Today is Global Handwashing Day

[azmouse]

and this is why washing your hands is so important.

Quote:Fecal matter found in 1 in 6 Brit phones


One in six cell phones in Britain may be contaminated with fecal matter that can spread E. coli, likely because so many people don't wash their hands properly after using the toilet, a new study contends.

The findings also suggest that many people lie about their hygiene habits, according to the researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Queen Mary, University of London.

Ninety-five percent of the participants told the researchers that they washed their hands with soap and water where possible. However, lab tests revealed that 92 percent of phones and 82 percent of hands had bacteria on them. The researchers also found that 16 percent of hands and 16 percent of cell phones harbored E. coli bacteria, which is found in feces and can cause serious



Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/article...z1aryhwuCD

[jaxx]

My last job stressed wash your hands and until you can, use hand sanitizer. People don't realize how easy it is to spread the germs. I carry hand sanitizer with me, touching grocery carts is a bad thing!

[azmouse]

(10-15-2011 10:50 AM)jaxx Wrote:  My last job stressed wash your hands and until you can, use hand sanitizer. People don't realize how easy it is to spread the germs. I carry hand sanitizer with me, touching grocery carts is a bad thing!

Thankfully grocery stores have started putting wipes by the cart area to clean off the handles. I've started rinsing out my reuseable grocery bags too. They get filled with bacteria and germs, and I have any meat I buy put in plastic bags to protect the other food.
And I always wash my hands when I return home from running any errands. Doesn't prevent all colds, I had a slight cold the other week, but it does cut down on the severity and frequency of colds and illnesses.

[RoyGBiv]

I should probably just RTFA, but before doing so I'll just add that you really should wash your hands any time you have touched money, particularly paper bills, though coins are not immune.

Money is one of the nastiest things on the planet. For all the fecal matter, etc. on a shopping cart, etc. it's nothing compared to what's on cash.

[jaxx]

Very true about the money. Those bills didn't get grubby looking on their own.