Some germs are good and some germs are bad, but let’s face it: germs are here to stay, and they are everywhere, including the soil, the air, our water and food supplies, our pets, people we come in contact with and the surfaces we touch. With germs running rampant it is inevitable that an infection will probably occur sooner or later. Although our technology over the years has made some amazing advancement of treatments for infections, such as antibiotics, it seems too many people have become complacent about preventing the spread of germs and bacteria that cause infections in the first place.
And to make matters worse, with the over use of antibiotics, germs are mutating, thereby becoming anti-biotic resistant. We know that germs are lurking everywhere, but most people don’t realize that your home of all places is host to the most bacteria that can and will breed, thereby infecting those in it’s midst.
A new global hygiene study was conducted recently by The Hygiene Council, which is funded by Reckitt Benckiser, the parent company of the disinfectant products under the name Lysol. The study they conducted included more than 10,000 people worldwide, including about 1,000 people in the U.S. In the survey, only 5% of the U.S. participants answered “in the home” when they were asked where they thought children are most likely to come in contact with the most germs.
Their study also revealed that 55% of all respondents worldwide thought the garbage can would pose the greatest risk of transmitting germs to the family. However, the fact of the matter is the bath tub actually harbors more germs than the average garbage can.
Another interesting, yet forgotten fact is that a lot of bacteria can be found in some unsuspecting places as well, such as light switches, door handles, everyday appliances, and faucets. And not only that, germs, such as the Rotavirus (the one that causes severe diarrhea) can survive up to 14 days. Others that can cause wound infections can survive weeks to months. Yikes! is all I can say.
According to The Hygiene Council, research from 17 studies now prove that good personal hygiene such as simple handwashing, can reduce the risk of getting a stomach virus by up to 47%. The problem is, most people ignore this simple, yet effective way to killing the germs dead in their tracks.
The Hygiene Council recommends a multi-faceted approach to washing your hands with soap and warm water, or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available will help prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria. Besides hand washing, keeping surfaces, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom disinfected, and frequent laundering are the keys to helping keep germs and viruses from spreading not only in the home, but throughout the community as well.
I would recommend checking into the “green” products available on the market that most likely work just as well without the harmful chemical side effects.
Obviously, keeping in mind where germs live and breed as well as killing them as frequently as possible would behoove us all.
Sources:
http://www.hygienecouncil.com/uk/
http://www.hygienecouncil.com/uk/H_Matters_UK.pdf
