Grocery cart handles EWWWW!

I know most of us are probably pretty knowledgeable about germs and hand washing but did you know, according to what I just heard on TV, that grocery cart handles are the absolute worst? :eek:

Several stores in my area have disposal wipes located where the carts are in the front of the store so that shoppers may wipe off the prior person's germs before touching that handle. When you hear about the types of germs and material that come off these things with a swab it makes you just cringe. Anyone remember when Oprah did a show on this a couple of years back? Everyone please be careful what you touch, especially in flu season. :eek:

Good reminder Pam. Our Kroger has the wipes - I need to start USING them! The only times I have bothered are when we have had our oldest granddaughter with us. :p Thanks for the post.

......and people sit their babies in those... I had one great grandchild get some sort of hand and mouth disease from one...that required a doctors attention!

This may sound stupid, but I keep a container of those kitchen wipes in my van. I grab one when I go into the store, wipe my cart handle then toss the wipe in the trash can on the way in.. Paranoid? Maybe- but the fact is it isnt just germs from others- but also others raw meats etc in that cart. I also wash my hands as soon as I get home and get the groceries away...

I saw this on the news this morning, those handles have more germs on them than public toilets!!!

My grocery store has a HUGE tub of Clorex Handi Wipes right by the carts!!

I don't like touching doors & carts,

I mean who knows where those hands have been. O.o

Okay...you guys have convinced me. I am never going to the grocery store again! (I've been looking for an excuse for a long time!)

I think I've heard that somewhere before. Never really bothered me. I remember seeing some George Carlin comedy act about germs and how people need to work the immune system instead of be so paranoid. It was funny, and yet I think he was right.

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Originally Posted by Edwina's Secretary

Okay...you guys have convinced me. I am never going to the grocery store again! (I've been looking for an excuse for a long time!)

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ROFLOL, I'm with you!!!

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Originally Posted by jazzcat

ROFLOL, I'm with you!!!

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Me too!

I never have wiped off a grocery cart. How in the world did I live so long? And my kids survived too. How did THAT happen? :confused:

I don't worry about this.

If there were NO bacteria, no one would have a working immune system!

And we would be in worse trouble.

Filthy dirty carts? I can see it.

But heck, I hadn't been shopping in the two days preceding my Norwalk attack last year.

I just try to wash my hands regularly.

I'm not a germ-a-phobe but I don't like touching other people's fecal matter either. I use the wipes whenever they're available. When I have Hugito with me, I use one of these http://www.babyemporio.com/cartcover...-a-la-cart.jpg.

I can never be too sure with him, especially since he likes to put his mouth on everything.

Regular hand washing is also in my repertoire.

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Originally Posted by Edwina's Secretary

Okay...you guys have convinced me. I am never going to the grocery store again! (I've been looking for an excuse for a long time!)

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If only. :D Have you all ever looked at the folks around you in the
grocery, or where ever? I mean really looked. I always wash my hands when
I come home. Just got into the habit of doing it.

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Originally Posted by lizbud

If only. :D Have you all ever looked at the folks around you in the
grocery, or where ever? I mean really looked. I always wash my hands when
I come home. Just got into the habit of doing it.

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Yes I have Liz and I also like to look at what they have in their carts when they check out. It is a study in itself. :)

Of course those of us adults know to not put our mouths on the handle :eek: :eek: but try explaining that to a little toddler. After having a couple of bouts with the stomach virus (the latest being two weeks ago) I will do anything to avoid being sick. ;) Bring on the saniwipes and soap!

I am not a germaphobe by any means however I do things that I never did before such as opening the bathroom door to leave with a towel, etc.

After my daughter almost died of a stomach virus 4 years ago I don't think we can be too careful.

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Originally Posted by TFTpwnsYou

I think I've heard that somewhere before. Never really bothered me. I remember seeing some George Carlin comedy act about germs and how people need to work the immune system instead of be so paranoid. It was funny, and yet I think he was right.

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Only for people who already have healthy immune systems. I have a hyper-active immune system, but knowing people with less-than-normal immune responses, I didn't find that bit funny in the least.

This time of year, I have my mittens on when I am pushing the cart anyway!

There are antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria now - can't be too careful. When buying meat I bring a plastic bag over from the produce section and stick the meat in the bag before I put it in the grocery cart. I'm also hyper-attentive to handwashing because I'm a nurse.

