If you’re a chronic avoider of germs, you may think you’ve got it all figured out.
Especially during cold and flu season, right? You have all of your tricks worked out for avoiding the most possible germs that you can.
However, even if those habits just make you feel better, they’re not actually doing much to protect you from germs.
Do you do any of these?
- You carry hand sanitizer everywhere. Even though you think hand sanitizer is protecting you from every germ possible, it doesn’t actually have that capability. In fact, lots of gross bugs have evolved to be resistant to antibacterial soaps. Norovirus and C. difficile, two common bacteria that give people nasty food poisoning are both resistant. So sorry, soap and water and hand sanitizer are just about the same level of effectiveness.
- You use toilet seat covers religiously. These covers were first invented after a rumor went around that infectious diseases could spread via toilet seats. Of course, we know now this isn’t true. Viruses like herpes and HIV can’t survive very well outside of a body, so any virus on your toilet seat is dead. Toilet seats can carry bacteria, but you’d have to touch the toilet seat and then not wash your hands to get those.
- You use paper towels to touch door handles. While bathroom door handles, subway handles, and stairway handles seem like breeding grounds for bacteria, most of the bacteria on them is pretty harmless. So while the paper towels are a nice precaution, they’re not actually doing much.
- You hold your breath when someone coughs or sneezes. Sneezing and coughing spread bacteria all over the place. If you’re already next to someone who’s spreading them, you’re definitely going to get it on you. Holding your breath will stop you from breathing in bacteria right in front of your face, but everywhere else is still fair game.
