"Too Clean"

[Kaido]

At the last airport I went to, I used the restroom. There were no doors, just a wrap-around entrance to walk into - no handle to touch. The toilet flushed automatically. The soap dispensed foam automatically. The water faucet came on automatically. My hands never touched the air dryer machine - also automatic. Completely touch-free and automated the whole way through. Kinda funny.

I have a friend who is super "germ-aware". Constantly washing his hands, avoids using medications except when absolutely necessary, takes every precaution you can think of to avoid any kind of bacteria - not OCD, just kind of a germophobe. And yet, my 3-year-old niece grew up with a dog licking her face after eating random stuff on the ground and licking everything else in sight, and she hardly ever gets sick. She's built up immunity. My buddy hasn't...and when he gets sick, he gets sick.

Dirt soap...million-dollar business idea?

 

[OverVolt]

Triclosan kills bacteria through a mechanism that doesn't effect human cells, so it's pretty safe. It just might cause systemic effects too.

Anyway, I don't shower everyday, I just hit the big 4 he is talking about. I wash my legs/back/etc maybe once a month by accident and no one can tell including me. I think your body adjusts it's skin oilyness output depending how often you dry your skin out.

I eat food off the floor, don't wash my hands after going to the bathroom at home unless im cooking food for someone else etc. Even with MRSA, I'd rather have a good immune system and end up as a carrier instead of actually getting the disease.

 

[zsdersw]

Well, lots of people died from infections of minor wounds, that's how.

Oh and dysentery.

I'm talking about as recent as 20-30 years ago; before everyone became "germophobes" and before companies like Lysol came up with sanitizing and sterilizing crap for "everyday use".

 

[waggy]

no duh.

part of it is you see parents using the hand sanitizer after playing. its silly. i used to take my son to a play group. they had a huge bottle of it. parents were using after every time they picked up a toy.

I have friends that live in town. they are even worse. every time they come in from playing outside they do it. its funny when they come over to my place. they go out and play then freak out because i let them eat outside with dirty hands.

 

[feralkid]

no duh.

part of it is you see parents using the hand sanitizer after playing. its silly. i used to take my son to a play group. they had a huge bottle of it. parents were using after every time they picked up a toy.

I have friends that live in town. they are even worse. every time they come in from playing outside they do it. its funny when they come over to my place. they go out and play then freak out because i let them eat outside with dirty hands.

As crashtestdummy pointed out on page 2, it's not hand sanitizers (gelled alcohol) that are the problem. Germs cannot become immune to it.

It's things like Triclosan found in "antibacterial" products that are the issue.

Also plain old soap and water will "wash away" germs with no risk of bacteria forming an immunity.

 

[angminas]

I'm talking about as recent as 20-30 years ago; before everyone became "germophobes" and before companies like Lysol came up with sanitizing and sterilizing crap for "everyday use".

Good grief, how many times are you going to roll your eyes in this thread? You only know about germs because other people already did the work for you. Don't act like you're some mega-Einstein because you know how to read.

Ooo, ooo, let me try acting cool because I know something that people didn't used to know! Hey guys, try boiling that water before you drink it...how about a little common sense

 

[Gibsons]

So, I have no problems staying away from most soaps and the like. But, what alternatives do I have to toothpaste? Just chew lots of gum with Xylitol?

This is different from just soap, though. It's soap with a specific bacteriocide added. Just plain soap is good enough for most any everyday usage.

 

[roguerower]

*knock on wood* I don't have any allergies and grew up in a very outdoors oriented family. I would go fishing all the time and handle squid, fish, shrimp, etc. and after a quick dip in the water to clean off all the guts and shit I'd eat some lunch. I dealt with horseshit on a daily basis, played outside in the dirt, etc. I'll wash my hands when in public but at home I don't see the point unless I've been working out and am disgusting.

I agree that EVERYTHING needs to be used in moderation. Antibiotics has been used way too much which is why new forms of penicillin (sp?) are constantly being developed. I've got little scars all over me from stupid shit I did. One on my right hand from where I cut myself pretty deep w/ a knife. Two on my left hand from where I (a) sliced myself with a deli slicer, and (b) where I ripped open the top of my hand on a rock. There's one on my left knee where I got a pretty massive gash while playing on the playground in elementary school. A little neosporin, a bandaid, no biggie.

I will agree with a few posters here about raising kids. I won't knowingly expose them to anything, but if they get a little cold here and there I'll expect them to rough it out and toughen up their immune system.

I might even throw them in the Hudson to swim around.

 

[zsdersw]

Good grief, how many times are you going to roll your eyes in this thread? You only know about germs because other people already did the work for you. Don't act like you're some mega-Einstein because you know how to read.

Ooo, ooo, let me try acting cool because I know something that people didn't used to know! Hey guys, try boiling that water before you drink it...how about a little common sense

Here, I think it's ready for you:

Get a grip, kiddo.