Tell me about your germophobia - what will you do? What do you not care about?

[TravelingGal]

I do not consider myself a germophobe at ALL. And yet, these days, I think about it a bit more. Those sanitizing wipes available by the supermarket carts? Hm, why not? So I do, and now I feel weird when I don't.

I also realized other kids's germs (if I don't know the kid) gross me out. We went to a big inside playground for kids and in the toddler area there were ball pits...and many of those balls had spit up and vomit on them!

I have also started to hate shaking hands during the winter, although I'll still do it.

My friend is a big time germophobe. Triple covers the toilet with those sani-seats (if she can make herself go in public at all). And when her husband comes home, he is not allowed to touch her until he washes his hands AND feet! (granted, he is a fish wholesaler, so he is stinky afterwork).

An old controller of mine was totally freaked out over the germs on money. Washed her hands right after she touched money. I completely WIGGED HER OUT when I joked with her she was OCD and licked a dollar bill in front of her (yeah, I know it was gross but I lived). You could hear her screaming down the hallway.

What wigs you and what doesn't?

 

[Shoopy]

Public restrooms. I have a fear of them. I''ve learned to appreciate my work bathrooms as they are cleaned 5 times a day and we all keep it very clean. But you won''t see me stopping by a gas station to use the restroom. And there have been times while driving to Orlando (about 3 to 4 hours) where I''ll stop at a plaza, wait in line to use the restroom, take one look at the condition, and walk right out.

Also I keep sanitizer in my car specifically for after I pump gas. I once saw a man pick his nose while in his car and then reach for the pump. Disgusting.

 

[zoebartlett]

Boogers gross me out. Sometimes my kids (students) don''t quite get the tissue up to their nose in time to blow. There are certain things I''d rather not see.

Other than that, I can''t handle anyone throwing up. I haven''t done it myself in YEARS (I tend to faint instead), and it really grosses me out BIG TIME.

I find that I HATE touching door handles/door knobs now. I grimace every time I''m in a public bathroom and I have to touch the door knob. I do it with my sleeve instead but I still hate it. I use my foot to flush, too (TMI??).

 

[Gypsy]

Nothing. I got a pretty high tolerance. Unless it''s human vomit. Animal vomit''s okay.

 

[E B]

Date: 4/6/2009 4:38:20 PM
Author:TravelingGal

What wigs you and what doesn't?

I wouldn't consider myself a serious germaphobe, but I'm probably worse than others, and being pregnant hasn't helped. I have to cover the toilet seat at a public place (just once!), and I won't eat with my fingers until I've washed my hands directly before. I won't touch my mouth or nose with my fingertips while out in public (unless hands have JUST been washed) and the first thing I do when I return home is wash my hands.

As for the ball pits, shopping cart seats and other kiddie germ pools, I don't know what I'm going to do. I'll probably loosen up with time, but the thought of them now makes me

.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 4/6/2009 4:45:07 PM
Author: ZoeBartlett
I grimace every time I''m in a public bathroom and I have to touch the door knob. I do it with my sleeve instead but I still hate it. I use my foot to flush, too (TMI??).

LOL ... I do these two things too. I worry about the magazines at the Dr''s office having germs on them. Am ishy about raw meats, but I work through it.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 4/6/2009 4:48:04 PM
Author: EBree

Date: 4/6/2009 4:38:20 PM
Author:TravelingGal

What wigs you and what doesn''t?

I wouldn''t consider myself a serious germaphobe, but I''m probably worse than others, and being pregnant hasn''t helped. I have to cover the toilet seat at a public place (just once!), and I won''t eat with my fingers until I''ve washed my hands directly before. I won''t touch my mouth or nose with my fingertips while out in public (unless hands have JUST been washed) and the first thing I do when I return home is wash my hands.

As for the ball pits, shopping cart seats and other kiddie germ pools, I don''t know what I''m going to do. I''ll probably loosen up with time, but the thought of them now makes me

.

