Are we Normal???

[Mandychelle79]

If it was a wooden table, it doesnt surprise me that it would come up looking dirty. The polish they put on it will do that.

Not a germophobe here. Most of the time if silverware look dirty its water spots, now if it had food on it, yes I will ask for new.

 

[jodifla]

IMO, no you are not normal. (And I comment only because you asked!) I fully accept that there are nasty germs all over surfaces. And my immune system has had a lot of experience fighting them off. This is how you build up a healthy immune system in fact. Not by trying to kill everything artificially.

It's basically a microbiological Fight Club.

 

[robinb]

I can say that it is not my normal.

That is a nice way to say it! It is not my normal either. I am not a germophobe at all.

 

[SaraJayne]

If I noticed dried food stuck on a fork I'd request a clean one, but otherwise I don't do any of that stuff. I don't eat off the table so I'm not too concerned with the surface, and I assume the plates are clean.

I'm not a germaphobe about the bathrooms, either. I think it's a pain to use those tissue covers so I never do. if someone has left the seat wet, I move on to another stall. Then I wash my hands and leave - and I don't freak out about the door handle, either.

I have a healthy immune system so I let it do its job, and so far so good. I also walk barefoot in a hotel room, use the remote without cleaning it first, and sleep on top of the bedpsread if I happen to fall asleep that way. Living on the edge!!

Same here. I'm also never sick. Do you think there is a connection?

 

[Christine]

One reason I am leary of germs, is because, while in college, I took Advance Microbiology course. Our assignment was to take swab samples from various places around campus and then see what we could grow in cultures back in the lab and test others under microscopes. So my team tested the water fountain handle, bathroom door handles, and other places. You would not believe the germs and staph and fecal matter that we found on everyday objects. I can't remember the name of one of the things that started to grow in our culture test from the bathroom door handle but our professor said he was shocked to see it growing and destroyed it. He didnt want it being exposed to anyone.

But you do realize that this is nothing new? This "matter" has been on everything since caveman days, no?

If it was so "dangerous" there would be widespread illness all the time. Think of the amounts of people that dine out everyday, think of the amount of people that use public restrooms. Tons and tons of people do this with a fraction of them getting sick from door handles, toilet seats, dirty tables, etc. Our bodies are equipped to handle small doses of contamination. It helps keep things stimulated and working. When you attempt to remove everything from your environment, you aren't doing yourself any favors.

As long as you are healthy you're going to be okay. Now if your immune system is weakened, that's a different matter.

 

[princesslexis'mom]

I can definitely agree,most surfaces we touch are loaded with germs,let alone the public restrooms,I always line the seat for my 4 yr old, who gets sick very easily and I don't let her touch anything in there ,if it gives you peace of mind,do what you have to!!!

Just wondering if other families do the same things...
We went to dinner last Sunday, and I took out a baby wipe to wash off area on table that our 10 month old was eating from. When I was done, I looked at the wipe and it was black! So immediately I started passing out wipes to the other kids and to hubby and we went to scrubbing the table. I know we had to look strange to other people sitting around us but EWWWWW!!!

Also, Hubby ALWAYS inspects his silverware before eating out. If it looks dirty he will request clean forks, knives. We usually tell a fib and say "Oh it fell on the floor!" so they dont get offended...we dont want spit in our food...

Also, I freak when the kids have to use public restrooms....I line the seats with 5 inches of TP.....even been known to carry minature cans of lyseol.
And then after washing, I dont let kids touch the garbage lids to throw napkins away and we use clean napkins to open bathroom doors.

So does anyone else do these type of things? Or what is your quirks in public?

 

[SaraJayne]

I didnt say we were germaphobic....I just don't like eating on a dirty table, dirty silverware, or sitting on dirty toilets.

Why in the world would you want to do something so gross????

You do know urine is sterile, right? And yes, you do sound like a germaphobe.

