JRWagner
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Just a FYI for everyone.
The Germiest Places in America
WebMD Feature from "Health"By Ginny Graves
OK, we admit it: We're a little freaked out about germs these days. Since the SARS scare several years ago, there's been a steady stream of news reports about ugly bugs. West Nile virus! Microbes on our beaches! Drug-resistant bacteria! It's enough to turn anybody into a germophobe. Here's what you really need to know.
Germs are everywhere, and our map on pages 114 and 115 pinpoints just a few hot spots--from fast-food health-code violations (Orlando), rats in restaurants (Philadelphia), and infected food workers spreading Norovirus (Minnesota) to polluted beaches on the East Coast and nasty air in California. And talk about dirty water: In Texas, 348 of the state's factories and utilities exceeded the amount of pollution allowed under their Clean Water Act. When it comes to antibiotic-resistant superbugs, Texas takes another hit. Community Acquired-Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has emerged in epic proportions in Corpus Christi; that's the same kind of bug that struck hospital nurseries in both Chicago and L.A. last year. For the most cases of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Florida is the winner (or loser, depending upon how you look at it).
We call them the dirty dozen. It's our laundry list of the germiest places you're likely to encounter during an average day. Sure, there are outbreaks of microbes and viruses across the country, but these buggers are where you live. In the office, at home, at the gym, on your vacation. ``It's enough to make even the least germophobic person a little worried,'' says Dr. Germ, a.k.a. Charles Gerba, PhD, a professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona. After all, some of these germs lurk where you least expect them, he says: ``People are more worried about the trash can than the kitchen sink, when it should be the other way around.'' Dr. Germ and a panel of other experts helped us identify the dirty dozen and devise ways for you to keep clean. After all, the fight is in your hands. Literally. Eighty percent of infections are spread through hand contact. So wash up, people, and get ready to wage a bit of germ warfare of your own.
1. Your kitchen sink ``Kitchen sinks are dirtier than most bathrooms,'' says Kelly Reynolds, PhD, an environmental microbiologist at the University of Arizona. There are typically more than 500,000 bacteria per square inch in the drain. In fact, in a recent study, half of the top 10 germiest spots in the home were (gulp!) in the kitchen. That sponge you use to clean the counter? Crawling with bacteria, as are the sink's basin and faucet handles.
Reduce the risk: ``Clean your kitchen counters and sink with an antibacterial product after preparing or rinsing food, especially raw fruits and vegetables, which carry lots of potential pathogens like salmonella, campylobacter, and E. coli,'' says Philip Tierno, PhD, author of The Secret Life
of Germs and director of clinical microbiology at New York University Medical Center. Sanitize sponges by running them through the dishwasher's drying cycle. ``That killed 99.9 percent of the bacteria on the sponges we used in a recent study--and we'd gotten them really good and contaminated first,'' says Cheryl Mudd, a microbiologist with the Agricultural Research Service's Food Safety Laboratory. As for the sink, clean it twice a week with a solution of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach and one quart of water. Scrub the basin, then pour the solution down the drain.
2. Airplane bathrooms It's not exactly a shock that there are a huge number of germs in most public bathrooms, but experts agree that those cramped and overused airplane loos (with only about one toilet for every 50 people) are the worst. ``There are often traces of E. coli or fecal bacteria on the faucets and door handles, because it's hard to wash your hands in those tiny sinks,'' Gerba says. But here's the worst news: The volcanic flush of the commode tends to spew particles into the air, coating the floor and walls with, well, whatever had been swirling around in there.
Reduce the risk: Toilet seats are surprisingly clean,but use the paper cover when available. After using the toilet, wash and dry your hands thoroughly, and use a paper towel to handle the toilet seat, lid, tap, and doorknob. Put the lid down before you flush. If there's no lid, turn your back to the toilet while flushing and beat a hasty retreat.
3. A load of wet laundry ``Clean clothes'' is a whopper of an oxymoron. ``Anytime you transfer underwear from the washer to the dryer, you're going to get E. coli on your hands,'' Gerba says. Just one soiled undergarment can spread bacteria to the whole load and the machine.
