Most moms try to shield their kids and themselves from germs when they are out about town. What most of us don’t realize is how wide spread and how persistent those little buggers can be. Disease-carrying bacteria and viruses live practically everywhere — shopping malls, grocery stores, playgrounds, petting zoos, restaurants. And they can survive up to two hours on shopping carts, escalator handrails, even doorknobs before jumping onto their next victim. But you can’t spray everything with Lysol. Here are the most common spots to watch out for at your family’s most frequented places.
- Grocery Stores. Thoroughly clean shopping cart handles and seat belt buckles when you enter the store. Most stores have cleaning wipes at their entrance, but if yours doesn’t, don’t touch the rails or bring your own because carts are crawling with germs. Customers may sneeze, wipe their noses, then touch the cart handles. They’re also contaminated by children’s dirty hands and by leaky meat packages you toss into your cart. Poultry and beef can contain bacterial bombs such as salmonella and E. coli. About 70%-80% of shopping carts tested nationwide had E. coli on them.
- Playgrounds. Playgrounds are a germ’s paradise because kids touch everything they see and their mouth and nose interchangeably. The largest threat is from fecal bacteria from bird poop and diaper-wearing tots on playground equipment. The most offending gear is swings, slides and monkey bars. Be sure to wash hands thoroughly or use hand sanitizer after returning from playground, using the bathroom and changing diapers.
- The Mall. Can’t keep your hands off of those escalator handles? Your not alone. That is why it is one of the germiest places in the building along with the kids’ play area. The easiest fix is to just not touch the rails or let your kids play in the fun center. But that’s no fun! If you happen to brush the rails or if you cave and let your kids romp around in the land o’ germs just be sure to wash up or use sanitizer when your done.
- Restaurants. Be weary of tabletops and highchairs. The contaminating agent is not food, usually or even other people. It is usually the rags that are used to “clean” the surfaces. When busboys wipe down a table or chairs, their dirty rags may be spreading a small film of E. coli. They should put disinfectant on the rag after each use, but studies show that the same cloth are sometimes used on more than a dozen tables before it is disinfected. The easiest way to deal with these germs is to use you own sanitary wipes to clean the tabletop and high chair when you’re seated.
- Libraries. Libraries appear to be tidy, sterile places, but they can be crawling with germs. Why so filthy? Lots of people shuffle through and peruse books, log on to computers and touch counter-tops with little sterilization afterwards. The worst places to touch are counter-tops and books. Again, go ahead and indulge. Just be sure to wash or sanitize hands when you leave.
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