Fellow germaphobes...Do you think we've become too germaphobic for our own good?

I know this comes up alot when we talk about restaurants and stuff, but have you ever thought about the long term effects of everyone being OBSESSED about germs?

I find myself washing and Purelling my hands 10000x a day and Lysol wiping things constantly. In fact, when we travel we do it 10x more. (ironically, we always get sick when we travel too )

When we were in Europe last week, I noticed many people had no shame in leaving the bathroom without washing their hands and doing other various "gross" things. Yet, we were the ones sneezing and congested.

With all of the drug-resistant bacteria evolving, and things like children's food allergies being linked to our "excessive cleanliness"... Do you think we've gone too far? Do you think we are ruining our immune systems? Do you think you could ever go back to not being obessed with Purell?

Re: Fellow germaphobes...Do you think we've become too germaphobic for our own good?

My mom is like this...and she always has colds, etc

My dad and I are the opposite and we are hardly ever sick (well, at least since I stopped smoking)

I am a big believer that too much sanitizing is NOT good for you...a body needs to build up the immune system

Re: Fellow germaphobes...Do you think we've become too germaphobic for our own good?

Im a germaphobie but not obesessive about. i wouldnt use purell as much as you do, your stripping your natural barrier away and making yourself more prone to illness and bacteria.

I do wash my hands more than normal, my hands are dry and cracked which makes me at risk of catching things. I deal in the medical field so touching people tho with gloves i still feel the need to wash after, plus with a baby at home i constantly wash.

Re: Fellow germaphobes...Do you think we've become too germaphobic for our own good?

Yes. My brother works in the food industry and we just had a discussion about this. He believes (and I agree with him) that we are so obsessed with being clean that we are opening ourselves up to not being immune to certain bacterias (especially when traveling).

Re: Fellow germaphobes...Do you think we've become too germaphobic for our own good?

Re: Fellow germaphobes...Do you think we've become too germaphobic for our own good?

I do the normal de-germing of things (wash my hands after using the bathroom, sanitzing gel after changing a diaper, lysol and clorox wipes on certain household objects), but I don't go nuts.

When my DD was born I let me nephews come over the day after we came home from the hospital. I never keep her sequestered from other kids if they have a cold or from DH if he's sick, and funny enough DD and I very rarely get sick. She's alomst 17 months old and has only been sick once.

On the other hand DH's sister is a germ-a-phobe to it's fullest extent. Her kids are teenagers and still get sick if someone sneezes while walking past their house.

So to answer then question, lol, I think that the companies who make these products have taken it a bit too far and in turn has made the population unaturally afraid of germs. I think like everything else, you need a medium ground when it comes to dissinfecting.

ETA: Terrible grammar, lol.

Message edited 4/24/2008 10:08:17 AM.

Re: Fellow germaphobes...Do you think we've become too germaphobic for our own good?

I think this is a BIG problem.

I have a healthy respect for what germs can do to us -- I mean, no one LIKES to get sick -- but I don't slather on the Purell. I don't demand antibiotics when I sneeze and am peeved by doctors who readily prescribe them without a definitive diagnosis.

Then again, I'm the weirdo who will stand in the hand soap aisle for 10 minutes looking for the few products NOT labeled "antibacterial."

Re: Fellow germaphobes...Do you think we've become too germaphobic for our own good?

Re: Fellow germaphobes...Do you think we've become too germaphobic for our own good?

Message edited 4/24/2008 12:02:32 PM.

Re: Fellow germaphobes...Do you think we've become too germaphobic for our own good?

I am far from OCD, but I don't exactly go nuts with the Purell either. In my line of work, one HAS to be cautious and clean. My students have gotten me sick NUMEROUS times because their parents cannot see fit to keep them home from school and teach them how to blow their noses properly. I have often come home and transferred my illnesses to my husband. It may help if the general public practiced proper hygiene skills. We have all seen some pretty gross stuff on a day to day basis.

Re: Fellow germaphobes...Do you think we've become too germaphobic for our own good?

Re: Fellow germaphobes...Do you think we've become too germaphobic for our own good?

Re: Fellow germaphobes...Do you think we've become too germaphobic for our own good?