Reduce the risk: Run your washer and dryer at 150 degrees, and wash whites with bleach (not the color-safe type; it doesn't pack the same punch), which kills 99.99 percent of bugs. Transfer wet laundry to the dryer quickly so germs don't multiply, wash underwear separately (there's about a gram of feces--a quarter the size of a small peanut--in every pair of dirty underwear), and dry for at least 45 minutes. Wash your hands after laundering, and run a cycle of bleach and water between loads to eliminate any lingering bugs.
4. Public drinking fountains Drinking fountains are bound to be germy, but school fountains are the biggest offenders, with anywhere from 62,000 to 2.7 million bacteria per square inch on the spigot, says Robert Donofrio, PhD, director of microbiology for NSF International. Other school hot spots: cafeteria trays, sink handles, desk-tops, and computer keyboards.
Yes, kids are germy creatures. And, thanks to their slapdash hygiene, 22 million school days are lost each year to colds alone.
Reduce the risk: Send your child to school with plenty of her own beverages. Teach her to wash her hands, especially before and after lunch, going to the bathroom, or using the computer. Send hand sanitizer to every school teacher and give extras to your child. And when it's your turn to squeeze into that little desk for Open House? Swab it off with an antibacterial wipe, Gerba says. If schools did that every night, they'd reduce the child-absenteeism rate by half. And, of course, don't drink from the water fountain!
5. Shopping cart handles Saliva. Bacteria. Fecal matter. Those are just a few of the choice substances Gerba found on shopping cart handles. Carts rank high on the yuck scale because they're handled by dozens of people every day and you're ``putting your broccoli where some kid's butt was,'' says the professor of environmental microbiology. And, of course, raw food carries nasty pathogens.
Reduce the risk: Many stores, aware of the ick factor, have a dispenser with disinfectant wipes near the carts. If yours doesn't, bring your own and give the handle a quick swab; that's been shown to kill nearly 100 percent of germs. Or carry along a cart cover, like the Grip-Guard or Healthy Handle, a dishwasher-safe polypropylene cover that fits over any size cart handle. At the meat counter, follow the lead of Elizabeth Scott, PhD, co-director of the Center for Hygiene and Health at Simmons College in Boston: ``I always put raw meat in a plastic bag.
If I get some juice on my hands, I ask the person behind the counter for a disinfecting wipe.''
6. ATM buttons If you're not careful, you might pick up more than quick cash from your local ATM. Those buttons have more gunk on them than most public-bathroom doorknobs. (The same goes for vending-machine buttons, bus armrests, and escalator handrails.) After testing 38 ATMs in downtown Taipei, Chinese researchers recently found that each key contained, on average 1,200 germs. ``ATMs aren't frequently cleaned, and they are regularly touched--a perfect combination for a lot of germs,'' environmental microbologist Kelly Reynolds, PhD, says.
Reduce the risk: ``Carry an alcohol-based hand-sanitizer with you and rub it on your hands after a visit to the ATM,'' Reynolds suggests. Also, be sure to do it after you handle money. ``Paper money actually carries quite a few germs, too,'' she says.
7. Your Marc Jacobs? Dirty? Yep. Think petri dish. When University of Arizona professor of environmental microbiology Charles Gerba, PhD, and his team tested women's purses not long ago, they found that most had tens of thousands of bacteria on the bottom and a few were overrun with millions. Another study found bugs like pseudomonas (which can cause eye infections), and skin-infection-causing staphylococcus bacteria, as well as salmonella and E. coli. Your makeup case is every bit as bad, as are your guy's wallet and personal digital assistant.
Reduce the risk: Instead of slinging your bag on the floor, hang it on a hook whenever you can--especially in public bathrooms--and keep your bag off the kitchen counter. Stick with leather or vinyl purses, which are typically cleaner than cloth (less-porous surfaces are more impervious to germs). And wipe your bag down every few days with a mild soap or disinfectant, then let it air dry. Brand name, alas, makes no difference.
8. Playgrounds There's just no way to put this delicately: Children tend to ooze bodily fluids and then spread them around. ``When we sampled playgrounds, we were pretty aghast at what we found--blood, mucus, saliva, urine,'' Kelly Reynolds, PhD, says. Pair those findings with the fact that children put their fingers in their mouths and noses more than the rest of us, and it's easy to understand why Junior (and maybe his mom or dad) has the sniffles.
