Wash your hands: ATMs are germ havens

[FarCenter]

Computerworld - Swab tests recently conducted of public surfaces in six major cities revealed that ATMs are among the worst carriers of illness-causing germs.

The tests, conducted by Kimberly-Clark Corp. as part of its Healthy Workplace Project, showed that 41% of automated teller machine keypads carry germs that can cause colds and the flu. Kimberly-Clark is a maker of a wide variety of consumer products, including Kleenex tissues, waterless hand sanitizers and antibacterial hand soap.

ATMs were No. 4 on the list of most-contaminated public surfaces, behind gas pump handles, 71% of which carry disease-causing germs, mailbox handles (68%) and escalator rails (43%).

...

After ATM buttons, parking meters (40%), crosswalk buttons (35%) and vending machine buttons (35%) were the next most germ-laden public surfaces that people regularly touch.

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9221157/Wash_your_hands_ATMs_are_germ_havens

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. I have to keep reminding myself that anything touched by many is filled with bacteria

I always have this sense that machinery does not have bacteria, but it's packed with it!

[seabeyond]

2. i already use my shirt to open bathroom doors, my elbow to get paper towels....

really, leave me aloneeeeee. lol

[MADem]

3. Here's a trick--keep the paper towel you use to dry your hands, use that to get the bathroom door

open, and once you have it ajar, ball up the paper towel and hoop it towards the trash can!

I like the newer crappers, the ones we see in airports and the like that have the U-turn bends and no doors. Makes it easier to avoid that one "germ point" anyway.

[Cirque du So-What]

6. I notice you say *towards* the trash can

So YOU're the one who litters the restroom with giant spitballs! :rofl:

[MADem]

29. Well, you do your best--what more can you do? nt

[Cirque du So-What]

33. How true

I've done it too, especially after utilizing some skeevy public restroom, although I suppose even 'nice' ones can be visited by those with less-than-meticulous personal hygiene habits as well.

[KittyWampus]

57. put trash cans outside bathroom doors or nearer to them?

[WolverineDG]

43. Actually, it teaches the owners of the places where to put the trashcans

If enough people do it, voila, trashcan gets moved closer to the door.

dg

[cherokeeprogressive]

53. "Teach" the owners, at the expense of the employees. I get it. n/t

[WolverineDG]

54. Yes. I've had to clean public restrooms before

didn't kill me.

dg

[tblue]

7. I always use the paper towel to turn off the water

and to open the door. So gross when you think about it. Shopping carts are also pretty nasty. I also heard your purse is saturated with germs, so wipe it with a germ-killing product once in a while.

[seabeyond]

8. i do that a lot of times, but when they have hand dryers i cant. lol. thanks.... nt

[pipi_k]

12. Yep, that's what I do after

using a paper towel to turn off the faucet.

I get that paper towel first, before washing my hands...then I dry my hands and use that towel to turn off the faucet, then grab another towel to open the door. Unless it's one of those push doors without a knob.

Going into stores, I use my pinky finger to hook around the fixed door handle thingy.

And when I was using ATMs I would keep a rubber finger in my wallet(from an old pair of rubber gloves) or one of those latex finger cots for finger injuries.

Now I use my debit/credit card on those machine things near the register, and my pinky gets another workout. Because that's the last finger I'll have near my eye or nose until I get home and wash my hands.

Oh, and something else I bet some haven't thought of...

women's purses. Specifically, the bottoms.

We put them on the floor in the restaurants. If there's no hook in the ladies room we put them on the floor next to us.

Floors where people walk and have God-knows-what on the bottoms of their shoes.

Then we go home and stick those purses on the table or the counters.

Yeah. Disgusting.

:puke:

[randome]

13. Um, have you and seabeyond seen a doctor lately?

Maybe you should because you both sound a little, oh, I don't know...OCD'ish?

[seabeyond]

19. bah hahahah... hey, oprah had a show years ago. screwed me over. lol. my son

he is ocd and no 'ish about it. he has brought so many things to this families attention that we did not need to know. we have to POUR our chips out of the bag, not reach in. after all these years, i found out he stopped eating lunch meat cause we use our hands to pull meat out, .... possibly touching other pieces left in bag. first grade i threatened to take him to a psychiatrist cause he washed hands so much they bled. he knew he had lock jaw all thru first grade.

i use to be normal.

live with that

[randome]

20. Point taken.

[TwilightGardener]

48. I have to laugh about the "no hands in the chips" rule--we do the same thing here.

Also, no hands in the bag of shredded cheese. That is a no-no.

