Handwashing Tip

[susiestar]

With the swine flu concern, there are a lot of recommendations for washing your hands for 20 seconds every time you touch certain things, etc (basically washing more often).

How do you know if it has been 20 seconds?

I sing (usually in my head) either the ABC song or a round of old McDonald had a farm. That is one of the best ways to know if you have washed your hands long enough.

But you have to be actually washing your hands for the entire song, not rinsing for part of it.

This is one thing that I learned years ago that has truly helped all of us keep healthy (I learned it when husband and Jess both had pneumonia.).

If anyone else has hints for handwashing, post them here!

Oh - keep paper towels in the bathroom. Leave the water running until you have dried your hands and then use the paper towel to turn off the faucet (as seen posted in my hospital room during my cellulitis stay.

I also have a small spray bottle that came with hand sanitizer (walmart checkout area - get 2 sm spray bottles for $1.50). I refill them with alcohol and use them to spray toilet seats that have no paper liners, even the grocery cart handles get a spray and tehn a wipe with a tissue from my purse.

 

[eekysign]

The most often-missed places during hand washing are - the back of your dominant hand, in between your fingers, and your thumbs.

Pay attention the next time you scrub up, you'll see - it feels "weird" to wash the back of your dominant hand.

 

[slsh]

So I'm in the bank drive-up today and all of a sudden I was absolutely *consumed* by fear of money. Yes, I may well be going swiftly over the edge, but I'm thinking.... viruses don't just die, do they? Who knows who has been handling my $10 bill? If I boil coins and nuke the paper money, will it be sanitary???? OMG.... so I run up to the mini mart, get my vice, head home and scrub my hands (well over a minute with- Dawn detergent, LOL).

Anyone heard anything about transmission via cash? Sorry if I'm adding to paranoia but... it's a reasonable thought (isn't it?????).

 

[klmno]

The best tip I have- wash your hands upon returning home from the store and any dr's office. Most germs are spread there- either from touching groceries, or doorknobs, or other things along those lines. When I started this habit years ago, difficult child's colds/viruses were cut in half.

 

[gcvmom]

Give ME your money, Sue, and I'll launder it VERY THOROUGHLY!

 

[witzend]

I find it really hard to not wipe my eyes or face when I have a tickle. Get some of those purse size tissues and take them wherever you go and only touch your face with a tissue in your hand. And wash, wash, wash!

Money is yucky, but I tolerate it...

 

[DammitJanet]

The only thing I ever heard about being on money was cocaine! LOL. Maybe the coke kills all the lil nastie's.

 

[gcvmom]

Filthy money! Better give it all to me...

 

[Andy]

Yes, dollar bills are the fastest way to spread germs. They are handled by lots and lots of people in the course of a day.

I very seldom get sick and I contribute that to handwashing. I wash my hands a lot.

When you do wash, wash up to past your wrists. (were you wear a watch). Scrub between fingers. You are suppose to use the finger brushes also but I would only use those at home - I would think public brushes would be gross (a lot of them look like they should be thrown out)and carry all the germs scrubbed from the previous how many hands. So, make sure you are daily cleaning under your fingernails.

I just don't get how people can walk out of the bathroom stall right past the sink and not have their hands "feel" icky! (I think we have had this conversation before)

When you cough, cough into the inside of your elbow. Coughing into your hand just sends those lovely little germs right where they want to be for faster distribution.

Also as mentioned before, do not use your hand to wipe anything on your face. When using a kleenex, use a new one for each part of your face. For example do not use the same kleenex to wipe your right eye as you just did to wipe your left eye. You may think you are using the opposite corner but that corner may just have picked up something from your hand.

 

[Hound dog]

While hands are lathered up with soap scrub under nails by raking them across the palms of your hands several times, spread fingers, clasp together and use a back and forth motion to help clean between fingers. And make sure that water is hot, not warm.

My kids have suddenly realized why Mom never uses the cold water tap unless I want a drink or am taking a shower. I've always washed my hands in nearly scalding water. I was taught that way.

Hmmm. Never heard of the dominant back of the hand thing. I don't seem to notice it. But I learned the medical way to wash my hands before I was out of grade school.

Susie refilling the hand sanitizer bottles with alcohol is a great idea!!

Sue, money is always dirty and probably a huge carrier of various germs. Not alot you can do about it. But if you don't want it anymore.............I could always use extra. LOL

 

[susiestar]

Paper money is actually proven to have more bacteria and yuckies than the inside of a public toilet!!

All you can do is wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after you pay and before you eat if you are out. I don't go to fast food restaurants if they do not have a separate person handling money and handling food. Even my drinks have to be handled by someone not handling cash.

I personally find the spray bottle with alcohol MUCH more useful than the little bottles of sanitizing gel. They are also good if you ahve a pen leak in all over something.

You can buy little packets of individual hand wipes (or take a handful from Chik father in law A or Kfried Chicken) and put them in lunch bags, purses, virtually anywhere.

But if you are taking a few kids somewhere it is more economical to use the spray.

