Back in January, our entire household came down with what I suspect was the flu, and it was not pretty. My husband Dave and oldest son Erik even ended up with pneumonia too (but I’m happy to report we’re all feeling much better now!)
After a couple weeks of being quarantined inside our house, with little to do but shiver and cough and feel terrible, I’m highly motivated to avoid getting sick again! My bottle of Defend Essential Oil Blend has been getting a workout, as I’ve been adding it to my foaming hand soap and homemade hand sanitizer (2 parts of 91% isopropyl alcohol + 1 part aloe vera gel), as well as applying it topically!
And since staying healthy has been on my mind lately, I thought I’d share some information that can help all of us do just that. Here are 13 dirty things that we ought to wash our hands after touching!
13 Dirty Things You Should Wash Your Hands After Touching
1. Cutting Board
Both plastic and wooden cutting boards can harbor all sorts of bacteria, especially if they aren’t getting cleaned properly. Plastic cutting boards can go right in the dishwasher, but wooden ones need to be cleaned more carefully.
Scrub your wood cutting boards with soapy water regularly, and wipe them down with white vinegar to kill germs and neutralize lingering odors. It’s also a good idea to place a thin plastic cutting board over your wooden one when handling raw meat!
2. Hand Towels
Unfortunately, not everyone who dries their hands on your hand towels has perfect hand-washing technique. That means those towels are get dirty over time, so be sure to switch them out with clean ones every few days!
3. Keys
Think about it—have you ever sat down and actually cleaned your car or house keys? (I haven’t either!) But with how frequently we handle them, there’s no doubt they’re covered in all sorts of bacteria!
So break out the disinfecting wipes every once in a while and keep those keys clean.
4. Shopping Carts
Many grocery stores now offer disinfecting wipes near the grocery carts, and for good reason! Shopping cart handles can be hot spots for bacteria, both from other people’s hands and from foods like raw meat.
So take advantage of those free wipes and wipe down your cart handle before you shop!
5. Reusable Grocery Bags
And speaking of groceries, don’t forget about your reusable grocery bags! Between shopping carts, checkout conveyor belts, and other grimy surfaces, bacteria have plenty of opportunities to hitch a ride on those bags.
To clean reusable bags made of vinyl or plastic, wipe them down with hydrogen peroxide to eliminate germs. For bags that are more cloth-like, just toss them in your washer!
6. Sponges
According to a 2017 study, used kitchen sponges can house hundreds of millions of bacteria per square centimeter! That’s why it’s important to clean your kitchen sponge and replace it regularly. You can toss it in the dishwasher to keep it clean between uses. (You can also boil or microwave a wet sponge to kill germs.)
7. Cell Phones
Cell phones are notoriously germ-y, because our hands and faces are constantly transferring germs onto our phones! Wipe down your phone (both front and back) with a disinfecting wipe a few times a week to keep it clean and sanitary.
More Ideas You'll Love
8. Eyeglasses
Between all the times you touch them and set them down every day, eyeglasses can get surprisingly dirty! Gently clean the lenses with a soft microfiber cloth, and wipe the frames with an alcohol wipe to eliminate germs and greasy smudges.
9. Buttons
Think of all the different buttons you touch during an average day, like the buttons on AMTs, crosswalks, parking meters, elevators, and more! Keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in your bag or briefcase to keep germs at bay when you’re out and about.
10. Cash
With as often as money changes hands, it should come as no surprise that cash made this list! A 2017 study of $1 bills in New York City identified hundreds of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and even animal DNA.
However, as long as you’re washing your hands regularly throughout the day, handling cash and coins shouldn’t present a serious threat to your health.
11. Handles & Handrails
Any surface that multiple people touch throughout the day is likely to carry germs, including handrails, handles, and doorknobs. Wash your hands after touching surfaces like these in public locations, and especially after using public transportation.
12. Menus
Everyone handles the menu at a restaurant, and that makes them a magnet for germs! Paper menus aren’t as much of an issue, but plastic menus have plenty of nooks and crannies for bacteria to hide.
13. Waiting Room Items
Considering the amount of sick people who pass through it, the waiting room at any doctor’s office or hospital can be full of germs. From the sign-in pen to the armrests on the chairs, there are dozens of places where bacteria can end up after being handled by someone with a cold (or worse!)
Take a minute after your visit to swing by the restroom to wash your hands!
What do you always wash your hands after handling?
Friends don’t let friends pay full price, which is why OGT readers always get 10% off at the By Jillee Shop!
More Ideas You'll Love
Use coupon code below to get 10% off today’s order:
JILLEE10
Want To Save Even More? OGT Plus members save even more with 20% off their entire purchase, every time they shop! Not a member? Join OGT Plus today!