[pipi_k]

22. Just wondering why it's "OCD-ish" to practice reasonable hygiene

I don't know about anyone else, but I really don't find appetizing the idea of transferring someone else's feces or snot from a doorknob or ATM to my fingers.

Maybe other people don't care, but I do.

:shrug:

[louis-t]

24. And all rest room doors should open out

in case they only have hand dryers. I laughed and joked with my uncle at a family gathering about how we were washing our hands, using the paper towel to open the door, etc. Then we went into the hall to eat - buffet style! Everyone touching the same serving tools.

[pipi_k]

27. My love/hate relationship

with buffets...

Love them for the choices and portion control.

Hate them for the shitty/snotty hands on the serving utensils. So I have a trick...instead of holding the utensil up near the top on the widest part of the handle, I hold it closer to the bottom of the handle, with only a couple of fingers.

Don't know if there are many germs down that end, but it does make me feel better.

:7

[louis-t]

37. Usually, there's more food down at that end.

x(

[cherokeeprogressive]

39. Carry the paper towel with you to the nearest trash can. Help a minimum-wager out once in a while.

I noticed you said downthread something to the effect of "hey you do the best you can do!". Yeah, well so do they. PURPOSELY causing litter for your own convenience is inexcusable.

[WolverineDG]

44. Well, I do that too IF I see a trashcan on my way into the restroom

if not, a well-aimed toss at the trashcan is the best I can do until someone wises up & moves it.

dg

[cherokeeprogressive]

52. So it's okay to make trash for someone less fortunate than you to pick up, just for the sake of

convenience... is that right?

I'm sorry if I come off as a bit of an asshole about this. You know me, I come off as an asshole more often than not it seems. I have to say though; something about the "toss it in the direction of the can" got my hackles up and here's why:

I drive a trash truck now. Funny how life works out. I've been an Educator (10 years), Realtor, Trainer, and waaay back in the day, a Sailor. But now I'm a trashman. It's a sacrifice I've had to make to continue living in this mountain paradise I live in now.

Every day, I'm confronted with piles of trash placed on top of, next to, around, and near the commercial dumpsters I service. The customers believe that "the trash guy will take care of it" when they leave stuff next to a full dumpster, sometimes not even bothering to put their trash into the enclosure. Well guess what? MY job is to empty the dumpster; NOT to clean up the mess THEY made.

I actually had a woman chase me through a parking lot and when she got my attention, she asked "why didn't you pick up my trash?" When I told her I did, she said "No you didn't! There are still bags outside of the enclosure!" (the brick wall/fenced in place where her dumpster is). When I informed her that my responsibility extended only to the trash INSIDE the dumpster and not that outside of it, she started shrieking something to the effect of "BUT YOU'RE THE TRASHMAN! IT'S YOUR JOB TO PICK UP MY TRASH!" It was, she was right. But ONLY the trash she could fit in her dumpster. If her business generates MORE trash than it can handle being dumped twice a week, then she needs to schedule and pay for another pick-up.

The guy/girl who cleans your public restroom doesn't have the same luxury I do. He/She has to pick up your towels whether they're wet with clean water after you've washed your hands and used them to dry off with, or snot-filled napkins left by someone sick but no less lazy than yourself.

Not fair. Maybe YOU should wise up and stop expecting minimum-wagers to clean up after the mess you make because it suits your sensibilities.

[WolverineDG]

55. I've had those jobs too

I've cleaned public restrooms in my time. Quite frankly, if it comes down to me getting sick or someone paid to clean restrooms actually cleaning them, well, guess which one I'm going to choose? You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that if people keep leaving trash near the door, then maybe that's where you should put the trashcan.

dg

[Cirque du So-What]

4. Money itself is filthy

just like anything that gets touched and passed around. Instead of adopting the germophobic stance of sterilizing away the good bacteria with the bad, however, I take a different approach: I just keep my hands away from my eyes, nose & mouth and wash my hands with plain-ass soap prior to touching anything that will approach those particular orifices.

[HopeHoops]

5. So is the damn money - gross shit, that.

[Warren DeMontague]

23. True Dat,

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/5700994/ass_pennies/

[Rebubula]

9. Meh

Unless you have some sort of autoimmune deficiency - standard germs that you encounter every day will not effect you much.

