Handsanitizer discussion on today's podcast

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It probably doesn't help that I have sensitive skin so petroleum or cream bases in Neosporin end up being something else my wound has to deal with too. One time I put Neo on a scratched insect bite and it ended up giving me a dermatitis rash.

I didn't specify but I was comparing my wounds treated with a hand wash then Neo vs a handwash then holding the cut directly under running water for a minute or two.

We actually were talking about petroleum based creams and lotions the other day. Father-in-law was talking about a friend of his that they didn't think about it and put some one their grandchild and the child was instantly screaming so yeah I totally understand now at least in respects to hand sensitivity.

During the winter my favorite lotion is actually Vaseline Intensive Care Deep Moisture which is 30% petrolatum/petroleum jelly which works really well for my hands as they are prone to being icky dry from the winter and hand washing but that sounds like that would be awful for you!

 

[Heather07438]

We actually were talking about petroleum based creams and lotions the other day. Father-in-law was talking about a friend of his that they didn't think about it and put some one their grandchild and the child was instantly screaming so yeah I totally understand now at least in respects to hand sensitivity.

During the winter my favorite lotion is actually Vaseline Intensive Care Deep Moisture which is 30% petrolatum/petroleum jelly which works really well for my hands as they are prone to being icky dry from the winter and hand washing but that sounds like that would be awful for you!

Aww, that poor grandparent. And child too I try to limit exposure and stick with the same products that haven't bothered me, especially if my skin is dry or open. Silicones in hair products make my skin bumpy too. It's nice to have smooth hair but I prefer smooth skin and making my hair shiny with something else, lol.

I normally can tolerate Vaseline on healthy skin. Probably since my body was already reacting to an insect bite it put my body into overdrive. The Doc just generalized it as dermatitis and said Neo was the likely culprit but possibly my soap, etc.

 

[kylenne]

Thank you! As one of those people that are sensitive to fragrance I really appreciate you thinking of us I really wish more people would - not just in terms of scented wipes, but also heavy perfumes, cologne, etc. If I can smell someone's fragrance from a few FEET away, then they are using too much .

Admin is strict about fragrance at my workplace. A lot of our agents like to use wipes because the phone reps share workstations, and we have several who have severe allergies to fragrance. There's also a rather, uh, colorful character who likes to douse herself in cheap drugstore perfume. As my godmother always said, you don't have to marinate in it! I like rollerballs for that reason. They're also more convenient for travel.

As far as the effectiveness of hand sanitizers, whether or not they should be used...I think the problem lies in people thinking they're a substitute for washing your hands, and they really aren't. I use it on the subway, etc., places where handwashing is not an option. But I'm always sure to wash my hands asap. Before and after meals, also. I've heard of the ABCs method but I was taught the Happy Birthday one.

 

[Heather07438]

I'm always sure to wash my hands asap. Before and after meals, also. I've heard of the ABCs method but I was taught the Happy Birthday one.

Songs are good! Helps us gauge how long. Reminds me of "Stayin' Alive" to help time CPR.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I see a lot of people in my life who are constantly taking measures to avoid germs...through wipes, hand sanitizers, and constant cleaning and disinfecting at home. These people (as well as their families) seem to be sick more often and more severely than anyone I know. I am not sure if it's a case killing off both the bad and good bacateria, something in the same vein as antibiotic resistance, or what...but the basic hand-washers and average cleaners seem to usually be in better health. That's not to say those people don't also get sick from time to time, but I don't hear about them or their families dealing with the plague 3x a month.

 

[TonyaG83]

I see a lot of people in my life who are constantly taking measures to avoid germs...through wipes, hand sanitizers, and constant cleaning and disinfecting at home. These people (as well as their families) seem to be sick more often and more severely than anyone I know. I am not sure if it's a case killing off both the bad and good bacateria, something in the same vein as antibiotic resistance, or what...but the basic hand-washers and average cleaners seem to usually be in better health. That's not to say those people don't also get sick from time to time, but I don't hear about them or their families dealing with the plague 3x a month.

This. Growing up, hand washing/sanitizing was only stressed after using bathrooms and before touching food I would put directly in my mouth. My parents believed that exposure to bad germs was necessary to build my immune system.

Granted, the recent virus outbreak has me much more aware of the bacteria that exists outside of my own home.

 

[Tom P.]

It is good to practice good hygiene and take reasonable precautions against disease. I had a flu shot this year and I also carry hand sanitizer in my car, for example.

That being said, you can't live your life paranoid about getting sick. The truth is that (a) the immune system of a healthy adult does a fantastic job of fighting off most things that you come in contact with; (2) most of the more exotic and dangerous things you hear about on the news have a very low statistical likelihood of ever affecting you; and (iii) some exposure to germs, bacteria, etc. is actually beneficial for building up a healthy and strong immune system.

No, I'm not saying you should run your hands all over the railings and rides at Disney and then sit down to lunch without washing your hands. But I also don't think the average person should be excessively concerned about the health risks of a day at Walt Disney World.

 

[DVCjj]

I carry hand sanitizer everywhere in daily life and I am that lady wiping down the tray table, etc on the plane. Especially on flights to WDW, since you’re guaranteed a higher than average number of kids on board, who, bless their little hearts, are like walking Petri dishes. I got Disney crud that turned into bronchitis a couple of years ago and that made me even more paranoid about germs.

I would just caution against heavily scented wipes in shared environments—some people are extremely sensitive to fragrance and it can trigger reactions. I try to use fragrance free ones.

You would definitely not be the only lady wiping down the tray table (and the arms of the chair) on the plane. Got off a plane literally hours ago from WDW and I was surprised (though I guess not) to see how many people were wiping everything down. Including me. I normally use wipes when I'm out and always wipe my phone completely several times a day. Even if it's not perfect, every little bit helps in my estimation.

