wash your hands

I think men think it's a sissy thing to do.

Did you hear the one about the guy that always had ham and eggs for breakfast?

Okay, the guy always had ham and eggs for breakfast. One day, his waitress thought she would have a little fun at his expense. She gets out a marking pen and scratches out the Ham and Eggs. The guy opens the menu, and before he can order, the waitress says, "I don't know if you noticed, but I just scratched something you like". The guy says "Go wash your hands. Then bring me the ham and eggs."

I know this woman who's a stewardess (I think they call them airline attendents now) who is so phobic of using the the flight toilets she holds it in. She does the international route. So she's regularly flying from the US to Dubai.

Well, if she's responsible for sanitation, she may know something we don't.

I don't think it's attention span so much as a high threshold for discomfort.

You don't know where that door knob's been. . . .

I wash my hands several times per day, like when getting home from anywhere.
And I stay away from kids - they are germ breeders.

In those specific set of cases, I have a low threshold for discomfort.

That one belongs on the bad jokes thread, Rog'.

I do this all the time when away cause you cant imagine the toxic soup of foreign disease bearing microbes that are squirming all ove doorknobs and handles of public places.

I recall we sorta jhad this discussion before and some A2Kers were playing really macho about NEVER bothering about the doorknobs.

Wait, just wait, theyll see.

Antibacterial soap for help prevent the flu? Hello! Flus are caused by viruses and viruses aren't destroyed by anti-BACTERIA-ls.

WON'T SOMEONE THINK OF THE POOR DOORKNOB?!
We need to take the doorknob's feelings to account!

Funny you should mention that. I do use my foot and I use my elbow for the urinal handle.

Real men aren't afraid to be do anything. Sissy or otherwise.

According to the CDC, handwashing is an important part of preventing the flu. Germs from other people are reduced by handwashing.

**From the CDC on their flu and H1N1 page.

Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.*

Excellent point!

Washing your hands, by the very nature of the friction applied, then rinsing the results away is more than adequate to prevent the transfer of most virus, bacteria, etc.

That anti-bacterial gel, although I was obviously saying tongue in check that "I don't trust them" can never live up to a good old fashioned wash, rinse, and during cold and flu season, a 2nd wash, 2nd rinse.

farmer is right.
Well, actually, I CAN imagine what is on the exit handles of rest rooms, and other door knobs in public places. Which is why I wash my hand first thing when I come home, before eating, after going to the bathroom, or being around people I know are sick. I know, talk about radical.

I don't know what bothers some people about the fact that some people choose to wash their hands more than they apparantly do.

Talk about looking foolish.

Exactly why I avoid finger foods

Sorry 'bout that.

oh, another thing.
keep your damn fingernails clean!

I have a pet peeve about women who have artificial nails. Sorry if I offend any ladies here who have them, but they are more prone to be gunk traps.

read below...

One of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization's (JCAHO) 2007 National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) revisits the importance of hand hygiene and artificial nails.[6] NPSG #7 reads as follows:

Goal 7 Reduce the risk of health care-associated infection.

7A Comply with current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hand hygiene guidelines.

7B Manage as sentinel events all identified cases of unanticipated death or major permanent loss of function associated with a health care-associated infection.

For goal 7, the JCAHO notes that avoiding the wearing of artificial nails is a Category IA CDC recommendation and is required for those individuals providing care to patients at high risk of acquiring infections. (And, while you did not ask about nail length, the CDC has a Category II recommendation that natural nails be less than a quarter inch long when caring for patients at high risk of acquiring an infection. Thus, the JCAHO recommends this but does not require it.)

AORN Recommendations

For those working in perioperative patient care, where patients are considered at high risk of acquiring an infection, the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) has developed recommendations for surgical hand antisepsis as well as for general hand hygiene.[7]

The AORN has the following recommendations about fingernails:

Fingernails should be kept short, clean, and healthy.


A single-use nail cleaner should be used under running water to clean the debris from the subungual area, which harbors the most organisms found on the hands.


Long fingernails may pose a hazard to patient safety when moving or positioning the patient.


Long fingernails require extra effort when cleaning subungual areas.


When fingernails are long, gloves may tear, presenting a risk to both the nurse and the patient.
The AORN has the following recommendations about fingernail polish:

If used, nail polish should not be chipped.


Studies have demonstrated that chipped nail polish may support the growth of organisms on the fingernails.


While no studies have demonstrated a relationship between freshly applied nail polish and infection,[1] there is concern that individuals with fresh manicures may be hesitant to perform rigorous hand hygiene in an effort to protect their nails. Compromises in hand hygiene technique may then lead to transmission of infection.


If nail polish is worn, it should not be worn for more than 4 days. At the end of 4 days, nail polish should be removed and freshly reapplied.


Individuals who choose to wear nail polish should be guided by their surgical conscience, which requires a combination of clinical experience, judgment, critical thinking, and the ability to question a practice when one believes it is not the right thing to do.
The AORN recommends the following concerning acrylic (artificial) nails:

Artificial nails should NOT be worn.


Numerous studies validate the increased number of bacteria cultured from the fingertips of persons wearing artificial nails, both before and after hand washing.


State Boards of Cosmetology report that fungal growth occurs more frequently under artificial nails.
The Bottom Line

Even the World Health Organization guidelines on hand hygiene state that wearing artificial acrylic nails can contribute to hands remaining contaminated with pathogens after use of soap or alcohol-based hand gels.[8]

I always wash my hands first thing when I come home from work, shopping, using public transit, etc. To add to Chai's list, I wash my hands more frequently when it is me who is sick.

Littlek's point was that antibacterial soap doesn't help against viruses like the ones that give you the flu. Somehow I'm not finding the part in your quote where the CDC recommends antibacterial soap against flues. Could you show this part to me, please?