« Anyone Up For A Swim? | Main | The Sound Of Silence »
March 19, 2004
Nasty
We watched Primetime Thursday last night and they had a very interesting segment on germs in the home. They had Dr. Philip Tierno go into a normal home with q-tips for testing just to see how clean this family really was. If you missed it, just click on the link above and read about it.
This link will help you see What You Can Do to Keep Your House Clean. What I think is most interesting is that Dr. Tierno stated, “People don't realize that in the home, 50 percent to 80 percent of food-borne illnesses are contracted by items that are handled in the home. And 60 percent to 65 percent of all colds are contracted in the home.”
If you’re like me, you consider your home a safe haven from germs. According to this, your home is just as bad if not worse than everywhere else. I think I need to get Dr. Tierno’s book The Secret Life of Germs : Observations and Lessons from a Microbe Hunter.
Now I must go wash my bed sheets …
Posted by tami at March 19, 2004 8:20 AM
Comments
No you do not need that book!! You will have me scrubbing everything with bleach if you do!
Posted by: Kevin at March 19, 2004 8:35 AM
I really am washing the sheets this minute. So you're probably right about the book ;)
Posted by: Tami at March 19, 2004 9:14 AM
Makes me think of that commercial where the guy is leaping into his freshly made bed. He's hovering mid-air and looks down to see his sheets turn into a cauldron of boiling yuck...All because he didn't use some bleach or another. I don't know if I want to look at your links or not, LOL!
Kevin -- comments are still forgetting me. Helllllp?
Posted by: gw at March 19, 2004 6:32 PM
Huh! Gasp! Your comments remembered me! I feel so validated. :D
Posted by: gw at March 19, 2004 11:45 PM
Oh, I'm so glad they remembered you :)
I'm not a huge germ freak, but that segment did make me want to at the very least wash the sheets. I'm bad about remembering to do that. Luckily, I don't use sponges except on the tub. They said that sponges more often than not SPREAD germs, not clean them.
Posted by: Tami at March 19, 2004 11:59 PM
I have the best germ buster you can get. His name is Karim and he even insists on cleaning the pipes at the back of the sink. The house is his domain and he tends to tolerate Phil and myself.
Posted by: Lynne at March 20, 2004 4:18 AM
Sorry forgot to say that in our real home in Cyprus, I get to do the cleaning, can't have it all ways I guess.
Posted by: Lynne at March 20, 2004 4:20 AM
Wow! Tami this is incredible! I have been doing work with my class on microbes and we looked at pictures of unwashed hands after going to the loo, handling meat etc - its very illuminating! I think I will add this link to their education, I have never succeeded in getting boys to wash their hands before, but now its 100% success rate. Meanwhile I shall start to flush the loo with the seat down.....
Posted by: Miss L at March 20, 2004 7:57 AM
Miss L: I'm so glad that I gave you a useful link :)
As far as flushing goes: the public toilets over here don't have lids. I learned the hard way by staying seated and flushing at the same time that the water really does fly up into the air! I felt as if my bottom was getting a shower. Just think if you lean over and have your FACE over the toilet when flushing .... yuck!
Posted by: Tami at March 20, 2004 8:19 PM
ln public restrooms, l teeter on one leg and push the flush handle with my foot. l then turn my back on the commode. lt's really quite the Karate Kid maneuver!
Posted by: gw at March 21, 2004 1:39 AM
That is so funny GW. I hope your foot never slips ;)
Posted by: Tami at March 21, 2004 1:55 PM
Strangely there was an item on a radio programme over here about foot flushers - John Peel on Radio 2 on a Saturday morning. You could probably find it on the BBC site! There are lots of foot flushers in the UK.... hmmm, strange!
Posted by: Miss L at March 21, 2004 4:38 PM