Mall Santas and Other Germy Holiday Hiding Places
The following was transcribed from a previous holiday radio show aired on my nationally syndicated Speak Up and Stay Alive Patient Safety Radio. My patient advocacy specialty is infection control and prevention, so I hope you enjoy some of my cross-contamination thoughts.
You’ll probably be hitting the stores soon to prepare for the holidays. But before you do, I want to do my job and share some naughty and not-so-nice germy holiday hiding places. Here are my top 10 in no particular order.
The public bathrooms, particularly the bathroom sink: It is the dirtiest place in the bathroom because it never dries out, which helps bacteria grow. Think about this sequence. After someone uses the toilet, they touch the door lock. I mean, they have to touch it to get out of the stall, and you have to touch it to lock yourself in. So it’s safe to say that by the time someone gets to the sink, their hands are contaminated. And then they touch the faucet and soap dispensers, which are already pretty disgusting, not only on the outside but sometimes on the inside. I have researched how the soap inside the containers is often contaminated by the people refilling them. Studies have shown that one in four contained unsafe amounts of bacteria. Sadly, that means, in some instances, you are washing your hands with contaminated soap!
Next, don’t open the door with your hopefully clean hands. I can guarantee the door handle is contaminated by some lovely person who obviously does not listen to this program. You can use a paper towel to help you exit safely and without cross-contamination. Opt for a nice wad of clean toilet paper if paper towels are unavailable. And you’ll love this–the horrors of hot-air dryers. Whenever a toilet is flushed, it aerosolizes a fine mist of microbes. My friend, microbiologist Chuck Gerba, calls it a ‘toilet sneeze,’ and he knows about cross-contamination. The hot air dryers suck up the bacteria and blast it all over the bathroom, including all over you. This is not just funny talk. Many serious studies have been done on this very thing. I’ve done many a presentation on what I call ‘Restroomology.’ Always a crowd favorite!
The tables in the food court: Even if you see an employee wipe the tables and chairs, there’s no way to know how clean the rag is, and they probably have been using the same one all day. The rag itself can spread bacteria like E. coli. And you ‘know’ they use the same rag all day.
The escalator handrails and the elevator buttons: If you touch one and then touch your face, it’s like asking to get the flu. One research group tested escalator handrails and found E. coli, urine, mucus, feces, and blood. Yikes! Here’s a bit of elevator strategy. Don’t rush in to be the first one inside because if the elevator fills up, you’ll be stuck in the back, breathing everyone’s exhales. Kindly allow everyone to enter first, then take your position up front on the opposite side of the buttons. You want to avoid being in charge of pushing the contaminated buttons. If you must press the buttons, use your knuckle or a Kleenex-covered finger.
Same for the ATM keypads: Researchers tested 38 ATMs in a busy city center and found that each key contained an average of 1200 germs. What’s the dirtiest key? Yep–the Enter button. The best way to avoid the germs is to use hand sanitizer afterward. And instead of hitting the buttons with your finger, use your knuckles. Germs on your fingertips are much more likely to eventually end up in your mouth.
Toy stores: Thousands of kids touch thousands of toys and leave behind millions of germs. Unfortunately, you can’t do much about it while you’re in the store other than to use a hand sanitizer or, better yet, wash your hands when you leave. But if you buy something, be extra careful and wipe it down with disinfecting wipes before giving it to your child. I think about this after shopping at the grocery store. Most people come home and empty the bags onto their kitchen counter. Dirty cans, boxes, bags, and do they ever wipe down the counter with bleach wipes after that? I do. Now, there’s something to think about.
Fitting Rooms: The rooms aren’t the problem. The clothing is. (Keep your shoes on. Imagine the bacteria on the floor from nasty feet!) When people try on clothes, skin cells and sweat slough off and accumulate on the fabric. Both of those things help bacteria grow. Supposedly, you don’t have to worry about shirts and sweaters as much. But before you try on a pair of pants or a dress, wear full-coverage underwear. In other words, no thongs! Oh my. We’re going to strange places here today, folks.
The gadgets at electronic stores: Display items you can touch, like cameras and cell phones, are covered in germs. A study published last year found that viruses quickly transfer between the glass screens on electronics and our fingertips.
Makeup samples: A recent study found that at least 67 percent of makeup testers are contaminated with staph, strep, and E. coli. How’s that for beautiful?
Mall playgrounds for kids or the playgrounds at fast food places, for that matter: Need I say more?
Oh, and here’s my holiday winner.
Number 10 is Mall Santa’s. That’s right. I said mall Santa’s. If you’ve listened to this program, you know that bacteria can live on fabric for up to ninety days or more, depending upon the bacterium and the fabric. And we discussed this regarding doctors’ lab coats and scrubs. But what about Santa’s uniform? Do you really think a mall Santa will rush home and bleach his suit in hot water each evening? Even if he wanted to, he’d ruined his attire.
So suffice it to say–Santa is dirty, germy, and has the potential to give your kids more than their requested toys. What would you like for Christmas, little girl? I’ve got a healthy dose of E.coli, a bit of MRSA, some strep, mold, and the H1N1 virus.
HO, HO, HO. I say NO, NO, NO! Santa is a health risk.
I don’t know if there have been any formal studies on germs, cross-contamination, and mall Santa’s. But common sense dictates that Santa’s suit is not clean, given all the kids who sit on it–kids in leaky diapers or clothing that hasn’t been washed in a while. Let’s face it: kids roll around on the floor and tend to wear their favorite things repeatedly. So, I think it’s safe to say if one swabbed and tested a Santa suit, one would find it filled with unsavory little gifts.
And if Santa doesn’t get you, the lines waiting to see him hold promise because the cold and flu virus is commonly transmitted through coughs and sneezes.
So, what should a person do short of never leaving the house again?
- Wash your hands regularly, using good old-fashioned soap and water.
- Try not to touch your face since that is how we transmit most bacteria into our bodies.
- And use common sense while shopping. Especially when shopping with children. Make sure children wash their hands before they eat.
- Wash everyone’s hands upon entering your home.
- Throw your clothes in a hot washing machine when you get home. Don’t flop on your sofa and transfer shopping germs to your favorite lounging spot.
- And while you’re at it, give your cellphone a thorough cleaning with my essential oil cell phone cleaner, Dirty Talk. People are talking dirty and don’t even know it. Your cell phone may harbor more bacteria than the dirtiest mall Santa.
I spent an entire day with the well-known Dr. Chuck Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona. He was also a recurring guest on my radio show. Here’s what he has to say:
“Your phone is likely lying on your desk at school or work right now. Your desk contains 21,000 germs per square inch, nearly 430 times the germs your office toilet seat carries. But even if your phone is tucked safely in your pocket, you most likely brought your phone in the bathroom today because 75% of us use our phones there, and then you touched your phone. Nobody ever cleans or disinfects their phone, so germs and bacteria such as E. coli, influenza, and MRSA, a germ that causes rashes and skin infections, keep building up.
As we use our phones frequently, they remain warm, creating the ideal breeding ground for bacteria. With the advent of touch-screen phones, the same part of the phone you touch with your fingertips is pressed right up against your face and mouth, upping your chances of infection. Your phone holds onto germs because it acts as a warm, tiny home. Holding your phone to your warm face, keeping it in your pocket or purse, or even the heat your phone naturally generates when turned on produces conditions for these nasty germs to thrive.”
And that’s all I’m going to say about this. Read more Dirty Talk.
Happy Holidays.
PR
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