Interesting study by Dr. Charles Gerba (funded by Clorox :)) tested levels of bacterial growth in a typical office.

The top five most germ-contaminated spots in the office were (in order):

1. Phone
2. Desktop
3. Water fountain handle
4. Microwave door handle
5. Keyboard

The study found that if hit with an anti-bacterial quick wipe once a day, bacterial growth in these spots decreased by as much as 95%. Our office cleaning crew does the kitchen and we don't have a water fountain anymore. I am not as diligent about de-gunking my desk as I should be. I wish I had the services of the cleaning crew to do my kitchen and bathroom at home each night the way they do in the office - they are terrific.

I heard a few months ago that if we all stopped being so paranoid, we would all have stronger immune systems like we did in the old days. They gave examples of: picking up a pacifier off the floor and putting it right back into the baby's mouth, not washing our hands so frequently, etc. etc. etc. I, for one. am not willing to take that chance.

It's true, if you look around at some if the people you're in the store with.....holy cow!! Unfortunately, some people are so downright nasty and filthy that I get the heebie jeebies to think I might be sharing something with some of them. I always think, there's no telling where those hands have been. :eek: :eek: :eek:

Elyse(cassiesmom), I noticed you mentioned the water fountain handle. does anybody know exactly what that green gunk is on the water fountain spouts on some fountains?

The green gunk on the water fountains is copper oxide residue, which is a deposit left by the water as it dries.

Water is referred to as a universal solvent, because given enough time it will dissolve almost anything. Water picks up infinitesmal amounts of copper as the water passes through the pipes, leaving the deposits that you see as the water evaporates.

Thanks LH. To me, it always looks like a glob of some weird bacteria. I've always wondered what it is :)

Pam, I AM a germophobic!!! I know this sounds crazy, but when I shop at Wal-Mart, I drive the cart with my wrists!!! Less likely to put my wrists on my mouth / face than my hands! ;) THEN, as soon as I get in the car, I use antibacterial hand cleaner, all over my hands, wrists, and steering wheel. THEN, as soon as I get home, I wash with hot soapy water up to my elbows! Extreme? Maybe ... but I hate other people's germs!!! If anyone wants to hear more precautions, I think I could write a book on them! :eek: :D

Oh, I would love to have one of those covered things for Jenna to use in the shopping cart, but I know her lazy parents wouldn't bother with it! :rolleyes:

Oh ... also, if I have a coat on, I pull the sleeves down under my wrists for extra protection and padding! :p

not worried.. never thought of that.. I don't shop A LOT (only household, college student, picky eater) at once :p so I usually go in without cart -- but if I touch anything that are touched publicly, I always feel so dirt to wash.. I wash a lot though anyway.

It's not so much the germs on the carts, door handles, etc, that I worry about but the other 'stuff' I heard they find on them! :rolleyes:

I'm not to much of a germaphobe, but the most digusting thing in the world to me is chewed gum. I hate gum because of it. It's just gross when people spit it out on the ground, or if it's under desks, etc. I'm a gumaphobe. :D

You can NEVER be too careful. My mom doesn't want me to wheel the grocery cart, all these years I thought it was because of my clumsiness until I asked her why a few days ago and she told me this same reason. I always try and avoid using public bathrooms and water fountains. I hate them. I wash my hands constantly in my own home, so I think I might be a bit of an extremist but it's staying that way.

Why not disposable latex-non latex gloves for the carts?

less hassle maybe

I think safety parinoia in general has gone too far lol. I am not a safety nut in the slightest. I really dont care whats on shopping cart handles, nor I am terrified of public washrooms, I dont sanitize everything I touch and I dont get the flu shot. I let my dogs off leash in unfenced areas near quite roads, and let then run along the van in the country side. I happily stick my hands in mud and splash in puddles etc... no I wash my hands with soap and hot water fatre handling raw meat, I wash my hands after using the washroom, and if a starnger walks into work with hands covered in open wounds I then sanitize my hands and everything the person touched AKA I follow common sence guidlines. and guess what? I have a predispotion to severe allergys and illness, I have only 2 mild "sorta" allergys that is the fabric Rayon cannot touch my skin, and Codine affects my kidneys. I almost never get sick, and when I do its mild and short.

I must be related to Borzoid....I carry hand towellettes in the car and always have a bottle of hand sanitizer wherever I go. Guess I'm a little too paranoid but it beats picking up some nasties. Our grocers started crrying towellettes for the cart handles also.