Reduce the risk: Carry alcohol wipes or hand-sanitizing gel in your purse, and clean everybody's hands a couple of times during a park visit, especially before snacking. Pick warm sunny days for outdoor play: ``The sun's ultraviolet light is actually a very effective disinfectant. Most bugs won't survive long on surfaces that are hot and dry,'' says Howard Backer, MD, MPH, an expert in communicable diseases in Richmond, California.
9. Mats and machines at health clubs ``I see a yoga mat, and I worry,'' says Elizabeth Scott, PhD, who has found antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus on yoga mats and cardio and resistance machines. ``At high schools, antibiotic-resistant-staph infections have been transmitted through wrestling mats. The same thing could happen at health clubs.''
Reduce the risk: Wipe down machines with antibacterial wipes before working out. Bring your own yoga mat or cover a loaner with your towel. ``Shower after a workout and soap up your skin to rinse off any bacteria you may have been exposed to,'' Scott says. ``Thorough washing gets rid of antibiotic-resistant staph.''
10. Your bathtub Shocking, but true: The place you go to get clean is quite dirty. In a recent study, Elizabeth Scott, PhD, found staphylococcus bacteria, a common cause of serious skin infections, in 26 percent of the tubs she tested, as compared with just 6 percent of garbage cans. Tubs typically had more than 100,000 bacteria per square inch! ``It makes sense when you think about it,'' she says. ``You're washing germs and viruses off your body. The tub is a fairly moist environment, so bacteria can grow.''
Reduce the risk: Once a week, apply a disinfecting cleaner to the tub. ``You need to actually scrub, then you need to wash the germs down the drain with water and dry the tub with a clean towel. If you leave the tub wet, germs are more likely to survive,'' Scott says. Pay special attention to soap scum--a surprisingly germ-friendly environment, author Phiilp Tierno, PhD, adds. If someone who uses the tub has a skin infection, scrub it afterward with a solution of two tablespoons bleach in one quart of water.
11. Your office phone This is enough to make you dial 911: Office phones often have more than 25,000 germs per square inch, and your desk, computer keyboard, and mouse aren't far behind. ``Phones, including cell phones, can be pretty gross; they get coated with germs from your mouth and hands,'' says Robert Donofrio, PhD. Although we'd like to think of ourselves as cleaner than guys, women's offices have twice the number of bacteria (but men's are slightly more likely to harbor antibiotic-resistant staphyloccus). In fact, Gerba calls desks ``bacteria cafeterias,'' because of all the food particles he found there. Most common office areas--kitchens, copiers--are not as dirty as individual desks, although the microwave is pretty bad.
Reduce the risk: Simply cleaning your desk, phone, and key-board with a disinfecting wipe once in the middle of the day will kill 99.99 percent of the bacteria and viruses.
12. Hotel Room Remote What's the first thing you do when you settle in at a hotel? You grab the remote control and switch on the TV--you, and the hundreds of other guests who've stayed there. How dirty is it? Owen Hendley, MD, a professor of pediatrics and infectious disease at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and his colleagues recently tested various surfaces for the cold virus after a group of sick people had stayed overnight. ``We found the virus on the remote, door handles, light switches, pens, and faucet handles,'' he says.
Reduce the risk: Clean the remote control, phone, clock radio, door handles, and light switches with germicidal wipes. While you're at it, throw on a pair of slippers and throw off the bedspread. ``We've found urine and semen on both carpets and bedspreads.'' They may not make you truly sick, but it certainly is enough to make you feel queasy.
Originally published on November 1, 2007
[ 12. January 2008, 11:52 AM: Message edited by: JRWagner ]
Posts: 1414 | From Ny, Ny | Registered: Oct 2002
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JRWagner
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Well Cave, I no longer carry a purse so I don't have that problem (LOL)...except for my coat and suit jacket...no hook creates another situation...
I posted this so people can do what they have to do to try and keep away from other's germs, etc.
Here in the city this is a big issue!
Peace, Love, and Wellness, JRW
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Vermont_Lymie
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EEEWWWWW! And I use cold water wash to save on energy. Will need to rethink that strategy, thanks for sharing...
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Geneal
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Guess what is the "germiest" place in a restaurant?
Not the bathroom.
Not the kitchens.
Not the tables.
It is the dispenser for the toothpicks.
