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More than one in 10 people's hands are so contaminated with faecal organisms that the levels of bacteria detected were equal to what you would expect to find in a dirty toilet bowl, a new study suggests.

Out of the samples taken, 11% of hands, 8% of bank cards and 6% of bank notes showed this form of gross contamination, the study found.

In Britain, one in 10 bank cards (10%) and one in seven notes (14%) were found to be contaminated with some faecal organisms, the research, carried out at Queen Mary, University of London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, showed. More than a quarter (26%) of hands sampled showed traces of faecal contamination including bacteria such as E.coli, the study found.

The 272 participants who took part in the scientific study were also asked to fill out a questionnaire with the results revealing only 39% of respondents washed their hands before eating. The vast majority (91%) of respondents also stated that they washed their hands after using the toilet, although the levels of faecal organisms contaminating the cards and currency suggested otherwise, researchers said.

 

http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/some...like-dirty-toilets-3

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We did a  (rather embarassing) study of this subject at college. Petri dishes, ovens, cultures et al. As a result I am able to tell you that the solution lies in ones definition of washing hands. You have to wash them very thoroughly indeed. Rather than treating public toilets as somewhere recreational, where one can have sex or snort cocaine, or whatever the youngsters do nowadays, they are best avoided. If you have to use one don't forget to take a paper towel and hold it over any door knobs or handles as you leave.

Living in the country brings it's own advantages.

Garage Joe

At work (nightshift) we often make cups of tea. I never finish mine - ever - there is always about an inch remaining.

The woman i used to work with usually mentioned this to me and got annoyed

 

One day she went to the toilet and as soon as she flushed she came out of the bathroom - no way had she washed her hands - i thought it was disgusting.

 

Five mins later she turned up with 2 cups of tea and sat next to me and said she wasn't leaving til i'd drank it all.

 

I nearly vomitted as i drank it

Saint
you should have shamed her into washing her hands! I keep a load of antibacterial hand gel handy, and wash my hands before food or water. I sometimes let customers use our staff loo, if they have little children who can't hold it.. Most don't wash their hands even though I showed them where the sink is so I hand them the hand gel as they come out
~Sparkling Summer~

 

 

how many people go and grab fast food or simple F+C and proceed to eat it there and then?

 

when you buy the said food  you have handled the dirtiest germ riddled thing you possibly can ....  money

 

 sit in  fast food outlets and see how many wipe their hands or go to wash their hands before eating   

 

I have done the above but am a bit more careful now I am more savvy and learnt so much from the basic food hygiene course I did several years ago

 

 

MrsH
Originally Posted by Garage Joe:

 I am able to tell you that the solution lies in ones definition of washing hands. You have to wash them very thoroughly indeed. 

Yes I agree - basic food hygience lecturer did this one - it was amazin to see what was still on hands after a quick wash and rinse rather than a thorough wash 

 

hospital ward toilets and bathrooms are another germ infested area - dont assume they are ok - I always take or provide wipes to anyone I know going in and wipe every object from bed to sink/toilet along the way  

MrsH
Originally Posted by Saint:

At work (nightshift) we often make cups of tea. I never finish mine - ever - there is always about an inch remaining.

The woman i used to work with usually mentioned this to me and got annoyed

 

One day she went to the toilet and as soon as she flushed she came out of the bathroom - no way had she washed her hands - i thought it was disgusting.

 

Five mins later she turned up with 2 cups of tea and sat next to me and said she wasn't leaving til i'd drank it all.

 

I nearly vomitted as i drank it

Yikes! that's vile!! 

slimfern
Originally Posted by Saint:

At work (nightshift) we often make cups of tea. I never finish mine - ever - there is always about an inch remaining.

The woman i used to work with usually mentioned this to me and got annoyed

 

One day she went to the toilet and as soon as she flushed she came out of the bathroom - no way had she washed her hands - i thought it was disgusting.

 

Five mins later she turned up with 2 cups of tea and sat next to me and said she wasn't leaving til i'd drank it all.

 

I nearly vomitted as i drank it

I'd have told her she could sit there 'til Hell froze over....and the tea still wouldn't have been drunk - and I'd have told her why too!

Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing

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