Because I Care.....
 

I really do care about people. It's why I became a nurse. So I wanted to pass on some tips to everyone what with the flu season coming up and the Ebola scare. Maybe it will help keep somebody from getting sick.

A recent episode of Dr Oz talked about the amount of fecal material, bacteria and germs found on a regular shopping cart handle and on the carrier seat where babies sit. The amount was astronomical, especially fecal germs. He advised folks to carry a small pack of disinfectant wipes with them and wipe down the handle and the seat before you use the cart. He also advised making up a solution of vinegar and water and wiping down anything that you put in the carrier seat (food, not babies, LOL) with the solution to sanitize it. That includes fruit and veggies.

I started carrying a small bottle of hand sanitizer with me. I clean my hands with it when I go into the store and while my hands are still wet, wipe down the handle. I no longer use the carrier seat. At the check out, I sanitize my hands again and then again when I get in my car.

Do not touch your face while in a store. Good way to get yourself sick real fast.

In restrooms, the bacteria count on toilet seats is almost as high as it is on carrier seats. Ladies, and guys too, do not sit on it unless you can sanitize it first with a wipe or put a 'shield' down. Learn to squat.

When you wash your hands are you washing them long enough? As you lather, hum 'Happy Birthday' to yourself. Once through the song and rinse. Do not turn off the water with your clean hands. Leave the water running and use the paper towels that you dry your hands with to turn off the faucet and then use the same towels to open the door. Discard the towels in a waste receptacle outside the bathroom.

If you are sick or starting to feel like you are 'coming down with something' for Godsake, STAY HOME! Going to school, going to a meeting, going to get your hair done, going to church or going to work is not as important as taking care of yourself and not spreading around what you are coming down with. Besides, nobody wants to catch what you have and you do not want to share what you are suffering from

If you are sick enough to go to the doctor, running a high fever or have a severe cough, call your doctor, explain the situation and tell them you do not want to sit out in the waiting room. Ask them if they can let you in a back door and put you directly in an exam room. You do not want to spread things around nor do you want to be exposed to anything else with your immune system compromised.

If you find yourself coughing or sneezing, do not cover your mouth and nose with your hand. Use the crook of your arm and cough into the inside of your elbow, this works well especially if you are wearing long sleeves or a jacket.

Two days ago, I was in a gas station making a purchase. As she waited on me, the clerk coughed (sounded like a nasty bronchitis cough) as she made change for me and coughed into her hand, then continued making change. She handed me the change with the hand she coughed into.

EEEUUUUUUU I thought to myself. As soon as I was out the door I had the hand sanitizer out as was soaking the change and my hands down.

Has the Ebola scare made you more sensitive to keeping you personal space as germ free as possible?

And if you have anything to add, please do!

People don't respect other peoples personal space when standing in lines, try to not stand within 3 feet of other people.
I think people should go back to using handkerchiefs and use them.
IF you are sick and have to go out wear a mask.
Make sure you are using the right masks, surgical masks are to keep germs off the patient not for you to keep from getting other peoples germs.
I agree with the use of hand sanitizer but I wonder if we are not letting out own immune system build up.
If in the hospital make sure everyone (including doctors) wash their hands in front of you. Watch for proper technique when a person takes blood, puts in IV's etc. As a retired infectious disease nurse you would be amazed by the lack of proper infection control I have seen.
If you are at a restaurant watch how fast a server or cook goes in and out of restroom, did they have time to do their business and wash their hands?
I don't think we should panic about ebola or enterovirus or flu but use common sense and good universal precautions

The bottom of a woman's purse or a man's briefcase is only as clean the the public/work bathroom stall's floor. You can hang them up and know that the last person that touched the hook was with unwashed hands. Either disinfect the purse or briefcase or don't place them on tables or counter tops. Or both, good habits to get into.

If you wouldn't place your shoes on the kitchen table or counter, would you place your purse/briefcase there? They've both been in nasty places.