EBree, you HAVE to get a cart/high chair cover. The first time I was going to put Amelia down in a high chair, the water wiped it off with a smelly rag. The rag turned BLACK! I don''t think all those chairs are that bad, but Amelia has been known to spit up while sitting in one (and right into the high chair cover) so it''s something I use religiously. I would not be opposed to putting her in a high chair without a cover if I were in a pinch, but man, they are NASTY. Don''t get me started on the sticky icky straps!

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 4/6/2009 4:51:50 PM
Author: decodelighted

Date: 4/6/2009 4:45:07 PM
Author: ZoeBartlett
I grimace every time I''m in a public bathroom and I have to touch the door knob. I do it with my sleeve instead but I still hate it. I use my foot to flush, too (TMI??).

LOL ... I do these two things too. I worry about the magazines at the Dr''s office having germs on them. Am ishy about raw meats, but I work through it.

Ha, never thought about that. However, I won''t go near any of the toys in Amelia''s ped office.

I realize my phobia is more about getting my daughter sick than me.

 

[Octavia]

TG, I share your old controller's hatred of paper money. The stuff is NASTY. I like the new, crisp $20s when they're straight from the ATM...anything else grosses me out. Which is funny because I'm not a germophobe at all, but I worked at a bank during holidays when I was in college and handling it all day long is enough to make anyone go electronic. Especially when certain women would bring in their stacks of $1 bills and we had to count them...well...yuck.

I also try to avoid putting street clothes anywhere near our bed. I ride a dirty, nasty subway every day and it doesn't bother me for the most part, but the idea of street grime near where I sleep gives me the icks.

 

[monarch64]

I have issues with washing dishes. I can''t put my hands into a sink full of dishes/dishwater, not even with gloves on. Just thinking about it makes me feel a little "gagg-y." I have no problem rinsing and putting dishes into the dishwasher, though.

Public pools are another nemesis, along with lakes and ponds. I must''ve died from a water-borne illness in a past life or something.

 

[E B]

Date: 4/6/2009 4:45:07 PM
Author: ZoeBartlett

I find that I HATE touching door handles/door knobs now. I grimace every time I''m in a public bathroom and I have to touch the door knob. I do it with my sleeve instead but I still hate it.

I don''t do this either. I always open the knob with a paper towel/piece of TP, and I''ll carry it to the closest trash can if there isn''t one by the door. Sometimes, I even wait to walk out behind someone so THEY can touch the doorknob if they so choose.

If you notice someone closely following you out of the restroom, it just may be me!

Date: 4/6/2009 4:52:32 PM
Author: TravelingGal

EBree, you HAVE to get a cart/high chair cover. The first time I was going to put Amelia down in a high chair, the water wiped it off with a smelly rag. The rag turned BLACK! I don''t think all those chairs are that bad, but Amelia has been known to spit up while sitting in one (and right into the high chair cover) so it''s something I use religiously. I would not be opposed to putting her in a high chair without a cover if I were in a pinch, but man, they are NASTY. Don''t get me started on the sticky icky straps!

Eww- will do. I haven''t had to deal with a public high chair yet, but I can imagine they get pretty nasty.

 

[LostSapphire]

I assume you Moms all know that the Restaurant Ball Pits have DRAINS in the bottom of them for pee, vomit, and the water they use to hose the balls off with, right?

Sorry to freak you out but in my former life I was an architectural designer for fast food restaurants. I would NEVER let a child in one of those ball pits....

Sorry if this is TMI

LS

 

[Bia]

I'm not too bad. I just wash my hands a lot, especially as soon as I get home.

I also don't like to mix bathroom things with kitchen things. I've caught my FI using a bathroom sponge in the kitchen (or visa versa, stuff like that) and I had to let him that was a big no-no in my book.

But no, I don't keep purell in every handbag, or drawer, or anything. I've even been known to eat things off the floor...as long as it's my floor

ETA: Oh! an no shoes in the apt. Waaayyyy too much grime on these NY streets. Shoes stay in the foyer. Sometimes I worry that it's rude to ask people to take off their shoes, but surprisingly enough, most people do it in their homes anyway.