Most people use the restroom before they leave a restaurant,
Then (without washing their hands) grab one of those toothpicks on the way out.
Hugs,
Geneal
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Keebler
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-
The peppermints in the bowl at the check-out or coat check.
Years ago, I read about those tiny desserts being a hotbed of germs (same reason, many don't wash hands after using the restroom).
-
Great advice: Put the lid down before you flush. I have a little sign on my toilet lever for guests. Stuff does fly.
TerryK
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Good post.
I always wash my hands the minute I walk in the door of my house. I don't do anything until I have washed my hands. Then I put things away and wash my hands again.
Doesn't always keep me from getting sick but I'm sure it helps.
I never use airplane toilets!! Good tip on the purse hook.
sheesh!! I can't beleive that people don't wash their hands after going to the bathroom. I avoid public bathrooms if at all possible but I have to say that I've never seen anyone who didn't wash their hands. I'm sure it happens but I hope it is rare.
I guess Monk isn't as nuts as he seems.
Terry
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JRWagner
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Unfortunately the same people who neglect to wash after using the bathroom facilities alo use the door/knob or handle to open the door...
Most toothpicks are now coatd with individual plastic wraps...do NOT use the uncovered type.
I have seen people carry those individual alcohol wipes to use the computers in the NYC public Libraries. Good call on their part.
I try to avoid touching anything outside, but as we all know, that is impossible.
Wonder where we all get those nasty childhood viruses that may be reactivated after we were bitten by those damn ticks?
I saw a report on 60 minutes, or one of those news magazine shows on the "cloud" that gets dispersed after we flush a toilet. Absolutelu unreal. That is why those "extremely low water use" toilets...you know...the kind that seemingly suck everything down without much water...are the best.
Reminds me...I forgot to buy a new scrubber sponge when I went to the store tonight!
Arrruuuughhhh! Since I need to scrub some pans, out I go again!
Peace, Love and Wellness, JRW
Posts: 1414 | From Ny, Ny | Registered: Oct 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Geneal: Guess what is the "germiest" place in a restaurant? It is the dispenser for the toothpicks.
EEK! Never thought of that!!!
I actually saw a mouse in a public restroom while in South Texas. I made sure I touched nothing and used an alcohol sanitizer after leaving the room.
Nothing deters me from using a restroom when I HAVE to!!
I know...some of you are now passing out from the thought!!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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luvs2ride
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ugh!!!
-------------------- When the Power of Love overcomes the Love of Power, there will be Peace. Posts: 3038 | From america | Registered: Oct 2005
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clairenotes
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Thanks so much for this post... it makes me feel much less neurotic. I am always using my shoulder to open doors, unless there is a door knob... then I use paper towels or the end of my shirt or jacket. And I hate to touch the faucets on the sinks... I use paper towels to turn them off also, after washing my hands. My naturopath told me the faucets are more unclean than the toilets.
Thank goodness they are using sensor technology now in many of the bathrooms (if only they would actually work more often).
We like to use grain alcohol or ozonated water for cleaning many surfaces areas, and bleach for bathrooms, sinks etc.
Claire
[ 13. January 2008, 01:45 PM: Message edited by: clairenotes ]
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Aniek
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All of us with Lyme are immunocompromised and need to be careful about getting infections. But we also need to remember that we have lived with many of these risks for our entire lives.
This society has gotten germ phobic and it's not a good thing. A study came out finding that antibacterial soap does not have enough antibiotic to kill the bacteria.
All it does is create resistant bacteria. That is extremely dangerous for people like us.
I have Lyme. I get a cold once or twice a year. I haven't had food poisoning in years. I ride the bus and subway. I use ATM machines. I fly at least once a month.
-------------------- "When there is pain, there are no words." - Toni Morrison Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
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lymeladyinNY
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TerryK - I just started watching "Monk". He's hilarious! I don't normally have the attention span for an hour-long show, but he cracks me up!
-------------------- I want to be free Posts: 1170 | From Endicott, NY | Registered: Sep 2006
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AliG
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It's also a good idea to carry your own pen and use it, instead of the one that may be offered by a cashier or one provided on the counter of a bank or post office.
