei]

Other than walk around in a full body condom, and purify everything I touch by UV sterilization, nahhh. Not really.

Which magazine?

There was a particular article in playgirlGood Housekeeping I was reading.

It takes no extra effort, and I'm not a foot flusher, so I get a waiver on being germ paranoid for that, right?

Hmm.. I dunnooo.. ... Okay it can slide. *smells flowers greedily!*

I have two sons. They were a mess when they were little and I could have chased them around all day long and they wouldn't have stayed clean. Baths every night was the best it was getting most days.

I have two nephews in my house always... This is the same thing I feel. "As long as they aren't eating poo and taking a bath they'll be fine!"

I do love my floor steam cleaner though.

does it count if I just use it because I love the way steam smells?...

 

[ceecee]

does it count if I just use it because I love the way steam smells?...

I love that too.

 

[Randomnity]

I probably should be more germphobic, maybe I would get fewer colds. I'm probably the least germ-conscious person I know. I eat food after it's been sitting out all night, fallen on the floor, etc. I don't let dogs lick my mouth though, that's gross. One of the very few non-"obvious" (although it should be obvious! dogs eat poop!) things I avoid for "germ" reasons.

 

[Such Irony]

Do you keep wipes on you, or use the sani-wipes at the grocery store for your cart?

No

Do you refuse to touch sink handles after washing your hands, or the door knobs for that matter?

Sometimes, if possible, I'll put a paper towel in my hands and use the paper towel to touch the bathroom doorknob or sink handle. I've read about how germy these things are because lots of people *don't* wash their hands after going to the bathroom or don't wash them well enough. Touching one of these things kind of negates washing your hands in the first place.

Refuse to use public toilets?

Usually no, unless the toilet stall looks really dirty.

Refuse to flush a public toilet with your hand? (where you kick your foot up to hit the flush button... )

No because I'm going to wash my hands right afterwards

Do you Lysol everything in your house?

No

Are you not particularly picky about yourself, but your kids sort of lived in a sanitary bubble when you had them?

I've never had kids

Won't go to buffets because you've watched nasty shows before that showed them being nasty?

No, but I know people like this.

Anything I'm missing?

I've read that the computer keyboard is one of the germiest surfaces, so I'm kinda anal about keeping it clean and using sanitizer or washing hands thoroughly after using someone elses.

 

[JocktheMotie]

Do you keep wipes on you, or use the sani-wipes at the grocery store for your cart?

Only for my butt.

Do you refuse to touch sink handles after washing your hands, or the door knobs for that matter?

I'll try not to. In fact, if the bathroom door is not a non-latch push to exit door so I can use my shoulder/elbow to get out I consider it a design flaw.

Refuse to use public toilets?

No issues, but hesitant.

Refuse to flush a public toilet with your hand? (where you kick your foot up to hit the flush button... )

I use my feet.

Do you Lysol everything in your house?

HA. No.

Are you not particularly picky about yourself, but your kids sort of lived in a sanitary bubble when you had them?

No.

Other than the bathroom habits, I'd say I'm rather carefree when it comes to germs. Always went barefoot in the dorm showers; don't worry about sharing glasses, cups or utensils; eat old food, etc.

 

[cascadeco]

Admittedly this is my main area of ocd-ness. However it's really only when I'm out and about in pubilc places, and I'm not preoccupied with keeping my own place (my cubicle, my apartment) sanitized. Basically I know how unsanitary a lot of people are out there, and if they're touching everything that I have to touch, I don't want to get whatever nastiness they left on a surface. I figure my spaces are fine, as I'm generally clean, so I don't have a need to keep it uber-sanitized using crazy chemicals, seeing as if I'm the only person using it it should be fine.

And, I rarely get sick, so I feel like there's something to my habits.

Things like, "Keep that pair of paper-shoes you get from your next pedicure! That way, when you fly, you can keep on your shoes instead of walking on the floor barefoot! "

It's true I won't walk barefoot in public places. I think this thing developed when I got a wart on my foot growing up, and I had concluded I'd gotten it in a hotel room/bathtub.

Do you keep wipes on you, or use the sani-wipes at the grocery store for your cart?