 

[curlygirl]

Well, I live in NYC and often take the subway. The thing that probably grosses me out the most is putting my hand on the bar to hold on and knowing a million people have touched it. And even worse is when I put my hand on it and IT''S WARM...from someone else''s hand.

It completely creeps me out. I don''t touch anyone or anything after riding the subway until I fully wash my hands. I feel the same way on planes when I put my hands on the arm rests and airplane bathrooms are vile. Public bathrooms in general also make me sick and like fiery, I''ve been known to wait on line only to walk out in utter disgust! I also just came back from Las Vegas and realized that I was touching slot machines and chips that billions of others had touched. Again, gross. I won''t let my bare feet touch the floor in a hotel room. I won''t eat street food in NYC. I think as I get older, I find more things that disgust me!! I try not to be toooo anal around my children but we do a full hand washing when they get home from daycare (even the baby) and I''m never without hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes in the stroller or diaper bag. No food gets touched without a good hand wiping at places like the playground, etc. I could go on and on!! I guess I''m a bit of germophobe!

 

[dani13]

Im a TOTAL OCD germaphobe. I shower (at minimum) twice a day.....I've always been a little nuts about germs, but once I became a nurse, that was it (everyone, if you think you're bad now, take a microbiology class- UGH)!!!!!

Public restrooms are a nightmare, I check hotel beds thoroughly for bedbugs before I lie in them, etc. My hands become raw from washing them so much... I'm out of control...but at least I can admit it!!!!

 

[Skippy123]

I never thought I was a germaphobe and then I took a quiz and it said I was.

Airplanes gross me out;

I take Clorox wipes with me and wipe down my tray, arm rests and never use the blankets or pillows they give you unless they are sealed in a plastic (I once was given a blaket with vomit on it so now I pass on the used blankies). I also take hand sanitizer with me on trips but not when I am home because I know I can wash my hands though. I do open a public restroom door with a paper towel and use liners on the seat.

I don't use wipes for the baskets though; I probably should. I am very good at washing my hands though since a lot of germs pass on our hands. I am good at washing my nephews hands too when I babysit him.

I heard our purses have a lot of germs on the bottom of them because we set them on the ground so I try not to put mine on the kitchen counter. Oh, hotels gross me out too so I use my wipes on the phone and few other things in there and take slipper or flip flops; I saw some video on how even the swankiest hotels are not that clean.

eta: I too deco and curly will not let the bedspread touch my face, ick.

I also wash my hands after using the weights at the gym because you can just imagine how many people touch them!!

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 4/6/2009 5:06:02 PM
Author: curlygirl
I won''t let my bare feet touch the floor in a hotel room.

Thanks for reminding me!! I was having one of those pre-senior moments & could NOT remember something I was going to write -- HOTEL BEDSPREADS. Blick. Once I realized that they don''t wash the bedspreads after each guest I was totally

. Seen one too many of those "black light" experiments on the TV news. **shudder**

 

[Haven]

My husband is a serious germaphobe. He has a lot of issues, but my favorite is that in addition to washing his hands before meals (we all do this, I know) he has to re-wash if he shakes another person''s hand at the table. This becomes really amusing when we''re going to work functions or other places where I have ample opportunities to introduce him to new people. (I''m evil, I know.) I like to wait until after he''s washed up, and *then* I introduce him to someone new right before we eat. He shakes hands, makes small talk, and then trots off back to the restroom. If I''m feeling especially evil, I''ll tell a partner-in-crime about it while he''s washing up, and then I''ll do it to him again once he comes back. He''s too polite to refuse to shake someone''s hand, but he does like to talk about how Donald Trump doesn''t shake hands, he fist-bumps, and how sanitary that method is compared to all the hand-shaking that goes on. (I don''t do this much anymore. I did have a lot of fun with it for about a year before he caught on.)