Put as politely as i can, when i use a public rest room, I sanitize EVERTHING my skin touches! After using the facilities, I use a wipey on my hands and, after leaving the room, I use another,again on my hands and on the handles of my scooter.

When at a table in a restaurant, I wipe the table top and the arms of the chairs before the food is served. Again, I use a wipe and hand one to DH.

I'm not sure it matters what's on the cart when others using the same carts are handling food and putting it back, and the cashiers and stockers are also handling it, then you give the cashier cash that's seen more hands than a casino. Then again Oz is such a fraud I tend to discount anything he comes up with on principle anymore

I'm not posting this to open up a debate about Oz. Google yourself to get the facts.

http://http://magazine.foxnews.com/f...-shopping-cart

Please don't start an argument about whether or not he, she or it is a fraud. If you don't want to take good advice that is offered with only good intent, go ahead, read the above article, google 'bacteria count on shopping carts', and then if you don't think it's factual I double dare you to lick the next baby carrier seat you come across on a shopping cart.

BL thanks for sharing your tips...they are much appreciated by me. :grin:

I remember watching a true crime story on TV sometime ago - a woman was killed in a hotel room - they took the bed cover to a lab to do some DNA tests on it - the result - they found body fluids from 64 different people on the cover as a result of the DNA tests - and just thing there are people who go to hotels and lay on these covers - I almost never get sick because once the cold weather comes around I kinda hibernate - don't go in crowds, don't eat out, tell the family not to come around if anyone is sick in their house - wear gloves when I go out - there are germs all over the place - avoid hospitals and doctors offices if at all possible -

[QUOTE=badlander;7254651
........Learn to squat.[/QUOTE]

We call it hovering here:)

Your suggestions are great and should be common sense but unfortunately is not always. I just posted elsewhere that last night I observed a woman in a restaurant leave the stall and out the door without washing her hands. Sadly, not rare behavior.
My only suggestions are don't touch the flushing handle and teach your kids and grandkids about how dirty bathrooms and other public items are. I used plain talk with my kids and the same with the young grandkids.
I tell them that people wipe their butts and touch the handles on the inside of doors and and on faucets. I've described to them almost (they're very young) all the places money might have been. I try to paint vivid visuals to get my point across. Unfortunately, many adults need the same information.

I used to know a man who had severe OCD. He wouldn't touch anything without using a handkerchief, take anything out of anyone's hand, hold a public phone next to his face, etc. I've thought about him since (way before ebola) and think now he was probably the smarter one.

Then--I need advice too--I have to go to the Dr's office every month to have my INR checked--other than this, I stay home-away from people. Wish I could just stick my finger in a window.
Thanks for the important information.

In science class and Girl Scouts, we taught about how germs are spread by giving the kids different colors of glitter to press on their hands. If I start with blue glitter and by the end of the class have green, red and gold on my hands along with my blue, we know that germs have been spread. The kids got a kick out of this visual.

Lately I've taken to wiping down the bottom of my purse with rubbing alcohol, after I go to the store. I've seen studies about how many germs can be on purses.

On my first week of work at a new company, a man was giving me a tour and introducing me to co-workers. A different man, G, walks out of the men's bathroom and then shakes my hand at the point of introduction. It was a cold day, there were no heated hand driers, just paper towels, and this man's hands were very warm, which means he didn't wash and dry them, I was icked out. I went to my desk, then the ladies room and washed my hands, it was icky to say the least. It's embarrassing that people do this. Is 'icky' a verb? An adverb? An adjective? My grammar is embarrassing too.
And he's probably alive.
I had a friend that used paper towels to get out of the ladies bathroom, I found it novel and it made sense, I admire this in her. After she opened the door with the damp paper towel and then disposed of it, the door handle was cleaner than before.