 

[paintnolish]

That is a nice way to say it! It is not my normal either. I am not a germophobe at all.

I would not let my child eat off the table and would request a new piece of silverware if something was on it. Neither of those things I find strange. I'm not too concerned about ds using the bathroom- he has the luxury of standing. DD will tell me if the bathroom is nasty and will find a new stall. She is really picky, too- once the toilets were stained because of the hard water and she thought they were all unflushed and didn't want to use any of them! I leanred along time ago not to be overly phobic about germs. DS dropped a piece of candy on the ground in a stop. Before I could say anything, he goblled it up. Nothing happened. That was 7 years ago!

 

[Disneycrazy!!]

You do know urine is sterile, right? And yes, you do sound like a germaphobe.

I'm not worried about the pee...its the poop i don't like.

 

[Arielle22]

I never understand the using a paper towel to open the bathroom door.

The person who may have left germs is going to be touching other things. So does it matter if you pick up the germ from the door handle as opposed to the elevator button?

You can't avoid the germs and doing things like using the towel to open the door only allows you false piece of mind.

If the silverware if dirty I ask for a new piece. If I am at a fast food establishment my food stays on the wrapper. I don't use t.p to line the toilet seat nor do I hover. I have never sat down and decided to wipe down the table before eating. If I thought a table was that dirty I would not eat in the establishment.

Despite it all I get sick maybe once a year.

 

[ksjayhawks]

Not my normal either.

I do look at the silverware and if there is food on it, politely ask for a new one. If the table has crumbs, etc, will ask them to rewash it.

I agree that you do sound germaphobic. Germs are all around us and as others have said, we build our immune system up to fight them. If not, people would be constantly sick.

I don't know how old your children are, but what are you going to do when they go to school or away to camp or to someone else's house? Do you (or will you) have them do these same things--tons of tp on the seats, etc.? If they exhibit some of the behaviors you mentioned, especially at school and camps, they could be subject to a lot of teasing. I am sure you don't want that.

 

[Disneycrazy!!]

I would not let my child eat off the table and would request a new piece of silverware if something was on it. Neither of those things I find strange. I'm not too concerned about ds using the bathroom- he has the luxury of standing. DD will tell me if the bathroom is nasty and will find a new stall. She is really picky, too- once the toilets were stained because of the hard water and she thought they were all unflushed and didn't want to use any of them! I leanred along time ago not to be overly phobic about germs. DS dropped a piece of candy on the ground in a stop. Before I could say anything, he goblled it up. Nothing happened. That was 7 years ago!

I guess everyone assumes I am germaphobic because I don't like eating on silverware that is dirty with dried food.etc....but we go barefooted in hotels, I don't clean hotel rooms or remotes...Ive shared my coke with my horse before (he loves Pepsi better), my kids play outside in the woods and yard and have pinics outside without (GASP..<---being sarcastic here) washing our hands before we eat, with dirt still on them... Oh and guess what??? WE don't wash our fruit before we eat it either!!

 

[KristaTX]

...my son doesn't actually eat off the table. But sometimes he will scatter his food and it lands on the table, he also rubs his hands ALL over the table.

Gross. I don't have babies, but isn't there something people can do to keep their child from germing up the table like that? Do you wipe the table up with an antiseptic wipe when you are leaving?

I didnt say we were germaphobic....I just don't like eating on a dirty table, dirty silverware, or sitting on dirty toilets.

I get the silverware thing totally. The table thing? Eh, I just don't eat any of the food that touches the table. A baby may have sat there and been allowed to smear stuff all over it. Freaking when your child needs to use a public restroom, though, makes you sound like a paranoid germaphobe, and also like you are teaching your kids to be paranoid rather than just careful.

I will say, though, that I do always dislike seeing a restaurant employee wiping down the seats with the same towel as the tables . And I wonder what liquid they are actually wiping the tables with. But that's why I just don't eat food that has touched the table or rub my hands all over the table.