As for me, I have a real fear of public restrooms. I''ve had recurring nightmares about public restrooms for years, and while I won''t go into the details, suffice it to say that if I must use a public restroom, I''m a big fan of the seat cover, and the flush-and-rush. Do you know how many germs are spat into the air when a toilet flushes? UGH. Gag.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Germaphobe extraordinaire here. I carry napkins in my pocket to open doors, etc. First thing I do when I do anywhere is wash my hands--after I touch anything! Yikes!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Tuckins1]

I pretty much assume that every surface everywhere is covered with MRSA.... I am a teacher and I wipe down (with bleach or MRSA wipes from the VA hospital) all of the desks, door knobs, markers and pencils, counters, pencil sharpener, etc.... I get sick very easily, so I try to wash my hands whenever I can... I''m not so bad that I wear gloves and a mask whenever I go out, but I can see me getting to that point in my older years...

 

[Selkie]

Surprisingly, even though I have a microbiology background, I''ve accepted that bacteria are everywhere, including floating in the air we breathe and that there''s really NO way to avoid them. Sanitizing everything does nothing except breed resistant strains. However, what REALLY grosses me out are the sounds people make...throat clearing, hacking coughs, deep juicy SNIIIIFFFFF noises...UGH. My co-worker, who is really a sweet guy, makes the most revolting noises I''ve ever heard while he''s wearing his headphones. Does he think WE can''t hear him, just because he can''t hear himself?

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 4/6/2009 5:20:13 PM
Author: Haven


As for me, I have a real fear of public restrooms. I''ve had recurring nightmares about public restrooms for years, and while I won''t go into the details, suffice it to say that if I must use a public restroom, I''m a big fan of the seat cover, and the flush-and-rush. Do you know how many germs are spat into the air when a toilet flushes? UGH. Gag.

 

[neatfreak]

I am totally not a germaphobe. I wash hands regularly...but really I don't worry about it otherwise. I grew up on a farm so I am used to getting my hands dirty. And I have an immune system of steel so I figure it couldn't have hurt me! Other than general good hygiene I don't do much else!

Raw meat does gross me out though...I don't like to touch it and if I do I wipe down with clorox wipes everywhere.

 

[Kaleigh]

Public bathrooms really freak me out. I push the flusher with my foot, and use a paper towel when opening to the door to leave.. I saw a special on Oprah about all the germs, iit really gorssed me out. Hotels, I can''t stay in them, nope not after all the stuff I saw....

4 stars or not, they all have issues.

 

[packrat]

Raw meat freaks me out. If we''re having steak, hamburgers or chicken, I''ve got rags and the Clorox (or whatever antibacterial cleaner I happen to have on hand, but I do love the Clorox bleach smell) on standby and wipe down counters and cutting boards. I don''t want any utensils or anything that''s touched raw meat put directly into the dishwater if I''m washing as we''re cooking. I save that stuff for later, after it''s been wiped down. Husband is used to it by now, but if my parents are over for supper, there''s a lot of eye rolling and "Oh GAWD Missi settle down" from my dad. Usually b/c I''m screeching "Don''t touch that you''ll get salmonella and e. coli all over the place!" I freak out if there''s the slightest tinge of pink in the cooked meat too-I don''t care if that''s where the "flavor" is.

We have a lot of frogs and toads here, which I love..so we catch them when we see them, let the kids pet them, and then I have to haul everybody inside to wash and sanitize hands.

The mall has a play area for the kids and that grosses me out. London''s never asked to play there but I look at all the kids w/snotty noses and sneezing and coughing crawling all over those toys and it gives me the willies.

My husband thinks I''m insane about this, but if I get sick and feel that I might throw up, I clean the bathroom. I vomit into the toilet which my BFF thinks is disgusting and weird-she uses a bowl, which *I* think is weird. I don''t want to worry about aiming. But the thought of vomiting with my head over the toilet isn''t especially pleasant either-so I have to drag out the antibacterial cleaners, or vinegar, and scrub the toilet and wash the floor. Thankfully our bathroom is tiny.