I've had people look at me funny when I wipe the the cart, but I don't care. My grandson has caught two nasty bugs off those things, once because I had cleaned out my van and forgot to put the wipes back in . I have two containers of wipes I keep at all times. If I'm in the store and I see someone with a small child and he/she has their mouth on the handle, I will tell the parent about what happened to my granson. I know that's where he caught it because that's the only places I ever went. He caught something one time and passed it through four of us and I can tell you it's not something I want to ever get again. So, anyone with small children, PLEASE wipe the carts down really well.

This just doesn't make sense to me. Most germs need moist, warm, dark homes to thrive in. Hard, dry, brightly lit grocery cart handles don't seem to fit the bill.

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Originally Posted by cali

I think safety parinoia in general has gone too far lol. I am not a safety nut in the slightest. I really dont care whats on shopping cart handles, nor I am terrified of public washrooms, I dont sanitize everything I touch and I dont get the flu shot. I let my dogs off leash in unfenced areas near quite roads, and let then run along the van in the country side. I happily stick my hands in mud and splash in puddles etc... no I wash my hands with soap and hot water fatre handling raw meat, I wash my hands after using the washroom, and if a starnger walks into work with hands covered in open wounds I then sanitize my hands and everything the person touched AKA I follow common sence guidlines. and guess what? I have a predispotion to severe allergys and illness, I have only 2 mild "sorta" allergys that is the fabric Rayon cannot touch my skin, and Codine affects my kidneys. I almost never get sick, and when I do its mild and short.

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I'm the same way. I think growing up in my mom's house and where I did gave me an awesome immune system. Me and my mom laugh about it all the time. I rarely and I mean rarely get sick, and even if I do 2-3 days and poof gone, and just something mild. And I'm not allergic to anything. Sometimes I think I got lucky, and other times I think my body is just trained....lol.

I've always knew that grocery store cart handles had germs.... but I didn't know they had THAT many! I'm a TOTAL germaphobic, I wash my hands very often.

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Originally Posted by Pam

I know most of us are probably pretty knowledgeable about germs and hand washing but did you know, according to what I just heard on TV, that grocery cart handles are the absolute worst? :eek:

Several stores in my area have disposal wipes located where the carts are in the front of the store so that shoppers may wipe off the prior person's germs before touching that handle. When you hear about the types of germs and material that come off these things with a swab it makes you just cringe. Anyone remember when Oprah did a show on this a couple of years back? Everyone please be careful what you touch, especially in flu season. :eek:

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eww that's disgusting!!I heard from my cousin that girls bathrooms have more germs than boys!!!What's up with that anyway?lol

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Originally Posted by cali

I think safety parinoia in general has gone too far lol. I am not a safety nut in the slightest. I really dont care whats on shopping cart handles, nor I am terrified of public washrooms, I dont sanitize everything I touch and I dont get the flu shot. I let my dogs off leash in unfenced areas near quite roads, and let then run along the van in the country side. I happily stick my hands in mud and splash in puddles etc... no I wash my hands with soap and hot water fatre handling raw meat, I wash my hands after using the washroom, and if a starnger walks into work with hands covered in open wounds I then sanitize my hands and everything the person touched AKA I follow common sence guidlines. and guess what? I have a predispotion to severe allergys and illness, I have only 2 mild "sorta" allergys that is the fabric Rayon cannot touch my skin, and Codine affects my kidneys. I almost never get sick, and when I do its mild and short.

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I am with you 100%.

I would never worry about touching handles, etc. Maybe if I had a child I would be a bit more worried about germs and bacteria, but until that day, I will happily push anyones shopping cart around if needed! :p

I must be phobic....I won't even open a door with my bare hands. I don't touch magazines in waiting rooms, and I always have hand sanitizer wherever I go and towellettes in the car. I wear rubber gloves to handle raw meat and clean everything with Javex when done. I mean meat for my dogs that I pick up at the butcher's by the barrel full. My immune system is a total zero and I was told to be careful, so I try. :)

I am pretty 'safe' when it comes to germs. I'm constantly washing my hands (especially at work, where I handle everything from raw chicken to trash cans to money) however, I've never been too hesitant to open doors, touch carts, etc. You will NEVER see me touch meats in the meat section unless there are wipes near by.

While I have no problem touching handles and the like, the first thing I will do is wash my hands when I get home, even before I touch my dogs.