 

[Kath2003]

Also, I freak when the kids have to use public restrooms....I line the seats with 5 inches of TP.....even been known to carry minature cans of lyseol.
And then after washing, I dont let kids touch the garbage lids to throw napkins away and we use clean napkins to open bathroom doors.

So does anyone else do these type of things?

Do your kids go to school? Do they use the bathrooms there?

I wash my hands with soap and hot water after using the bathroom. I wash my hands with soap and water before eating. That's pretty much the extent of my obsessiveness. I have started using antibacterial hand gel after using the bathroom at work (which I think serves primarily to promote germophobia outside of sterile/medical environments) because the water at my place of work takes forever to run hot so often I'm not able to wash my hands as well as I would like. I'm a little ashamed of myself even for that...

 

[Mkrop]

One reason I am leary of germs, is because, while in college, I took Advance Microbiology course. Our assignment was to take swab samples from various places around campus and then see what we could grow in cultures back in the lab and test others under microscopes. So my team tested the water fountain handle, bathroom door handles, and other places. You would not believe the germs and staph and fecal matter that we found on everyday objects. I can't remember the name of one of the things that started to grow in our culture test from the bathroom door handle but our professor said he was shocked to see it growing and destroyed it. He didnt want it being exposed to anyone.



I also want to clear up my original statement...my son doesn't actually eat off the table. But sometimes he will scatter his food and it lands on the table, he also rubs his hands ALL over the table. In my opinion, if I wipe off the table and the wipe comes up DIRTY, that is gross!

Your Advanced Microbilogy class should also have taught you that we need some of the germs in our life to build our immune system. And that too much antibitoics and antibacterial stuff is not helping our systems.

My friend is very freaked out by germs and stuff and is constantly handing me wipes for my kids. This is not after something like eating ice cream and they need to be cleaned up. It is over them touching the littlest things.

She was freaked out about snacks after sporting events because the kids did not have time to wash up properly before eating. She wanted to banned snack.

Guess whose kids are sick all the time, yep hers!

 

[ilovejack02]

This thread reminds me I need to clean my mouse and keyboard ; ) .

 

[ChrizJen]

I don't generally worry too much about the tables when we go places. But I also don't eat directly off the table, so I've never really thought much about it.
However, I am sort of "cautious" in public restrooms. The seat gets covered unless it looks like a generally well kept restroom. I always try to keep my daughter from touching the floors and fixtures once she's washed her hands. And we usually use a paper towel to open the door. Habit I guess, because I'm not really a huge germophobe.

 

[ICF]

I don't know what makes a person normal, but I'm not that concerned about germs. I don't worry about table surfaces. I will put down a tissue cover in a restroom if the lid looks terrible, other wise not. I've been known to drop food on the floor and pick it up, brush it off and eat it.

I've slept on top of the bedspread in hotel rooms and I have wiped what appears to be dirty silverware off with a napkin and used it. It hasn't killed me yet.

same here....my kids have also lived despite not wiping down a cart in a store or all sorts of other items before they touched it.

Someone here once posted that they'll put a hotel TV remote in a ziplock bag before using it. I still chuckle about that one everyime I'm using a hotel remote (with my bare hands no less, while under the covers and barefoot) while traveling.

I have no germ phobias and I've not had a sick day from work in at least 5 years or so.

 

[Robinrs]

My sister and her husband are the worse germaphobes EVER! The funny thing was they and their kids were ALWAYS sick, colds, flus and other contagious illnesses and we never were!!

My mother always said that a child who is not subjected to germs never builds up a resistance to them.

 

[disneyfans95]

I don't worry about germs either. I thought everyone walked around barefoot in a hotel room and slept with the comforter until I came here.

I am the same way. I would not call the OP odd or wierd though. I get it that people have issues with germs and if wiping down a table or putting TP on the toilet seat makes it work for them, so be it.

But yeah, I just don't worry about it and my wife, kids and I are all healthy.