Are you guys getting lax about washing their hands?

CDC study indicates men aren't washing their hands as often.

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN1733655220070917

Yeah right. Sorry, I don't buy it. I've had the sad misfortune of having to use the facilities in Penn station, and I can tell your there's no way I am touching anything someone else just put their mitts on after doing the deed. Consider this:

A man comes in and uses the latrine, he then grabs the water knob and turns the water on, contaminating the knob, he then pumps the soap dispenser with his other hand, contaminating the soap dispenser. Then he scrubs his hands under the water. Then he turns the water off, re-contaminating his hands. Then he grabs the paper dispenser lever to feed paper towel out, contaminating the paper dispenser lever. The next person to use the latrine and the same sink will cross contaminate himself and the things he handles to wash up. That ain't gonna be me folks.

If the faucet and the soap dispenser and the towel dispenser are those new sensor driven units, where you wave your hand and the water turns on, the soap squirts out, and the towel feeds automatically, then I wash up. Otherwise forget it. Since they don't bother to even address the issue of cross contamination sources due to manual manipulation, then they only tell half the story.

I treat public bathrooms no different than the subway. If you touch any surface with bare skin, you should consider it contaminated and in need of a good cleansing in a controlled environment.

But who will walk out of the latrine with the cleanest hands?

Me, I was taught to not pee on my hands

Me too...

You could get the paper towel dispenser going before you washed up. That way yes you do contaminate by prepping and priming the paper towel dispenser, and you contaminate when you turn on the water and get soap, but once you are done rinsing, grab your preprepared paper towels, dry off, and use the towels to turn off the water and open the door.

Just don't let someone steal your paper towel before you are done.

Or carry some alcohol gel!

I always carry one of these guys in my bag. They come in very handy & double as a firestarter in a pinch.

Oh, I have tried to prep the towel dispenser, and yes, I've had people come up and rip off what I had waiting for me! Oh that infuriates.

And the hand sanitizer is a must in NYC. I can't go to the bagel shop after being on the subway without sanitizing, let alone a public restroom.

Of course, you wonder then, what was the baker doing before he came to serve me? Ugh!!!

I just push all the buttons with my tongue. Ewwwwww.

Seriously though, I carry one of those little bottles of Purell similar to the one mentioned above, and usually have a couple of wetnaps form the local wing joint to be safe. The wetnaps also help when you absolutely have to touch the bathroom door handle. LOL

For everything you never wanted to know about hand washing, and much, much more, read this.

On a side note, alcohol-based cleansers kill "good" microorganisms along with "bad". Washing with soap is considered better all around.

Frank2135