I don't bother with using wipes in stores, but after I'm done being out and about, shopping, etc, I often wash my hands or use sanitizer.

Do you refuse to touch sink handles after washing your hands, or the door knobs for that matter?

I use the back of my hand (pinky finger side) to turn the faucet off, and use a paper towel for door knobs.

Refuse to use public toilets?

No, I'm fine using them, and have been in a multitude of not-very-well-kept public toilets overseas, and have seen and used tons of latrines/outhouses while hiking. I've also gone on multi-day camping trips where I've just had to dig a hole. I'm fine with that stuff -- I just have a thing about keeping my hands clean and not actually touching public surfaces with my skin if I'm able to avoid it.

Refuse to flush a public toilet with your hand? (where you kick your foot up to hit the flush button... )

I use my foot; at this point that's probably more habit/laziness, though.

Do you Lysol everything in your house?

No, I've never used lysol. Just soap and water if I'm cleaning counters.

Are you not particularly picky about yourself, but your kids sort of lived in a sanitary bubble when you had them?

No kids, but if I had them, no, they wouldn't live in a sanitary bubble and I wouldn't start using lysol or anything like that. I don't want them to in consequence get lousy immune systems or allergies once they're out in the actual world. Plus, there's no point in trying to keep them 'clean', as kids crawl around on the ground and all of that. Basically if I had kids I'd have to adjust my own 'norms'/ definitions of what's ok.

Won't go to buffets because you've watched nasty shows before that showed them being nasty?

Nah, I'll go to buffets. However not the really shady ones (i.e. many chinese ones) because I've gotten upset stomachs on more than one occasion from them - I don't blame it on germs with the buffet itself though (utensils, surfaces, etc) - more bad food prep.

---


Also: I definitely get an internal EWwww factor when it comes to hotel rooms / specifically bed covers/blankets, as I know in most places they don't wash those. AND, I know what people do on them. But, it's not gonna kill me, so I just suck it up.

 

[Lauren Ashley]

I eat food after it's been sitting out all night, fallen on the floor, etc.

Always went barefoot in the dorm showers; don't worry about sharing glasses, cups or utensils...

*falls on floor dead*

I was questioning if I had any germophobe tendencies, but after reading these I know I do for sure.

 

[Randomnity]

*falls on floor dead*

I was questioning if I had any germophobe tendencies, but after reading these I know I do for sure.

I'm not a good example of a normal person to compare to, lol. I was raised to not be picky - my dad will eat actually visibly moldy food that isn't cheese. I don't go that far, but that background makes me approach things with an attitude of "if it looks, smells and tastes fine, it's probably fine, and worst case I get an upset stomach" (and I've never gotten food poisoning other than once, and that was most likely from restaurant food). I probably shouldn't eat food off my floor since I have a cat, but I can't bring myself to care about it all that much, and it's never caused any problems that I know of.

 

[Lauren Ashley]

^I just can not eat off the floor. I wear slippers in my house at all times and used to wash my clothing a lot... Who knows what I've brought in there from public places?

 

[Coriolis]

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Actually, the immune system needs exercise, just like our other systems. If we try to insulate it from all germs, viruses, etc. it will have a harder time fending off the ones that get through. This is the principle behind immunizations.

 

[JocktheMotie]

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Actually, the immune system needs exercise, just like our other systems. If we try to insulate it from all germs, viruses, etc. it will have a harder time fending off the ones that get through. This is the principle behind immunizations.

The is also the principle behind my foul bachelor frog lifestyle.

 

[Lauren Ashley]

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Actually, the immune system needs exercise, just like our other systems. If we try to insulate it from all germs, viruses, etc. it will have a harder time fending off the ones that get through. This is the principle behind immunizations.

My immune system gets enough exercise just being out in the world on a daily basis. People are not sanitary and they wish to make me a victim of it... I'm pretty sure I got a super sore throat and headache from the bus I rode yesterday.

The is also the principle behind my foul bachelor frog lifestyle.

This actually isn't a bad idea if you then scrub the fork with Ajax, rinse it off, wash it with dishwashing liquid then rinse that off with cold water.