Friends don’t let friends pay full price, which is why OGT readers always get 10% off at the By Jillee Shop!
More Ideas You'll Love
Use coupon code below to get 10% off today’s order:
JILLEE10
Want To Save Even More? OGT Plus members save even more with 20% off their entire purchase, every time they shop! Not a member? Join OGT Plus today!
IMO. Our immune systems need to be strong. If we constantly use wipes and avoid touching anything ie: your own keys…if you are the only one touching them, why do they need to be sanitized? We build up our immunity by exposing it to germs. This does not mean quit washing so often, no; wash often and with soap and water. No need at all for all the alcohol based sani-wipes that destroy everything, not just bad stuff. Not all dirt is dirt. Not all germs are bad. Take normal precautions.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Excellent post!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My doctor just told me that washing our hands is just basically moving the germs around. We need good bacteria as much as we don’t need bad bacteria. With that being said, I think we are all going a little overboard with the sanitizing. Your doing more harm then good. Seriously, a previous poster washes all her groceries???????
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m crazy and usually wipe my packaged goods over with metho on a paper towel before putting them away, mind you just a paper towel with my refrigerated goods all don’t wipe them at all so I’m not doing everything
I agree with Ellen. You need to wash your hands often but you can be TOO fussy and kill the good bacteria as well as the bad.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I always wash my hands after getting the mail. In today’s world, especially with the new corona virus, it’s scary to think of all the people who have touched the mail and mailbox.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I read an article recently about the flu pandemic of 1918 /19 during world war I. It was world wide and soldiers were taking it to different countries. However, the article mentioned that people who were living in isolated areas or even homebound were still getting the flu because it was being passed with the mail. So good call on washing hands after touching the mail. Another thing is the newspaper. Especially if there are a lot of ads. These are touched by a lot of hands before they get to you.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My grandfather died of the Spanish influenza and he was a young man…it’s scary! Of course
they didn’t have antibiotics and drugs they have now..
Jillee, please tell everyone that hand sanitizer is good only for up to three applications. After that, it loses its effectiveness and our hands need to be washed. Hand sanitizer is not a replacement for hand washing. I learned this working in a long term care facility.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Is this still true for the essential oil sanitizers?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Also in the kitchen…… handles for refrigerator doors, microwave ovens, ovens, and dishwashers. Door and drawer handles also get dirty over time.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for this. Highlighted some items never considered…such as menus.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Having been in the service industry in the past, I can attest to the filthy menu thing. You would not believe how gross they get, and sometimes diners put them on the floor, or let their kids put them in their mouths. Usually, they are not sanitized, many restaurants only wipe them down with a wet bus towel, and some restaurants only wipe them down when they are so crusty they won’t open. Ugh! Worth a trip to the restroom to wash your hands after touching one. Seriously.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great article & advice!
Don’t forget items associated with your car like your steering wheel, outside trash can(s) recycle lids once you put your trash in or the handles when you drag the cans to/away from the curb on trash/recycle day like I do… (but I guess most of us know that). :)
Also, at the gas station, sanitize your hands after you pump your gas (gasoline pump).
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I avoided an outbreak of illness on a cruise ship where 1/3 of the passengers were affected by using many of these same practices. I didn’t touch much of anything, washed my hands, and used hand the sanitizer provided all over the ship.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.•To add another: Use your knuckle, not your fingertip, when pressing buttons in an elevator or anywhere you can. I use my knuckle when entering my zip code at the gas pump, too.
With regard to gas stations…I always use a disinfecting wipe on my hands after touching the handle of the gas pump. Also, occasionally wipe down your car’s steering wheel.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Would like to add to waiting rooms items. Those magazines are also full of germs too.
Also, the door handle on the way out of a washroom, I usually save my paper towel after washing my hands to open the door to exit (I did notice I didn’t get as sick after that).
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I worked in a bank and credit union handling money and was always given wipes after counting and wrapping it. I think the worst ever was counting bills that were moist. Heaven only knows where it had been and wished I had had on plastic gloves. One of the gals I worked with wore cotton gloves but I always thought they would get dirtier than just using my hands. Thank heavens I’m not a germaphobic. We were also taught to sing happy birthday to ourselves when washing hands as that is plenty of time for a good cleaning. I also use a lot of peroxide in a spray bottle in the kitchen to keep it in tip top shape. My daughter had a pick line in her upper arm for a bone infection and it was a must for her to be careful about not getting it dirty. Clean everything before even opening the meds. That was a definite eye opener. One last thing is I never use sponges, I use a wash cloth and two clean towels each day, one for hands and one for dishes if they need to be wiped off. At the end of the day they each get tossed in the laundry.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Actually, the recommendation it’s to sing happy birthday TWICE to wash your hands for the correct amount of time (20 seconds).
Please log in or create a free account to comment.