Avoiding Germs Outside Your Home

The restaurant menu, doctor’s office magazines, and other public reading material. You think these are ever cleaned? Since cold and flu viruses can survive up to 18 hours on a surface, there’s a good chance those germs can get passed on to you. Don’t let the menu touch your plate or silverware, and wash your hands thoroughly before your food comes. Remember that the bathroom door handle isn’t the cleanest thing in the world, so when leaving the bathroom, open it while holding a clean paper towel.

The grocery cart and basket. Think of all the hands that grip those handles. Eww. A 2007 University of Arizona study discovered that two-thirds were contaminated with fecal bacteria. Definitely pack disinfectant wipes with you and wipe the handles down before touching.

Gym Equipment. If you belong to a gym, you might want to know that a 2006 study in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine found rhinoviruses (what cause colds) on 63 percent of the gym equipment at the fitness centers they tested. To avoid the germs, try not to touch your face, nose, or eyes while working out, and as soon as you’re finished, wash your hands and face thoroughly to prevent getting sick.

Don’t  touch the first floor elevator button. In an elevator, the first-floor button harbors the most germs.

Watch escalator handrails – they are filled with germs

Use the FIRST toilet – most people use the middle stall in public

The office coffee pot drips with germs

Hang on to your own coffee mug

Your desk may be dirtier than the toilet. The typical office desk area has 400 times the amount of bacteria than the average toilet seat.   Start your cleaning with your phone.

Avoid hand shaking and kissing – well, at least make sure you wash your hands and practice good oral hygiene.

HOTELS

1. Pack your own sheets. If you have any concerns about your hotel’s cleaning practices, pack a queen-size sheet to throw over the bedspread so you’re not exposed to dust mites, germs, or allergens lurking in the cover.

2. Pack a long-sleeved sleep shirt and long sleep pants. Again, if you are concerned about the hygiene of the bedding, reduce contact by wearing body-covering pajamas and light socks to bed.

3. Use your bed for sleeping only. Don’t do work on it, eat on it, and don’t watch movies or TV on it. Not only is that more hygienic, but you’ll likely find it easier to fall asleep that way.

4. Ask for an allergy-free room. Some hotels are now offering rooms that are built and furnished to minimize the amounts of dust mites and other allergens. Even if you don’t have allergies, this might be a good choice for people prone to colds and flus. Other hotels provide allergy packs, including face masks, special pillows, and mattress covers. But you have to ask for them.

5. Choose modern over old. Yes, Victorian bed-and-breakfasts are far superior in terms of charm and personal touches. But they also lead in the amount of allergens and dust you are likely to encounter in the rooms and public sitting areas. So if health is a real concern while traveling, go for good-quality modern hotels.

In no particular order, here are some of the germiest items in a hotel room:

remote control
door handles
light switches
phone
alarm clock
pens
faucet handles
bed spread
carpet

Don’t feel like you can’t use any of these items, just use caution and common sense. Clean the remote control, phone, clock radio, door handles, and light switches. Don’t walk around barefoot: throw on a pair of slippers. And don’t use the bedspread if you can help it.

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• Where Germs Love to Hide
• Secrets to Breathing Better With Allergies
• Germs In The Office
• 10 Healthy Hotel Hygiene Habits By Trish Friesen
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• Dirty Facts - Supplied By Allergy UK
• Spring Cleaning!!!

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