 

[nanook]

the keyboard is the only thing i worry about.
which doesn't help, because worrying doesn't kill the fungus and bacteria.
so i clean my keyboard with my hands and discard the micro-life onto my face.

insight into evolutionary principles is relevant to hygiene too.

killing micro-life with chemicals kills the more complex life forms first, which results in overpopulation of more primitive and more aggressive life forms. what you want is a healthy eccosystem, where the /right/ complex forms take care of the problematic primitive forms. those eccosystems are commercially availabe, in liquid form. they are used in places like wine-cellars. but this thing isn't achieved easily by an amateur who can't take probes for analysis/diagnosis. if such a living liquid mix is exposed to the wrong temperature it can go really bad, before you open the bottle.

it's so much easier to go all holocaust on them with chemicals that are toxic to micro-life and us!
or just leave them alone.

 

[kyuuei]

I eat food after it's been sitting out all night, fallen on the floor, etc. I don't let dogs lick my mouth though, that's gross. One of the very few non-"obvious" (although it should be obvious! dogs eat poop!) things I avoid for "germ" reasons.

I'd frequently let my dog eat off of my fork--not actually touch the fork, but i'd stab long-shaped food on the end of it and let her bite the other end and pull it off. She had quite the table manners. I know it's suppose to be gross and awful, but I never had a problem with it. My mom hated it, it made her skin crawl just having the dog's mouth near my utensil.

I eat food off the floor too--depending on what it is.. A chip? I let it go, I have a whole bag... A sandwich I literally JUST got done making for the past 5 minutes? >.> ... I can't let that effort go to waste.

I've read that the computer keyboard is one of the germiest surfaces, so I'm kinda anal about keeping it clean and using sanitizer or washing hands thoroughly after using someone elses.

@_@ I never really think about my keyboard.. I'll bet this thing is awfully filthy by now.

I use my feet. [to flush public toilets]

NOOO!!

This is the worst!! The MOST germ-infested thing in latrines are the ground! You're setting up all the children, elderly, etc... that can't kick their feet up to flush for failure.

Always went barefoot in the dorm showers; don't worry about sharing glasses, cups or utensils; eat old food, etc.

I walk around barefoot in hotel rooms, and sometimes outside..But usually I have shoes on for everything else.. I have house shoes, and I have showering shoes for army showers, but that's pretty much mandatory there.

Also: I definitely get an internal EWwww factor when it comes to hotel rooms / specifically bed covers/blankets, as I know in most places they don't wash those. AND, I know what people do on them. But, it's not gonna kill me, so I just suck it up.

Yeah, if it's a real ritzy place, I'll feel a bit safer.. but those $30 a night places? I just crawl into my bed and remember that scene from family guy with all the animals on the bed under the black light.... (In a random bit of information, why is that picture no where on the internet??)

*falls on floor dead*

I was questioning if I had any germophobe tendencies, but after reading these I know I do for sure.

I'm not a good example of a normal person to compare to, lol. I was raised to not be picky - my dad will eat actually visibly moldy food that isn't cheese. I don't go that far, but that background makes me approach things with an attitude of "if it looks, smells and tastes fine, it's probably fine, and worst case I get an upset stomach" (and I've never gotten food poisoning other than once, and that was most likely from restaurant food). I probably shouldn't eat food off my floor since I have a cat, but I can't bring myself to care about it all that much, and it's never caused any problems that I know of.

We just cut the mold off of the block cheese...

The is also the principle behind my foul bachelor frog lifestyle.

I do this with cups too...

 

[MacGuffin]

Do you keep wipes on you, or use the sani-wipes at the grocery store for your cart?
No. Sometimes.

Do you refuse to touch sink handles after washing your hands, or the door knobs for that matter?
Yes, I use paper towels. Public sinks and doors are nasty.

Refuse to use public toilets?
No.

Refuse to flush a public toilet with your hand? (where you kick your foot up to hit the flush button... )
Sometimes. Depends on how dirty things are.

Do you Lysol everything in your house?
Just the bathroom and sometimes my desk.

Are you not particularly picky about yourself, but your kids sort of lived in a sanitary bubble when you had them?
No, I just wince a lot when I see her doing gross things. Good for the immune system.

Won't go to buffets because you've watched nasty shows before that showed them being nasty?
Nope. I love sushi buffets too.