Everyone needs to clean their keyboards with alcohol on swabs or those computer cleaner wipes. Mice should be cleaned on top where your hand goes with alcohol or a sanitizing wipe. Telephones, even cell phones, should be wiped on a regular basis.

It is also a great way to utilize a child with germ-o-phobia to have them use disinfecting wipes (like the lysol ones or the clorox ones) on light switches, door knobs, window latches, faucet handles, etc.... That way they can feel they are helping keep themselves healthy.

Oh, if you have long nails then you need to carry a nail brush (I have never seen one in a public restroom) or cut your fingernails short so you can clean under them more often.

Run toothbrushed and nail files through the dishwasher. I ONLY use glass/crystal nail files. They are easier on your nails and are fine to put in the dishwasher. I had a couple that had pretty flowers painted on them and the paint came off but it didn't affect the nail file.

These nail files run $5-$10 bucks per file, but they last forever and can be sanitized while emery boards can't and metal files will rust.

When cleaning counters or tables, do NOT use the wet dishrag!!! Use a spray like fantastik or 409 or whatever and use paper towels. Use a separate paper towel for each section of counter and the table. (If you let the cleaner stand on dried on food for a minute or two it will come off easily = saving elbow grease. You just have to put a little puddle of cleaner around/on the spot.)

Can anyone tell I am a germ-o-phobe?

 

[trinityroyal]

Paper money is actually proven to have more bacteria and yuckies than the inside of a public toilet!!

That`s fer sure!
When husband was younger, he used to work as a Brinks security guard, delivering money to banks and restocking ATMs. He says that the paper used for money has a very high cloth content, which allows it to absorb all the filth from everyone who comes into contact with it. He said that after a 12-hour shift, his hands used to be black up to the wrists, from handling the money. Yuck, Yuck, YUCK!

We all wash our hands the medical way, just as Lisa described.

Also, keep a giant pump bottle of hand sanitizer in my purse and in each car, and carry a container of clorox wipes, to clean up toilet seats, grocery cart handles, etc.

Public nail brushes! Eeeew! Who thought that up. That`s just yucky.

Great tips everyone. Keep `em coming.

Trinity

 

[Star*]

Filthy money! Better give it all to me...

(((((((((((((((((((((YOU MUST SHARE WITH STAR...........))))))))

FIrst snort of the day......THANKs CHICKIE

 

[ThreeShadows]

I swear my keyboard is possessed, now it's typic italics!
I've always been grossed out by money! The paper kind might have spent time in someone's g-string. When I rode the bus as a child, I saw quite a few old timers putting coins in their mouth to count out the change!

 

[witzend]

OK, I have to tell this story from way back when I was a cashier in a supermarket. We were a big store in a weird little trendy neighborhood. It was located directly between the richest people in the city and skid row.

One night, I was working the 1 - 8 items line. We mostly sold 40 oz. beer in that line, but also a lot of last minute heads of lettuce and milk. It was really busy and I had about 10 people in line continuously. I worked at a pretty brisk pace, so the line kept moving, and I kept looking up to see if it was getting any shorter. There were mostly yuppies and bums in the line, so this teenage girl looked a little out of place. Plus she had "that look" about her that she was going to try to do something wrong. And she had two 40 ouncers with her and I knew I was going to card her.

So she gets up to me, and I am just getting ready to ask for her I.D., and she puts this soaking wet money down on the counter and says, "That's peed on money, but that's ok." I said, "What?" She said, "That money's been peed on, but that's ok because you have to take it." The people in line behind her looked horrified. I told her "I'm sorry, but I am working with food here, and I will not take your peed on money." She had a little hissy fit, but I wasn't having any of it and the people behind her were not happy, so she left and I had someone put the beer back on the shelf.

About 5 minutes later she's back in line with her two 40 ouncers. She makes it to the front, throws the money on the counter and says "This money hasn't been peed on, OK?" I said, "Can I see your I.D.?" She says "This isn't for me, it's for him." I said "Who?" She points over to this old man passed out on the bench by the front door and says "It's for him! He's passed out and can't buy it for himself so I'm buying it for him!" I said, "Well, even with money that's not been peed on, I can't sell alcohol to someone who's under age, or to someone who is passed out." She got all huffy and left, swearing and yelling all the way to the door.

I'll give her this, though. She did roust the old man off the bench and take him with her instead of just walking out the door with his money.

 

[witzend]

P.S. One thing that someone pointed out to me a while back is that the dirtiest thing in a restaurant is probably the menu. Everyone touches it. I always wash my hands after ordering now...

 

[tiredmommy]

I used to be a front end manager in a major store. My hands would be filthy after counting down drawers!

 

[Andy]

I find nail brushes mainly in employee restrooms where I have worked with food but to me they are still public and still gross. Often at the sinks in kitchens where food is prepared for the public or an event. Some not so bright person knowing finger nails should be scrubbed but not thinking any further must be putting them out? Maybe I should invent some disposable ones? hmmmm