Hm..seems I have a lot of hangups!

 

[mrscushion]

Date: 4/6/2009 4:45:07 PM
Author: ZoeBartlett
Other than that, I can''t handle anyone throwing up. I haven''t done it myself in YEARS (I tend to faint instead), and it really grosses me out BIG TIME.
I find that I HATE touching door handles/door knobs now. I grimace every time I''m in a public bathroom and I have to touch the door knob. I do it with my sleeve instead but I still hate it. I use my foot to flush, too (TMI??).

Hehe. Same here. I flush with my foot and I feel the need to vomit the minute I hear/see/smell someone else vomit.

 

[Mara]

first off, before i get into the list of what freaks me out.... i have to say that... we're all still alive, people. yes there are germs out there and yes they are gross. some are visible and some aren't. some you don't even think about and others you probably don't even know are there. but bottom line is that 99% of them are not really going to HURT you. it's all in your mind (mostly!).

that said...here's mine.

--hotel room bedding, remote, etc... we all saw that oprah right? gross!
--movie theatre seats...umm wasn't this another oprah??? e-coli...nuff said. i try to wear a hoodie when we go and i put it up if i scooch down in chair. weird? i know.
--restroom door handles. do you know how many peeps don't wash their hands? A LOT. nasty!
--salt and pepper shakers, ketchup bottles, etc at restaurants. imagine all the people who don't wash their hands after poddee touching THESE.
--ATM buttons. those should be purell'd hourly.
--most public restrooms are ok but some of them are downright scary. since i have a bladder the size of a pea, i get to check out more than most regular people. btw i am a foot flusher too!
--buying clothes at the stores and wearing them before washing. sometimes with sweaters or whatever i will but not with pants or anything else...apparently from some article i read, people like to be NAKED while trying clothes on. gross much???
--i always change clothes when i come home from work or being out. it contributes to a crazy amount of laundry that Greg marvels at...ingrained from childhood.
--human vomit... makes me want to as well. i don't know how i will deal with a kid... but for whatever reason i can manage with portia, which is good because it happens a lot. doggie ok, people not.

my mom totally saw the show about how many germs flush out in the air if you dont put the lid down too. but again...even though my list is kinda long (HA HA)... i don't pull out my purell that often and somehow i am still here (for now!). though this winter the germs going around were CRAZY.

ETA...funny though on the 5 second rule dropping stuff in the kitchen (as long as only WE will eat it...)...i am totally cool. greg is like EW gross, but i am like MMM COOKIE. what can i say? our floors are prettty darn clean!

 

[kama_s]

I absolutely hate public washrooms. Always carry purell in my purse. Hate holding the bars on the subway. HATE doing anything in anyone's kitchen...even if it's spotless.

And most importantly, I CAN'T use any machine in the gym until I've alcohol-wiped it twice. BLECH!!

That said, if I drop uncooked pasta onto my kitchen floor...I'll pick it up and put it back into the pot! Hey, boiling water kills all bacteria

. The one time Mr. Kama caught me doing that, he refused to eat the pasta. We didn't have anymore at home, so he walked 30 minutes to the grocery and back to get fresh pasta. Our dinner was delayed by over an hour!!!

ETA: Oh, and I wash my hands every 15 minutes. I'm nutso.

 

[redfaerythinker]

I must be weird... but I don''t really care about germs. If someone were to sneeze on me, it would gross me out, but I agree with Selkie that there is no way to avoid the germs. I mean, I played in ball pits, and ate dirt, and food off of the floor, and I lived. I wash my hands when needed, but I don''t carry sanitizer around me, and I don''t clean obsessively. I just don''t even think about it. lol

 

[Mara]

oh redfaery you just made me think of something that hugely grosses me out. people who sneeze and don''t cover their mouths!!! OMG i want to smack them upside the head. ESP in a movie theatre or a bus or anything where people are sitting near or in BACK of you. i have had people sneeze in back of me in movie theatres, and i go home and wash my hair! who knows if they cover??