Germaphobia--- You touched WHAT?!
I once read somewhere that the first stall in a public restroom is the cleanest, statistically speaking. The reason? The first stall is closest to the door, so less people use it! Since most people enjoy just a touch of privacy while
On top of the "first stall" technique, I am a complete germ FREAK when it comes to public restrooms! On our trip to Philly this year I held it as long as possible to avoid as many germs as I could. Seriously, bathroom breaks are like my least favorite part of road trips. You are literally dropping your pants in an unknown gas station, with god knows what growing on the underside of the seat and hoping for the best as you turn the door handle to leave! Just thinking about it skeeves me out!! I figured I would share some of my bathroom tips with you--a few things to avoid on your future potty trips. And if nothing else, at least I can gross you out for a few minutes on this Monday morning.
1. Never touch the door knob/door handle when leaving the bathroom. Think about it--you've already washed and dried your hands, now you are going to touch one of the germiest surfaces in the whole place! Sure, you washed your hands, but remember the lady who was grunting in the stall next to you? She probably didn't wash hers. And she touched that very same door handle all of 10 seconds before you. After washing your hands, always grab another paper towel and use it to open the door. ((And if you are a huge freak like me, you can always use it to shut off the faucet too.))
2. Never ever ever put your purse on the floor!! I can not stress this enough!! You know how sometimes the purse hook is missing from a stall? Or you are in a big huge single bathroom where the only place to put your purse in on the floor? Resist the urge!! Why is that such a big deal, you ask? It's not like I eat off of the bottom of my purse. This is true. You do, however, sling your purse onto your counter/kitchen table/dresser at the end of the day. You also hold your purse in your lap while you are searching for your car keys/lipstick/birth control. I don't know about you, but I feel much better knowing that I am not smearing particles of someone else's bodily fluids all over my kitchen table. Trust me, just hold it while you hover!
3. Don't talk on your cell phone in a public restroom!! Sure, it's rude and loud and it may disrupt your neighbor's concentration, but that it just the tip of the iceberg. Unless you are using a hand's free Bluetooth headset, chances are you will need to adjust/move/touch your phone at some point throughout your bathroom visit. Even a quick, careful trip includes closing and locking the stall door, touching the TP holder, unlocking and reopening the stall door and anything associated with washing/drying your hands. Even if you use the first stall, flush with your feet and use a paper towel to shut off the water, you still run the risk of a few germs making their way to your hands. Remember that electronic thing you are holding against the side of your head? More than likely you are going to have to grab it, shift it or put it in your purse at some point. All of those germs are now transferred from your hands to the mouthpiece that will soon make its way just inches from your mouth. Lovely thought, right?
Here are a few more obvious ones that I hope everyone is already following, but I'll put them out for good measure:
4. Don't sit on the seat. There are so many germs lurking here--countless amounts---just waiting to jump up and grab on. And I'm not talking about high school "crab" rumors (we've all heard them)..I'm talking about legitimate bacterial infections and diseases! E. coli, Streptococcus, Hepatitis A and even certain STDs can live on a toilet seat!!
5. Don't flush the toilet with your hands...use your feet!! Public restrooms are used for all sorts of things, including the expulsion of bodily fluids from several orifices, top and bottom. While your aim may be spot on, the drunk girl who puked in the stall 30 minutes ago may not have been so lucky. And considering the short distance between the toilet and the flusher, I can almost guarantee that a few splashes made their way up.
6. Wash your hands. Seriously, I hope I don't have to explain this one any further. If you don't wash them, not only will your hands be covered in bacteria and germs, but everyone in the bathroom is going to be talking about the "gross lady who didn't wash her hands!!" You don't want to be the gross lady. We've all talked about her before.
7. Always rip off the first few inches of TP and throw it away! Just think about it for a second. The TP that is left hanging has the opportunity to A: Touch the floor or B: Come in contact with someone else's germy hands. You walk in 2 minutes later and use the hanging TP, transferring all germs to your body.
Now that I've ruined your lunch hour and given you a few more reasons to be a germ freak, I will wish everyone a happy Monday!! I hope your weekend was fabulous!
Linked With:
Manic Monday
On the Daily Express
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