How many people touch the gas station handle when pumping their own gas - think on how many people have touched the handle - I think the biggest place to get sick is when you eat out - you have no idea what the person is doing with your food before you get it - I think if you saw what was preparing your food in the back you would go home and cook your own - you see this fat guy - full of tattoos - wearing a dirty white T shirt and filthy - sweating over you meal and blowing his nose in his apron - then put his finger in meal to see if it is hot enough - then the waitress comes out and tells you to - enjoy :D

No, he died years ago of a non-infectious disease:D

I've done the paper towel on the door handle for years. It's just the nurse in me. Notice how close the trash cans are to the door in a lot of public places are now? They're for bad people like me who will try to get the paper towel in the garbage can if I can but sometimes it's just too far away. I've noticed that many places have installed foot operated door openers.
Sad thing is, I do the paper towel thing on the door handles on the employee bathrooms at the hospital too.

Funny to me story: Years ago when my eldest granddaughter was about seven, we observed a woman with four teenage girls in tow leave a theater restroom without washing hands. One of the girls even said to the woman that "we need to wash our hands". The lady said "come on, we'll wash them at the restaurant". My young gdaughter had a nasty look on her face and said, "Oh great. Now we'll have to use paper towel to get out of here"!

Out of the mouth of babes......

I'm always fascinated by the waitress who supports the tray on her shoulder with food just millimeters away from her hair. Back in the day, we had to wear hairnets.
You're right though, food made at home is likely to much cleaner and cheaper, and tastier!

Please don't forget door handles light switches and office telephones. The last big flu to hit my hospice vS horrific absenteeism on every team but mine. I was Apple's to find I was the one sanitizing those . Recently have started hotelling instead of camping & as soon as I'm in the room I hit-tv remote, light and lamp switches, interior door knobs, microwave & fridge handles & 2day st handles & flush handle.
Thinking bout going back to camping.

appalled not Apple's durn auto correct

I LOVE it when people blow their noses at the table or at the bar, then leave their snot rag for me to clean up.......
I would rather throw away someone's 'dip' cup than to clean up after someones blown their nose.

Had a guy blow his nose, and leave the napkin on the bar.
SO I used 5 napkins to pick his booger rag up and throw it in the trash.
I promptly washed my hands, while he sat there and watched.
Then he had the audacity to roll his eyes at me.
So I cut him a look.....then cut his woman a look.
Seriously?
Dude....that's gross.

OK, while the advice given is good advice, I also think people can go way too extreme with the germ thing. Getting germs builds up your immune system. My kids always played in the dirt, would & still do pick up food & eat it if it fell on the floor. They of course check for dirt first. :D While they are not "dirty" kids, they do not worry about every little germ & neither do I. I could not tell you the last time any of my kids were sick. About 5 years ago when the swine flu was going around the intermediate school my daughter caught it. They actually closed the school for several days to try to get it under control. Anyway, no one else in the family did & I didn't change our routine at all.

Being clean is good, but being too clean can actually be harmful to your immune system. Most of the very clean people I know catch every little bug that goes around.

Thanks for refreshing our public manners. I just don't get all the shots
for flues and ect. almost every one else in family does and I seem to be
the one that does not get the flue so I do believe in some germ contact.
As far as Ebola it will be up to the Good Lord in the end. This country
has become to complacent in believing someone else will do it. In watching
news last two evenings we have seen more EXPERTS explain how the U S A
is doing everything right what are they saying we are one of the few countries
that received Ebola.
Are prayers are with every one families and especially the grandchildren they
are our future.

Howard Hughes Syndrome?

Clean is good. Being obsessive may not be. Although in light of recent events, maybe a tiny bit of obsessive is not too bad.

Because at this point, I don't exactly trust the CDC. In their memo to hospitals, they're telling us any hospital with an isolation room can take care of an ebola patient using contact and droplet precautions.

I kinda doubt it...

