Recently a friend and I were talking about how we really can’t survive anymore in a world of all these germs. Mostly because it is pointed out to us every day how unclean our surroundings are and everyone I know uses hand sanitizer like it will save the world. That brought us to list some of the things we really have to watch out for now. I don’t know how we lived this long without knowing this.
There’s the all-important bottom of the woman’s purse. It sets everywhere, on the floor, then to the table or chair where it spreads germs. Bacteria and viruses live on that handbag for awhile and we’ve been told we must clean them. Never mind that it might be fine leather, not up to scrubbing with soap and water. As this fact was pointed out to me, I started paying attention to it and it totally grosses me out now how dirty the bottom of this item might be.
Also in the cleanliness issue is the lemon in a glass of iced tea. I still like lemon in my tea and I still very bravely ask for it, but some of my friends say, “No thank you.” That’s because they saw the story on “60 Minutes” about servers with unclean hands who have been in unclean areas, squeezing those lemons into your drink. Also remember, don’t keep your toothbrush too close to the toilet in your bathroom. It seems that the vapor from the toilet will spray many feet in the air. Who studies these things?
Ah yes, then there’s the door handle of the restroom. I wash my hands and you probably wash yours, but what about the guy who didn’t? I rarely touch that handle when I’m leaving without a paper towel in my hand to hold onto it. I realize this makes me sound somewhat crazy. How did I live all those years before while I was using my bare hand to grasp that door knob?
When we think of traveling, there is, of course, the recent bedbug scare, which seemed to be prevalent in some hotels. That never worried me so much as sitting on the bedspread did. Who knows what went on there last and when it was washed? And also I’ve become crazy about washing off the TV remote control. Who last had their hands on it? Okay, a little more insanity for me.
Some people wash off the tops of their canned goods because there might have been rodents running around the warehouse where they were stored. I haven’t gone that far yet, probably because I just forget to do it.
The microwave is one of my favorite appliances, but I no longer wrap food or even cover the bowls with plastic wrap. It seems that wrap has some sort of cancer-causing agent that is released when the microwave heats up. Now we use paper towels for covering and that’s not so good. Thanks to whoever ruined that for me.
In another area of concern we have been warned about telephone scams. Twice in the last two months I have received a call on my cell phone that said that the IRS was investigating me and I need to call back right away. The phone number said it was from Vancouver, Washington. I chose to ignore it, but I was so tempted to call back and see what they had to say to me. Then there’s the times I have received an email from a long-lost person from Nairobi, Kenya, who had $50 million he wanted to share with me if I would just send him $5,000 to free up that money. Seriously, how gullible do they think we are?
I’m sure there are other prevalent holiday scams going on, since we all like to help in a little extra way at this time of the year. Just be careful you know where your money’s going.
So we have warnings about all these things on television and in the newspaper. The ones about cleanliness could especially make you crazy. I would say I’m much more alert to it now and with flu season here, what are we to do? Have a good time and enjoy the holidays, I say.
(Melanie Behrens – melb@marysvillejt.com)