I always laugh at the toilet seat covers - the only way that you could get a disease from a toilet seat (the human skin blocks out most everything) is if you sat down before the other guy got up.

Some folks have a need to be cautious due to immunity issues - the rest are just being silly.

Obviously, this is just my opinion and mileage may vary.

[Warren Stupidity]

10. In fact routine exposure is good for your immune system.

[justiceischeap]

14. Studies have been done on people raised in VERY sterile environs & the outcome is pretty consistent

I had a neighbor with MS and the doctors think one of the factors of developing the disease is an aversion to germs.

You're right, germs are good for you and shouldn't be avoided unless you have health issues pertaining to your immunity.

[pipi_k]

26. Well, growing up in a less-than-sterile environment

really didn't do me any good. My mom was not what I would call a super cleaner. We didn't live dirty, but it wouldn't have been a great idea to eat off the floors, either.

Some of my worst memories from childhood involve projectile vomiting from illness my sisters and I got at least three times a year.

And then, when I was in third grade, I came down with Hepatitis A. I was the only one who got it. It sucked big time.

Then in 1978 developed a persistent post-nasal drip that continues to this day along with other symptoms of seasonal allergies and year-round rhinitis.

Go figure.

:shrug:

[redqueen]

21. +1

[pipi_k]

15. I think even if someone doesn't have autoimmune

issues, it's still a good idea to be vigilant about possible germ infestation.

I mean, for most people, a head cold isn't going to kill them, but it can still be VERY unpleasant and lead to other things by accident.

I absolutely hate getting a head cold. Yes, I am a totally miserable person during one. Totally.


But anyway, aside from the sickness factor, there's always the gross-out thing.

It absolutely makes me nauseous to think of e.Coli (from feces) being on the handle of a shopping cart that I'm about to touch. Or traces of snot from a kid wiping his nose, then touching something.

OK I have to stop now. My stomach is turning.

:puke:

[Cirque du So-What]

17. I'll meet ya halfway on that one

True, the skin is an excellent barrier, and I trust the skin on my hands to keep everyday germs out of my body, but I don't trust my hands anywhere around my eyes, nose or mouth because I'm never sure if they're conveying something other than run-of-the-mill germs to those particular mucous membranes. I embrace the concept of exposing myself to 'background' flora and fauna as a means to keeping my immune system tuned-up, but I draw the line at pathogens that can make me sick; that's a risk my immune system and I are unwilling to take.

[randome]

11. Who uses ATMs any more?

Use a debit card. Carrying cash around seems so...old-fashioned. You may need to keep about 10-20 dollars in your wallet at any one time but you can always replenish that by getting cash back at a retailer.

I just can't conceive of having to run out to the ATM every time I want to buy something. But maybe that's just me.

[kestrel91316]

16. I generally only use a single finger on my left hand for those things.

But really, money itself is plenty dirty.

Exposure to myriad germs all the time keeps our immune systems primed and functioning optimally anyway. I don't obsess.

[beac]

25. I try to strike a balance too.

Refuse to use "antibacterial" anything, including hand sanitizer, except at the doctor's office and when washing hands is absolutely impossible. "Anti-nacterial" just breeds stronger and better bacteria.

That said, I am a mad hand-washer and I use my knuckles to push buttons. And I rarely get sick. :)

[kestrel91316]

32. Antibacterial stuff like triclosan can kill off the normal flora that serve as a

biological barrier to pathogens. Plus, it's a persistent environmental toxin that gets into water and then wreaks microbial havoc in ecosystems.

IMHO triclosan should be banned except for rare use in hospitals.

[beac]

34. Agreed. It's a great example of the cure is worse than the disease.

I do admit to grabbing an occasional squirt of it in the doc's office or hospital if I think I've been near someone very ill, but seeing "anti-bacterial" on everything from dish detergent to floor cleaner is ridiculous and scary.

Cleanwell makes a hand santizer w/out alcohol or triclosan (uses thyme oil instead). I carry that when traveling when hand-washing might be impossible.

[Shagbark Hickory]

18. This article brought to you by the National Association of Credit Card Issuers.

:silly:

[Withywindle]

28. It appears to be brought to you by a company that makes hand sanitizers and the like.

Promoting germophobia is what they do.


