USAThis is from the November issue of "Health" magazine and much of it was surprising to me:
"1. Your kitchen sink- Typically more than 500,000 bacteria per square inch in the drain. That sponge you use to clean the counter? Crawling with
bacteria, as are the sink's basin and faucet handles.
Reduce the risk: Clean your kitchen counters and sink with an antibacerial product after preparing or rinsing food, especially raw fruits and vegetables which
carry lots of potential pathogens like salmonella, campylobacter, and E. coli. Sanitize sponges by running them through the dishwasher's drying cycle
which kills 99.9 percent of the the bacteria. As for the sink, clean it twice a week with a solution of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach and one quart of
water. Scrub the basin, then pour the solution down the drain.
2. Airplane bathrooms- There are often traces of E. coli or fecal bacteria on the faucets and door handles. The volcanic flush of the commode tends to spew particles into the air, coating the floor and walls with, whatever had been swirling around in there. Reduce the risk: After using the toilet, wash and dry your hands thoroughly and use a paper towel to handle the toilet seat, lid, tap, and doorknob. Put the lid down before you flush. If there's no lid, turn your back to the toilet while flushing and beat a hasty retreat.
3. A load of wet laundry- Anytime you transfer underwar from the washer to the dryer, you're going to get E. coli on your hands. Just one soiled undergarment can spread bacteria to the whole load and the machine. Reduce the risk: Run your washer and dryer at 150 degrees and wash whites with bleach which kills 99.99 percent of bugs. Transfer wet laundry to the dryer quickly so germs don't multiply, wash underwear separately, and dry for at least 45 minutes. Wash your hands afer laundering and runa a cycle of bleach and water between loads to eliminate any lingering bugs.
4. Public drinking fountains- School fountains are the biggest ofenders with anywhere from 62.000 to 2.7 million bacteria per square inch on the spigot. Other school hot spots: cafeteria trays, sink handles, desktops, and computer keyboards. Reduce the risk: Send your child to school with plenty of her own beverages. Teach her to wash her hands, especially before and after lunch, going to the bathroom, or using the computer. Send hand sanitizer to every school teacher and give extras to your child. If schools swabbed off the tops of desks each night with an antibacterial wipe , they'd reduce the child-absenteeism rate by half.
5. Shopping cart handles-Saliva, bacteria, and fecal matter are just a few of the choice substances found on shopping cart handles. Carts rank high on the yuck scale because they're handled by dozens of people every day. And of course raw food carries nasty pathogens. Reduce the risk: If your store does not have a dispenser with disinfectant wipes near the carts, bring your own and give the handle a quick swat which has been shown to kill nearly 100 percent of germs. Or carry along a cart cover like the Grip-Guard or Healthy Handle. At the meat counter, always put raw meat in a plastic bad and if you get some juice on your hands, ask for a disinfecting wipe.
6.ATM buttons- Those buttons have more gunk on them than most public bathroom doorknobs. Each key conatins about 1,200 germs. Reduce the risk: Carry an alcohol based hand-sanitizer with you and rub it on your hands after a visit to the ATM, after you handle the money which also carries germs.
7. Your handbag- Most women's purses have tens of thousands of bacteria on the bottom. Reduce the risk: Instead of slinging your bag on the floor, hang it on a hook whenever you can and keep your bag off the kitchen counter. Stick with leather or vinyl purses, which are typically cleaner than cloth. And wipe your bag down every few days with a mild soap or disinfectant, then let it air dry.
8. Playgrounds- Children tend to ooze bodily fluids and then spread them around. Blood, mucus, saliva, and urine were found on playground equipment. And then children put their fingers in their mouths and noses more than the rest of us. Reduce the risk: Carry alcohol wipes or hand sanitizing gel in your purse and clean everybody's hands a couple of times during a park visit, especially before snacking. Pick warm sunny days as the sun's ultraviolet light is a very effective disinfectant.
9. Mats and machines at health clubs- Antibioitic resistant staphylococcus have been found on yoga mats and cardio and resistance machines. Reduce the risk: Wipe down machines with antibacerial wipes before working out. Bring your own yoga mat or cover a loaner with your towel. Shower after a workout and soap up your skin to rinse off any bacteria you may habe been exposed to.
10. Your bathtub-Studies found staphylococcus bacteria in 26 percent of the tubs tested as compared with just 6 percent of garbage cans. Tubs typically had more than 100,000 bacteria per square inch. You're washing germs and viruses off your body. The tub is a fairly moist environment, so bacteria can grow. Reduce the risk: Once a week, apply a disinfecting cleanter to the tub. You need to actually scrub then you need to wash the germs down the drain with water and dry the tub with a clean towel. If you leave the tub wet, germs are more likely to survive. Pay special attention to soap scum a surprisingly germ friendly environment.
11. Your office phone- They often have more than 25,000 germs per square inch, and your desk, computer, keyboard, and mouse aren't far behind. Phones get coated with germs from your mouth and hands. Reduce the risk: Simply cleaning your desk, phone, and keyboard with a disinfecting wipe once in the middle of the day will kill 99.99 percent of the bacteria and viruses.
12. The hotel room remote control- Researchers found cold viruses on the rmote, door handles, light switches, pens and faucet handles. Reduce the risk: Clean the remote control, phone, clock radio, door handles and ight switches with ermicidal wipes."
Although I think we can go overboard with these anti-germ tactics which result in more resistant germs, this article was enough to make me a bit queasy. I now keep antibacterial wipes in the bathroom to clean the tub out each time I use it then rinse and dry it with my towel. And I bought lysol spray that I spray the kitchen sink with and the drain with frequently. I keep a bottle of the anibacterial lotion in my purse and plan on making my grandkids use it more often at the park from now on. But there is no way I am putting bleach in any of my laundry because I break out so with that one I will take my chances.
sue in ohio
UK-reporter
Canada
jilly 
