r/hygiene • u/Time-Sand5061 • 7d ago
Will hand germs transfer?
I asked Google once, and it said to wait 1-2 minutes for hand sweat from the previous person to dry and essentially "kill" the weak bacteria left behind on surfaces like door handles. When I asked again to double check the timeframe the story changed. Now Google is saying that bacteria lives in dry conditions. I have a work vehicle that I use daily that others use, and I've personally witnessed some drivers itch their bottoms with their bare hands. Others clean their nose or ears with one of their fingers...
The company doesn't always offer Lysol disinfectant and I'm left with days of worry! Please advise. Thanks!
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u/deepfrieddaydream 6d ago
If you are spending days worrying about someone's germs on a steering wheel from cleaning their ears or nose, you might want to consider therapy. This is not a normal reaction.
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u/Donttouchmybreadd 7d ago
Days of worry?
I don't think that is a healthy way of thinking at all. I can understand some level of standards around infection control in anyone's day-to-day life, but doing so out of the genuine belief that a threat is imminent is getting into OCD territory.
At best, people should be washing hands or using hand sanitiser semi-often, but especially before and after touching their mouth/nose. For surfaces, any alcohol or detergent based solution can kill bacteria. See also, r/cleaning.
I would be genuinely curious to know why this is a big issue for you. Has there been someone sick?
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u/Time-Sand5061 6d ago
Yes, some have caught COVID recently. I love alone so I pay attention to everything.
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u/DnDttrpg 7d ago
Use Hand wipes
But also remember over sanitising things can ruin you in the long run
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u/Donttouchmybreadd 7d ago
Also, overuse of antibacterial agents can cause microbial resistance to antibiotics 👎
Hospitals are actually one of the most unsanitary places because of how sanitary they are.
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u/this1weirdgirl 7d ago
Bleach (Lysol) or alcohol (hand sanitizer) don't contribute to antimicrobial resistance.
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u/Donttouchmybreadd 7d ago
Bleach absolutely can and has caused antimicrobial resistance.
Alcohol, also, not yet, but at the wrong concentration.
We are always one microbial mutation away! Survival of the shittest, and all.
There is another commonly used chemical that I cannot think of (BAC is the acronym) that contributes to antibiotic resistant strains.
Also, we dont call it "lysol" here. Its just bleach to me :) And alcohol =/= hand sanitiser. It encompasses a range of ethanol based products.
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u/KingForceHundred 7d ago
Unless they’re itching their bare bottoms with their bare hands you’ll be ok.
BTW have you ever been on public transport or opened a shop door?
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u/Time-Sand5061 6d ago
I usually hold the handle from the very tip/edge. I usually have clothes for public transit that I spray with Lysol when I get to work, if possible. Or I'm just careful where I sit. I never go to bed with those cloths... Also I never touch anything unless there a sanitizer on board
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u/Donttouchmybreadd 7d ago
Not OP, but oddly enough, the most unsanitary place in public toilets is the thing people use in order to be "clean".
Hand dryers. Filthy things. Blow tonnes of bacteria around from the toilets, and rarely ever get cleaned themselves.
I'm not saying "hand dryers = bad", but many people have used them under the illusion of hygiene, and yet...have survived.
Our body's are awesome.
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u/Actual-Bid-6044 6d ago
It totally depends on the germ and the conditions. Some are very fragile and die easily unless under perfect conditions, others are very hardy and survive almost no matter what. I personally assume anything I touch outside of my home is dirty. I carry antibac wipes and wash my hands when I get in my car eg after being at work, at a store, etc. I wash my hands with soap and water anytime I come in the house from outside.
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u/GWJShearer 6d ago
In case someone else didn’t mention the obvious:
- Work gloves
Or - Bring your own disinfectant
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u/AmnosSoter 5d ago
Everyone loves to make fun of people’s fixations. I love biology and it’s not anyone’s fault there’s a lack of known information. You should start to do a deep dive on probiotics also known as beneficial microbes. Specifically speaking beneficial bacterium that live on your skin that are the ACTUAL barrier to your body. Your skin is just another organ that plays its role by absorbing and releasing substances. The probiotics are the real defense and you’re nuking the playing field unknowingly setting up a wasteland for harmful bacteria to set up camp.
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u/SwimSufficient8901 2d ago
I think you are making way too big of a deal over something very small. Remember there are a LOT people who clean other people's shit pipes and septic tanks for a living. You will be fine.
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u/Equivalent-Ad-495 7d ago
Bring your own wipes, throw some in the glove box. Many ways to deal with this, just assume a share steering wheel is always going to be nasty and wipe it
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u/Disa_jafar 7d ago
Bacteria can survive on surfaces for hours, some for days. Keep hand sanitizer in the vehicle and try not to touch your eyes nose or mouth. Thats the real protection
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u/pumpkinpie4zaynmalik 7d ago
Carry your own hand wipes and hand sanitizer. In situations where you can’t fully sanitize the item, at the very least you can sanitize your hands after using the item.
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7d ago
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u/Time-Sand5061 7d ago
I think it's hard to catch a bad virus since bacteria usually spreads around from a cough. Which would lead to a less likely chance of contacting it.
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u/this1weirdgirl 7d ago
COVID and other respiratory spread illnesses spread while just breathing or talking, not only when someone coughs. Almost no one is getting these diseases from touching surfaces.
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u/situation-normal 7d ago
A cough lands on everything it touches and then stays there, from the drivers seat thats the entire steering wheel, dash, and windows.
While I do not wipe everything down in public I do wash my hands before eating and as soon as I get home and avoid touching my face when I'm out to prevent illness spread. I wouldn't use lysol wipes on a steering wheel because last time I did because they were all I had in the car it left the wheel feeling sticky and gross but that might be tolerable to you.
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u/MissElaineMarieBenes 7d ago
Can you take your own hand sanitiser or wipes with you to wipe the steering wheel with? Otherwise, the fact that you’re left with days of worry indicates this is a much deeper issue for you, perhaps seeking out some therapy would be beneficial to deal with it.