Have you ever noticed someone sneeze in the supermarket produce aisle? I believe I had read that microscopic droplets are propelled at a rate of 20 mph(?) from an ordinary sneeze. If they cover their nose & mouth with the inside of their open hand and then pick up or touch everything in the store, is that any better?
While I don't generally obsess, to do so could really interfere with your ability to function, I DO try to be mindful. I know I've heard that it is important for children's immune systems to be exposed to some germs so that their bodies can learn to deal with them.
The lifelong harboring of viruses that can be reactivated is, however, a VERY frightening thought. Is EBV the virus involved in Mononeucleosis that was believed to be the cause of CFS?
I believe that it's good to put a few drops of Citricidal in your dish sponge to keep the bacterial load down. I've also read something about soaking the sponge with distilled vinegar & microwaving it. I personally like to do the dishwasher thing.
I shkeeve(sp) a dirty sponge. The long handled sponges & scrubbers are good also, for not having to touch the sponge or burn your hands in super-hot water.
-------------------- Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006
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treepatrol
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When I use a public restroom I take a peeorpoo then turn water on and pump down enough paper towel to use when down washing hands grab paper towel dry hands then use paper towel that i used to shut water off and open door again with same paper towel wedge foot in door then dispose of paper towel.
-------------------- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Remember Iam not a Doctor Just someone struggling like you with Tick Borne Diseases.
clairenotes
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But what do you do if the trash can is farther away from the door and you can't reach it?
Hate when that happens.
Claire
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Peacesoul
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Published reports like this fail to mention that following them can make one mentally insane.
I would rather get a few germs on me and be mentally sound. Heck, when I was a kid, I ate dirt and never washed my hands. A few germs are good for the immune system.
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tailz
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We keep looking at germs as the enemy, and if we take that approach, we'll continue to get nowhere fast. I'll probably die saying that.
'Cross Currents' by Robert O. Becker M.D. - page 72.
"In 1975, Professor Richard Blakemore, also of Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory, became intrigued by the strange behavior of some bacteria he was studying. Blakemore noticed that the bacteria always clustered at the north side of their culture dish. Even if he turned the dish so that they were at the south end and left it overnight, the next morning the bacteria were back at the north side. While such ``magnetotrophic'' bacteria had been described before, no one had ever done what Blakemore did next: he looked at them under the electron microscope. What he found was astonishing. Each bacterium contained a chain of tiny magnets! The magnets were actually crystals of the naturally magnetic mineral magnetite, the original lodestone of preliterate peoples. Somehow, the bacteria absorbed the soluble components from the water and put them together in their bodies as the insoluble crystalline chain.
Later studies showed that this arrangement was of value to these bacteria, which lived in the mud on the bottom of shallow bays and marshes. If they were moved by the tide or by storm waves, their magnetic chains were large enough (in comparison to their body size) to physically turn their bodies so that they pointed down at an angle corresponding to the direction of magnetic north. All the bacteria had to do was swim in that direction, and sooner or later they would be back in the mud. This was an interesting mechanism, but it did not contain any sophisticated information transfer. The bacteria did not ``know'' that north was the way to swim; they just did so. However, these observations opened up a much more interesting series of investigations."
'The Body Electric' by Robert O. Becker, M.D. - (pages 276-278)
Subliminal Stress
"After Howard Friedman, Charlie Bachman, and I had found evidence that "abnormal natural" fields from solar magnetic storms were effecting the human mind as reflected in psychiatric hospital admissions, we decided the time had come for direct experiments with people. We exposed volunteers to magnetic fields placed so the lines of force passed through the brain from ear to ear, cutting across the brainstem-frontal current. The fields were 5 to 11 gauss, not much compared with the 3,000 gauss needed to put a salamander to sleep, but ten to twenty times earth's background and well above the level of most magnetic storms. We measured their influence on a standard test of reaction time - having subjects press a button as fast as possible in response to a red light. Steady fields produced no effect, but when we modulated the field with a slow pulse of a cycle every 5 seconds (one of the delta wave frequencies we'd observed in salamander brains during a change from one level of consciousness to another), people's reactions slowed down. We found no changes in the EEG or the front-to-back voltage from fields up to 100 gauss, but these indicators reflect major alterations in awareness, so we didn't expect them to shift.