I've never been obsessive about cleanliness but due to recent events I made up a "Daily Checklist" of stuff to do to prevent illness. I can't quarantine the house since I live with my parents who go to work every day. Heres my list.
Daily- Wipe down…
All door knobs
Cabinet handles
Computer mice and keyboards
Light switches
Chair armrests
Sink faucets and handles
Microwave buttons and door
Toilet seats and handles
Tv remotes
Water cooler spigots
Car door handles, wheel, armrests
Lamp switches
Kitchen counters

Sweep and mop whole house once a week with bleach
Take off shoes at door
Wash purse or it wipe down every time it is taken out of the house
Wash hands, change clothes when coming back into the house
Leave grocery bags in front hall and wipe down packages as they are put away, then spray front hall floor.
Wipe down cart handles at the store
Wipe down zippy cart before use
Wipe down car after use then wash hands and change clothes
Wipe down cane after use
Create safe zone within house (my bedroom, nothing goes in that hasn’t been wiped down)
Use gloves and mask any time you go public. (*during a pandemic)

Obsessive, maybe, but its better than bleeding from multiple orifices.:peep:

Next time you have a package of those sanitizing wipes..... look to see how long the product has to set so it can do its job.

I use to to the wipes till I saw would have to wait x amount of minutes...... quickly realized my little kids couldn't wait that long before using the toilet LOL

Alcohol kilsl bacteria by rupturing cell walls as it dries. I used to think the cells died as soon as they were hit with the alcohol.

The amount of bleach needed for disinfecting food surfaces is surprisingly low, something like two teaspoons per gallon. To wipe down non food surfaces you can use 1/2 cup of bleach per gallon of water.

My advice? Buy and store as many gallons of bleach as you can.

Here is a list of viruses, bacteria and fungi that bleach will kill:


Following is a list of organisms that the proper Clorox Bleach to water ratios can kill Bacteria
Staphylococcus aureus (Staph.)
Salmonella choleraesuis
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep.)
Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli)
Shigella dysenteriae
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Fungi
Trichophyton mentagrophytes (can cause Athlete’s Foot)
Candida albicans (a yeast)
Viruses
Rhinovirus Type 37 (a type of virus that can cause colds)
Influenza A (Flu virus)
Hepatitis A virus
Rotavirus
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
HIV-1 (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)*
Herpes simplex Type 2
Rubella virus
Adenovirus Type 2
Cytomegalovirus


You can add Ebola to that list. I looked it up.

I finally quit carrying one. I shop very light - just carry my cards and ID in my pocket

I have a compromised immune system and I can't be too clean.

I think it depends on the individual. I was also raised playing in the dirt, eating fruit and berries picked up off the ground and eaten without washing, swallowing stream water when we went wading and swimming and yes, I was sick a lot due to a glitchy immune system.

I'm not talking about sanitizing your living environment here. Quite a mission impossible. I'm talking about controlling the spread of communicable disease as much as possible.

Whooping cough is usually an annual event occurring within the local Amish community. They do not vaccinate. The kids play in the dirt, drink rain water out of the down spouts and live a pretty carefree lifestyle as far as understanding the spread of bacteria is concerned. But even they know enough to tell non Amish around them that there is Whooping cough going around and 'you may not want to get too close to us in case you haven't been vaccinated'

Common sense is all that is needed, and no, you cannot trust the uninformed public to know how to wash their hands and cough into the crook of their arm.

I took care of more than one person who came out of the exam room with a drippy nosed kid in tow and tell me after Doctor has been right in their faces.."Oh little Johnny just came from the doctor. He has strep throat!" and laugh about it. It's a big joke to them.

Those are the people we must protect ourselves from as far as germ control is concerned. Strep can kill. I know it almost killed me in 1976 and affected me for the rest of my life.

These are also the people who will spread Ebola if it gets a foot hold in America or Europe.

They are completely clueless.

And isn't it written in a very popular book that "Cleanliness is next to Godliness?"

Leviticus 15 I believe.

