Germs, germs everywhere

Washing your hands often is the best way to prevent illness, especially in the winter months.

Here are some of the germiest places (some might be a surprise), so make sure you watch your hands or wash these items:

• Gas pumps - think about how many hands touch them.
• Door handles - similar to the gas pumps.
• Television remote in a hotel room - stick an extra plastic bag in your suitcase so you don't have to touch the remote and wipe down with an antibacterial wipe.
• Your cell phone - usually only the germs from you or your family, but can still be germy.
• Your keyboard and mouse - wipe these down once a week.
• Kitchen sinks - sometimes sinks are dirtier than toliets, thanks to raw meat and food leftovers.
• Kitchen sponge - full of germs, make sure to let it dry out between uses and microwave for 2 minutes once a week (kills over 95% of germs).
• Grocery store - not just the cart but every surface you touch. Think about how many people touch those same surfaces.
• Children's playground and equipment - once again, many kids touching the surfaces.
• Public bathrooms - of course, wash and dry hands appropriately, turn off water after washing with paper towel and open door with paper towel.
• Handrails in parks, shopping malls, stairs, etc - lots of people touching them.

Do you see a theme here? Surfaces that a lot of people touch throughout the day are germy. Think about that when you touch various surfaces.

Does it seem like there are germs everywhere? Well, there is. It's hard to always remember to wash your hands after touching any of the things above, but remember as many as you can for the best bet. Once you get into the habit of washing your hands, it becomes easier. For instance, washing hands after grocery shopping can become a habit. Using hand sanitizer after pumping gas can become a habit. (hand sanitizer as a 2nd option, because washing hands isn't always an option unless you go inside)

The best thing to do after visiting these germy places is to wash your hands for 20 seconds with hot, soapy water. Turn off the sink with your paper towel and open the door with it too. This prevents recontaminating your hands. If handwashing is not an option, hand sanitizer is a 2nd option. Washing hands is best.

Turning off the water with a paper towel and opening the door with it may seem like a hassle, but it's easy once you get into the habit. If you forgot, just remember next time to keep the germs away.