A good place to visit the toilet these days is at the mall. The loos there are usually cleaned and stocked with paper on a fairly regular basis, and the driers work after you wash your hands. But. The dillemma I always face is....after leaving the cubicle, or urinal, and then washing and drying my hands, 'cos I always do, you know. how do I leave the facility without touching the door handles. Some places, no problem, as long as the doors open outwards. BUT! if you are in a room with doors that open inwards you have to use the handle to pull the door open. And 'cos you don't know how many epople have used that handle without washing their hands I usually end up going back to the cubicle for a bit of paper to use as a hand shield. Then you have the embarresment of emerging into the mall, usually the food court, with a bit of bog-paper clutched in your hand. Its not a good look. So i propose a dispenser by the exit that allows you to rip off a square of paper, to enable you to operate all door handles between you and the main building. perhaps these could be also used to advertise shops within the mall to help finance the service.
-- briandamage, Nov 15 2002

cut to the chase...s'pose disposable doors is the way to go (no pun intended) http://www.halfbake...posable_20Doorknobs
[po, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]

"Monk" starring Tony Shalhoub http://www.usanetwork.com/series/monk/
Sounds like you might really like this show [krelnik, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

or perhaps you could carry travel size lysol cans in your pocket. anyone that afraid of germs needs to. Do you suggest that they put these "cover dispensers" on each side of all doors? I mean considering there is the potential for someone to sneeze before opening any door. I have a better idea.....disposable anti bacterial gloves for people to wear. Put them on before going out and throw them away just outside the door to your home in, of course, a hypoallergenic antibacterial disposable garbage bag.

besides, in handwashing it is the friction of rubbing your hands together that kills the germs and the water simply washes them away...there is not even a need for soap. Perhaps you can just rub your hands together for about 15 secs after opening a door to kill the germs, and wash them away when you get around to it.
-- drfowler, Nov 15 2002


Cripes! I had always thought they were pretty hygienic. Thanks for that UB - I'll never use one again.
-- sild, Nov 15 2002


Along similar lines of hygiene, please consider the following:

After you have used the toilet. You turn the water tap with your "dirty hands" [the tap becoming offically dirty]. You wash your hands with soap and then... You close the water tap using your clean hands on a dirty tap!
-- spekkie, Nov 15 2002


Excellent point spekkie. Although I may sound like a pessimist regarding this matter, I really do think briandamage may be onto something. I just think he may be hitting the wrong area to focus on. There are so many other things to consider that we touch that carry germs from other people. Take for example money...perhaps a cash register or wallet, maybe even a purse that sterilizes money should be in order. (just brain storming here)...shopping baskets, vending machines, elevators. I could go on. But in all regards the common denominator is our hands...thus the glove theory may be a potentially good idea.
-- drfowler, Nov 15 2002


There's also a case to be made that we're getting more intolerant of germs (in a medical sense) because we're exposed to them less and less.

spekkie, I always "wash" the top of the tap with the soap before rinsing and turning off.
-- egbert, Nov 15 2002


you are correct egbert. If you are not exposed to a variety of germs your body will never build up an immunity against them. That would make many germs lethal to a person. Germs are nothing to be messed with. They change a lot and tend to become more resistant to things that fight against them...take for example how resistant many are to antibiotics right now. I say just wash your hands before they come into contact with any opening on your body...(EX: mouth, eyes, ears, cuts...i am not saying it) This eliminates germs entering into your blood stream where they become more dangerous. As far as touching door handles...well, just try not to suck on your thumb afterwards.
-- drfowler, Nov 15 2002


Would you look better with a disposable handle cover in your hand than you do holding a piece of toilet paper?
-- Gwenanda, Nov 17 2002


how odd. how do you people shake hands? microbes are our friends.
-- johnmeacham, May 23 2003


This is just one of many ideas on the bakery that seem to cater to those with obsessive compulsive disorder.
-- krelnik, May 25 2003


Just install automatic doors in every bathroom in the world.
-- modular, Dec 05 2003


It may seem futile but here: www.wakmah.co.uk/spots.htm
-- wakmah, Jun 16 2004



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