Nope, and its not found anywhere else in that very popular book either. :)

That is so true. My 6-year-old does a better job of hand washing in a public restroom than most adults I've observed. Mainly because she likes to waste soap and play in the water, but I can live with that.

Really? I'm not one to quote verses verbatim but I googled it and got Leviticus 15.

Sorry if that is wrong.

Actually it talks about dealing with bodily discharges and cleanliness in general. It sounds like early disease control in a way, which is where the saying probably came from.

I think the big difference that exists today when compared to years ago is the fact that we have so many people traveling all over the world bring germs back here with them - and some of these germs can do a real job on you - look at our southern border - you have so many people coming into this country who have not been vaccinated against many of the common diseases - a lot of people have died from certain diseases that we think we now have under control - but don't anymore - eat good - get adequate rest - keep clean - avoid stress - and stay away from sick people - you should be ok - maybe -

Thank you Wendy. I was thinking the same thing. I believe in being clean and washing your hands and all that but really, germs live everywhere - good and bad ones. We live on a farm and regularly step in it, pet animals, work in the dirt, etc. and think nothing of it. I've seen my son shoe a horse and come in the door and grab a sandwich with those grimy hands and wolf it down. Not saying I'd advise it but we live! I hate it when city folks bring their kids here and they can't even run and have fun for fear of poop or touching something with germs on it. They don't want to eat our eggs because it had chicken poop on it before we washed it. They don't want to drink our milk because it came from the cow (save me the warning about raw milk), and they don't want to eat our vegetables because they saw a worm crawling on them in the garden. Yep, you'll see all sorts of live things here because I don't use chemicals. If I'm afraid of something, it's chemicals. If it kills germs and bugs, what do you think it is doing to your cells?????

The Meijer store where I shop offers a hand sanitizing station at the door, as well as a container of pull out sanitizing wipes for your cart surfaces. Can't say many good things about their restrooms, though. Interesting, too, is that health laws require "sneeze" barriers on restaurant salad bars, but nothing for fresh fruit and vegetable displays in the grocery store produce section.

I am not referring to people with compromised immune systems. I realize they need to take extra precautions.

You should see some of the guys i work with. One has stained pants (grease etc) and will put sandwiches on his leg. Seen them get done working hands dirty and eat. Seen the same guy put a sandwich on a piece of metal to put mustard on it and it is bun against the metal. I just walk away shaking my head

Salid bars come under a whole different category that places that have veggies out for the talking. Heck I never do much of anything you all say you do. I do wash in the washroom but that is it. Wow rubbing ones arm across a table before a person eats. heck my arm has way more goodies on it that any table would have thats been whipped off.
Just had a nice breakfast at Perkins to and it was good coffee was hot and the French Toast Ooh-La-La
One has to build up their own immune system.
For many years I went swimming in a river, and still did when I took my miniature horse in the water and played with her in a river that up stream cattle would cross, you could feel petrified cow pies under the water. So here I had a horse in the same water that I was swimming too.~! Cool
And being I chew tobacco well my hands and fingers after working on a car, cleaning out stalls etc. etc. etc. Just reach in a take a dip, and I am still here and in my mid 60's.
Now things are different with people that have compromised immune systems, I am not talking about those that have to take such measures to keep alive.

Agreed. . . but with a caveat....
 

************************
Many things have a 'shelf life'...... and bleach is one of them.

About 6 months tops. And then it begins to degrade,
whether it's been opened or not. Temperature tends
to accelerate the process. So store it in a cool place,
but use it up. To buy an abundance and not use it,
is just wasteful. http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=5361

I once worked in a deli that was located in an office building. People liked that they could see the kitchen through the glass refrigerator, and could watch us make sandwiches. Clean, very clean.

I have not made any changes due to an ebola scare. I still wash my hands, which is really the first line of defense against most germs. (ebola is air borne). Is using a wipee good enough to clean the grocery cart handle?