Places Germs May Congregate

Three place we often overlook............

Restaurant Menus

     It's typical for many of us to go to the bathroom and wash up before we sit down to a meal, right? But maybe we should wait until after we've handled the menu, because what's not typical is that the staff is wiping these menus down.

According to studies, cold and flu viruses can survive for up to 18 hours on hard surfaces. Make sure the (germy) menu doesn't touch your silverware or plate, either, and make a beeline to the restroom after you've ordered your pasta primavera.

Soap Dispensers

Bathroom sinks and toilets may get wiped down, but what about the soap dispensers? Rarely do they get cleaned. If they did, they wouldn't have been found to harbor harmful fecal bacteria in tests.

When you come out of the stall, it's best to scrub your hands thoroughly in vigorously running water for at least 15 to 20 seconds. (Singing "Happy Birthday" to yourself should take care of the time requirement.) Don't neglect the backs of your hands, your wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails. If you use a towel to dry off, let it do double-duty and use it to turn off the faucet too.

Paper Money

It feels good to use hard cash and not run up those credit card bills, but keep in mind that germs like money too. A Swiss study found that some strains of the flu virus can survive on paper money for as long as three days.

By the way if germs are mixed with mucus, they live up to 17 days. That's why it pays to carry around hand sanitizer everywhere you go!

Read about more Germ hot spots

Did you Know.......  

Traditional grocers pinched by hourglass landscape   

The grocery marketplace now resembles an hourglass, with growth at the high-end top and the value-focused bottom, leaving traditional grocers like Safeway and SUPERVALU in the pinched middle. To combat this change, grocers must offer new experiences and formats, and many are responding with eat-in cafes, drive-through pharmacies and other amenities. Read more

Sweetened Drinks Linked to Depression Risk

Drinking sweetened beverages -- either sugar-sweetened or diet -- may be linked with a slightly higher depression risk, while drinking coffee may slightly lower the risk.  Read more

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