Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Confessions of a Germaphobe

Hello. My name is Heather. I am a Germaphobe.

I pour Germ-x on restaurant tables, wiping off the surfaces, and if I have to touch the chair or food tray, I slather the stuff on my hands, too. I hold ketchup bottles and salt shakers with paper towels. When I go to the store, I ALWAYS use the anti-bacterial wipes when they're available. And when they're not, I IMMEDIATELY use Germ-x when I finish up. Need I say more?

I admit it. Gladly. I mean, who wants to be sick? I will do just about anything to keep from getting sick, even to the point of wearing disposable gloves while tending to my up-chucking son. When he looked at my hands and said, "Why are you wearing gloves, Momma?" I felt kind of bad. But I didn't take the gloves off.

So, today, I tried yet again to instill a healthy fear of germs (and/or viruses) into my son. We were at the grocery store to pick up a few things when we both had to go to the bathroom. When he came out, I asked him if he had opened the door with his bare hands after washing them. He had. So, I made him go back to the bathroom to wash them again. When he came out, I asked him if he had turned the faucet off and gotten a paper towel with his bare hands. Yes, he had. So I made him go back to the bathroom and wash them again, after instructing him to pull the paper towels down (you know, the pumping kind of dispenser), turn the faucet on, wash his hands, use the paper towel to dry his hands THEN turn the faucet off THEN open the door.

After the first time I sent him back he said I was a germaphobe. I told him that I was unashamedly one and that he better be one, too, or he would end up losing his cookies at some point. At first he said he'd rather do that than wash his hands again, but then he came to his senses and washed his hands for the third time.

So, how germaphobic are you? Am I crazy? OCD? I'll think about it some more and get back to you. After I change my facemask.

9 comments:

"Intentionally Katie" said...

You're hilarious. And likely never get sick...

:)

Unknown said...

I'm extreme with public bathrooms! You should see my daughter flush with her foot!

Unknown said...

I do flush with my foot and keep GermX in my purse, but that's about it. I don't consider myself a germaphobe at all (and I rarely get sick). A few germs help build a strong immunity system.

Kat said...

I'm thinking, ummmmmmmm, yeah. Just a little OCD. (Giggling) I can't beleive you made him go back in the bathroom 2 times to re-wash his hands. Just remember what Jarah told Fep about getting Swine Flu..."You are in the plam of God's hands." But that's okay. We won't discuss my OCD tendencies ;)

Kat said...

Oooops. That should have been "palm" not "plam". Palm or plam, if you're with God, it's all good ;)

Thena said...

I also flush with my foot. Gross touching the handle where someone else just used theirs to flush it. And what might have been on their hands, it is a toilet. Sometimes I do find myself using a paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the door but not always.

Kimberly said...

I don't know if I am a germaphobe, but I certainly think about what I am doing when in the restroom. I LOVE it when they provide a trash can by the door, because my favorite thing to do is leave with my paper towel in hand and use it to open the door then toss as I emerge with perfectly clean hands.

If you are going to wash your hands anyway, I don't feel it's critical to use your foot when flushing - but I certainly understand the urge to do so.

I am so aware of people that constantly run their fingers around the perimeter of their mouth and touch other areas of their face. They may want to shake your hand! Yuck.

While we are talking . . . how do you gracefully avoid shaking people's hands when the pastor asks you to greet others next to you in church. Please let me know what you think.

Darlene said...

I am not a germaphobe at all and rarely do myself or hubby get sick. Lexi is a different story since she is around kids all day in school. I do keep a hand sanitizer in my purse and try to open the door with a towel when I am leaving the restroom and flush with my foot. Otherwise, I just wash my hands normally and go about my business.

I tend to find the people I know that are constantly cleaning and are germaphob-ish stay sick all the time!

Shannon said...

This is hilarious! My husband is always washing his hands and using germ-x. He thinks I'm crazy for not really caring but the funny thing is....he gets sick WAY more often then me! :)