I never do any of that stuff people are talking about upthread with paper towels and avoiding touching things and the like, never use hand sanitizer, and I don't think I get sick any more often than people who do. :shrug:

[Shagbark Hickory]

31. Why would a company that makes kleenex want to promote the use of hand sanitizer?

I don't get that. :crazy:
Wouldn't they want to discourage the use of hand sanitizing so more people end up having to buy kleenex?

[dtexdem]

30. Cue in the "Monk" theme song.

C'mon, Randy! Tell us about the germs!

[randome]

35. I, for one, welcome our germy overlords.

[ScreamingMeemie]

36. To be fair...Life is a Germ Haven.

:)

[Kat45]

38. More bathrooms have the air dryers instead of paper towels now

So there's nothing to use to turn of faucets and open doors. Some have those sinks where you have to press the faucet down to get water, and the flow inevitably stops before you're finished washing, which means touching the faucet again to turn it on. I always carry hand sanitizer in my purse, which I often use after leaving the bathroom, particularly when I'm in a restaurant and about to eat.

[cherokeeprogressive]

40. Shopping carts? Handrails? Elevator buttons? Shopping center doors? Public fucking telephones?

Geez I have to laugh at those people who think they're protecting themselves by using a wet paper towel to open a bathroom door upon exit, then turning it into litter someone else has to pick up.

[WolverineDG]

41. This just in: water is wet

:eyes:

It's not all that hard to wash your hands before you eat or before & after you use the restroom. Just use a paper towel to turn off the water & open the bathroom door.

dg

[Catherine Vincent]

42. This may have been said already but...

I always use my knuckle for stuff like that including elevator buttons. Basically anything you have to put your finger on.

[Randypiper]

45. I didn't know that germs can't get on your knuckle.

Germs are everywhere, If you knew how many are on the mouse you are using right now you would stop posting.

[TwilightGardener]

49. You don't USE your knuckle that often, so the germs stay contained until you wash your hands.

As opposed to your fingertips and palm, which would spread the germs to everything else you touch. I sneeze into my elbow for the same reason.

[Catherine Vincent]

56. :)

Thank you for explaining to Mr. Randy. I didn't explain myself properly.

[spin]

46. The people that I have seen that wash their hands constantly ...

often have more colds than those who don't.

Did you ever wonder why the people at the doctor's office do not constantly have colds or the flu when they deal daily with people who do? In talking to such people, I've learned that they did have problems for the first few months on the job.

If you really want to master the martial arts it's a good idea to go to the dojo and engage in some competition to hone your skills.

It is a good idea to wash your hands after you go to the bathroom and to wash them before you eat. Everything in moderation.

[TwilightGardener]

47. I had to use a pay phone for the first time in years, when my cell battery died.

Oh God, it was horrible. I washed my ear when I got home. But 20-30 or so years ago, I used to grab gas pump handles, bus poles, phones, all manner of public surfaces and never thought about it. Now I don't like borrowing a stranger's pen. Moving past reasonable hygiene and into paranoia and OCD in my middle age.

[markpkessinger]

50. I live in NYC . . .

. . . which means I use public transit a LOT. That means grabbing on to rails that thousands of other hands have grabbed. I have also, at various times, served as a subdeacon at Eucharists at my Episcopal Church, one of the duties of which is administering the common chalice during Communion. There is a rule that all wine consecrated at a service must be consumed. What that means is that after a couple hundred pairs of lips have touched the chalice, the celebrant would hand it to me at the end to consume the remaining wine (hiccup!). And for all of that, I get sick very rarely. That's why I refuse to be a germophobe!

[TwilightGardener]

51. How do you drink what is essentially backwash at that point and not hurl?

[Catherine Vincent]

58. Listen to what I saw years ago

Me and many other people were waiting at a crowded bus stop and a young man and his son were waiting also. I happen to glance at the kid and he was licking the bus stop pole. I was horrified. I quickly tapped the father's shoulder and pointed to what his son was doing. OMG, that made me sick. This was years ago and I still remember what that kid did.

[TwilightGardener]

59. Ewwww. That thing was probably never wiped down or washed in years...ewwww!

[bluestate10]

60. What isn't. So the money one takes from an ATM is pristine?

At some point germaphobia will have people hiding out in the supposedly clean homes, afraid of simply living. At that point why live, since life as they know it is nothing?

[fascisthunter]

61. go to your bank and withdraw the money you think you need for a while

your use with an ATM is cut down drastically if you do so.