Thursday, March 08, 2007

Germs!

Don't get me wrong, I am not a total germ freak...I mean I like clean but I am not like really freaked out by germs everywhere, but I always try to use the first stall in public bathrooms (supposedly that is the one used least often by people) and silly things like that.
I have REFUSED to take my boys into those indoor play things at the mall. I just cannot do it. It is a good idea in concept because in places where it gets cold it is nice to have a playground for kids, but it just kind of grosses me out.
I was just not sure how clean those places were. Now however, I do. I read an article about a study done in several areas of the country in the paper today that said that publc restrooms were actually more clean than those playgrounds. Day-care centers, the mall playgrounds, and public railings ranked far higher than the bathrooms. Go figure. Shopping carts are ranking pretty high too. EW! I actually happened to buy a shopping cart cover last week because it was on sale at Target. I had seen them before, but they seemed bulky and complicated but they are actually really easy to use. So now everytime we head out to the grocery store or target on goes my cover.
Man, I feel like I am turning into a germ freak...must be the part of me most like my Dad.
Anyway...just some random thoughts for today.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ha ha, I registered for one of those grocery cart covers! They look awesome and soft too, and you can attach a toy onto it. Cool!

Ashleigh said...

Anne, I do a lot of the same things. I don't let my kids play in those in ground playgrounds either, except the one they have at Ted's workplace. I always call them "germ factories."

I use a shopping cart cover for Ava ALL the time, both on carts and in high chairs at restaurants. With Olivia, I wipe it down with Purell. And I too do the first stall thing in bathrooms. I think I read that someplace too.

Ashleigh said...

I meant "inside" not "in ground." It's been one of those weeks.

Bethany said...

I am a germ freak too especially in the bathrooms. I carry hand sanitizer always with me. We don't go to the mall often but we do go to indoor playgrounds but I only go to the one where they are wiping everything down every half hour and I actually see them doing it. I am a freak with toilets...I squat and have been known to lift and aim my boys so they touch nothing. HEE HEE. I used the grocery cart thing when they were babies but mine always ripped them off. Now I do let me kids get pretty dirty in the backyard but I have a theory that "dirt" builds immune systems. My kids are rarely sick. Jude to my horror has licked the hand rails several times at Disneyland and Disneyworld YUCK!!! I am convinced that he will have every germ known to man by the time he is 5. Made me feel better when I was with my friend and her little boy started doing the same thing...nice to know I am not the only one with a nutty, gross kid.

Anonymous said...

I am definately a "germ freak."And i think I would prefer it that way. Especially working in the hospital, it grosses me out what germs fly around. Every time we go to the mall and walk past the toyland thing, Chad says our kids aren't playing in there and that we can't park by Penneys to avoid walking past it. My mom also told me a while ago that the germiest thing in a hotel room is the remote. Not the nasty comforters they don't wash. Makes sense though! Ewwww!

Chad said...

I totally agree with your stand on indoor play places. Nasty. I'm prolly gonna make a deal with my kid.

The deal is as follows:

"you never ask to go to an indoor play place and I'll build you one in the yard and throw a tarp over it. There...indoor playplace."

Anonymous said...

HEY !! I resemble that. Hard to be a microbiology major and physcian and not be a Germophobe.