We were excited, eagerly planning experiments that would tell us more, when we came upon a frightening Russian report. Yuri Kholodov had administered steady magnetic fields of 100 and 200 gauss to rabbits and found areas of cell death in their brains during autopsy. Although his fields were ten times as strong as ours, we stopped all human experiments immediately.
Friedman decided to duplicate Kholodov's experiment with a more detailed analysis of the brain tissue. He made the slides and sent them to an expert on rabbit brain diseases, but coded them so no one knew which were which until later.
The report showed that all the animals had been infected with a brain parasite that was peculiar to rabbits and common throughout the world. However, in half the animals the protozoa had been under control by the immune system, whereas the other half they'd routed the defenders and destroyed parts of their brain. The expert suggested that we must have done something to undermine resistance of the rabbits in the experimental group. The code confirmed that most of the brain damage had occurred in animals subjected to the magnetic fields. Later, Friedman did biochemical tests on another series of rabbits and found that the fields were causing a generalized stress reactions marked by large amounts of cortisone in the bloodstream. This is the response called forth by a prolonged stress, like a disease, that isn't an immediate threat to life, as opposed to the fight-or-flight response generated by adrenaline.
Soon thereafter, Friedman measured cortisone levels in monkeys exposed to 200-gauss magnetic fields for four hours a day. They showed the stress response for six days, but it then subsided, suggesting adaptation to the field. Such seeming tolerance of continued stress is illusory, however. In his pioneering lifework on stress, Dr. Hans Selye has clearly drawn the invariable pattern: Initially, the stress activates the hormonal and/or immune systems to a higher-than-normal level, enabling the animal to escape danger or combat disease. If the stress continues, hormone levels and immune activity gradually decline to normal. If you stop your experiment at this point, you're apparently justified in saying, "The animal has adapted; the stress is doing it no harm." Nevertheless, if the stressful condition persists, hormone and immune levels decline further, well below normal. In medical terms, stress decompensation has set in, and the animal is now more susceptible to other stressors, including malignant growth and infectious disease.
In the mid-1970's, two Russian groups found stress hormones released in rats exposed to microwaves, even if they were irradiated only briefly by minute amounts of energy. Other Eastern European work found the same reaction to 50-hertz electric fields. Several Russian and Polish groups have since established that after prolonged exposure the activation of the stress system changes to a depression of it in the familiar pattern, indicating exhaustion of the adrenal cortex. There has even been one report of hemorrhage and cell damage in the adrenal cortex from a month's exposure to a 50-hertz, 130-gauss magnetic field.
Soviet biophysicist N. A. Udintsev has systematically studied the effects of one ELF magnetic field (200 gauss at 50hz) on the endocrine system. In addition to the "slow" stress response we've been discussing, he found activation of the "fast" fight-or-flight hormones centering on adrenaline from the adrenal medulla. This response was triggered in rats by just one day in Udinstev's field, and hormone levels didn't return to normal for one or two weeks. Udinstev also documented an insulin insufficiency and rise in blood sugar from the same field.
One aspect of the syndrome was very puzzling. When undergoing these hormonal changes, an animal would normally be aware that its body was under attack, yet, as far as we could tell, the rabbits were not. They showed no outward signs of fear, agitation, or illness. Most humans certainly wouldn't be able to detect a 100-gauss magnetic field, at least not consciously. Only several years after Friedman's work did anyone find out how this was happening.
In 1976 a group under J. J. Noval at the Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory at Pensacola, Florida, found the slow stress response in rats from very weak electric fields, as low as five thousandths of a volt per centimeter. They discovered that when such fields vibrated in the ELF range, they increased levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brainstem, apparently in a way that activated a distress signal subliminally, without the animal's becoming aware of it. The scariest part was that the fields Noval used were well within the background levels of a typical office, with its overhead lighting, typewriters, computers, and other equipment. Workers in such an environment are exposed to electric fields between a hundredth and a tenth of a volt per centimeter and magnetic fields between a hundredth and a tenth of a gauss."
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I am a germaphobe and I admit I am a bit OCD about it. My hands are VERY dry from washing them all the time. I think a lot of my germ issues are from the many years I worked at Disney World. Disney always kept the park beautiful and clean but interacting with thousands of people on a daily basis made me wonder what I could have been exposed to over the years.
[ 15. January 2008, 04:14 PM: Message edited by: CricketSC ]
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