 

[North of Mouse]

I see a lot of people in my life who are constantly taking measures to avoid germs...through wipes, hand sanitizers, and constant cleaning and disinfecting at home. These people (as well as their families) seem to be sick more often and more severely than anyone I know. I am not sure if it's a case killing off both the bad and good bacateria, something in the same vein as antibiotic resistance, or what...but the basic hand-washers and average cleaners seem to usually be in better health. That's not to say those people don't also get sick from time to time, but I don't hear about them or their families dealing with the plague 3x a month.

There's more at play here than just being super cautious then. We are one of those families that are 'super cautious' and we're in the other spectrum. We may - or not - have a cold once a year. My sis in another state is also like me and they also are mostly cold free - and sick free for that matter.

It's all a matter of your 'whole' lifestyle and not usually just one part.
We'll continue as we are as something is working and I don't care what it is. We are hand washers when we can, and gel/wipe users when we can't - which seems to be very often when we're out and about in public.

 

[samsteele]

one of the most contaminated things in any hotel room/stateroom is the TV remote - almost everybody uses them, and they are VERY hard to sanitize because of all the buttons/crevices. I have friends who actually put theirs in a baggie, and use it through there

I do this, too.

When faced with elevator push buttons, I use the knuckles of my hand to press rather than finger tips. Small preventative steps can make a difference.

 

[SorcererHeidi]

Didn't want to start a whole new thread for this, and it is, at least in my mind, a somewhat parallel conversation (mods - let me know if I'm wrong, I will start a new thread).

Who checks for bed bugs when they travel? I have - no matter where - every single time - since at least 10 years ago, when they were an epidemic in the NorthEast/NYC area. Some friend's I've traveled with think I'm nuts when I offer to check their beds/room, but they usually end up understanding, when I explain it to them.

 

[Lilsia]

Didn't want to start a whole new thread for this, and it is, at least in my mind, a somewhat parallel conversation (mods - let me know if I'm wrong, I will start a new thread).

Who checks for bed bugs when they travel? I have - no matter where - every single time - since at least 10 years ago, when they were an epidemic in the NorthEast/NYC area. Some friend's I've traveled with think I'm nuts when I offer to check their beds/room, but they usually end up understanding, when I explain it to them.

I do, and I also travel with my bed sheets when I go on extended stays. I have very sensitive skin and most Disney hotel sheets are very rough for me. The only Disney sheets that are comfortable are the ones on the cruise ships. But as far as bed bugs, it is an easy, fast check to pull up the corner of the mattress and look. All the travel sites say to do that. Who wants to wake up to that?

 

[quandrea]

I see a lot of people in my life who are constantly taking measures to avoid germs...through wipes, hand sanitizers, and constant cleaning and disinfecting at home. These people (as well as their families) seem to be sick more often and more severely than anyone I know. I am not sure if it's a case killing off both the bad and good bacateria, something in the same vein as antibiotic resistance, or what...but the basic hand-washers and average cleaners seem to usually be in better health. That's not to say those people don't also get sick from time to time, but I don't hear about them or their families dealing with the plague 3x a month.

I think what may be at work here is those individuals are already vulnerable to begin with. We are very careful with germs in our home—lots of hand washing, hand sanitizer when necessary, wipe surfaces at school, work, out in the world in general. Dh and son are still often sick and when sick, it’s always quite serious. However, they are also both asthmatic and vulnerable in the first place. There is no such thing as a little cold in their world. We do what we can to avoid illness in them, but we don’t always succeed and when we fail, the illnesses are serious.

 

[MadMadamMim1]

I wipe down the hotel room with Clorox wipes, remotes, light switches, door knobs, etc. I never go barefoot in a hotel room--always wear slippers or socks. Wash hands when out when we can, otherwise have wipes and hand sanitizers--better than nothing. I wipe down high chairs in restaurants and the tables with Clorox. My toddler, I carry around these disposable Winnie the Pooh placemats that stick to the table, since she eats directly off the table (when given a plate, like most 2 year olds, her first instinct is just to throw it). My 9 year old, I've told her not to grab handrails, etc unless she absolutely has to.
At home, we are people who take off our shoes the instant we walk in the door and put them in the coat closet, where each person has a bin (I carry mine upstairs to my closet since I have work pumps, etc). We are so used to this that I think it's weird when I see people lounging around their own house in shoes. I swear this is one of the reasons we are rarely sick.
I also make my 9 year old take a shower when she gets home from school. That started when her little sister was an infant because I was paranoid about her getting the baby sick and now it's part of the routine. Kids are petri dishes of disease!

 

[Linkura]

I stopped getting sick on my trips to Disney and Uni when I wiped down all the hotel room surfaces with Clorox wipes and used hand sanitizer after touching ANYTHING in the parks. YMMV

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I stopped getting sick on my trips to Disney and Uni when I wiped down all the hotel room surfaces with Clorox wipes and used hand sanitizer after touching ANYTHING in the parks. YMMV

That's not going to stop you from getting sick. All it takes is people around you to be sick and they can pass it onto you. Not saying you shouldn't do what you're doing if it is something you want to do but it's not a correlation equals causation situation when you're around people, there is only so much you can do.

 

[DuskKodesh]

Just got back from a trip where I never touched my face, washed hands before every meal and anytime we could. Always twenty seconds, very thorough. I taught preschool and always taught my kids the ABC song method for timing. Still got nasty sick on my sixth day and was stuck in my hotel to heal. Hubs got it the exact same time so we're guessing it was airborne on the plane. Just remember what Picard said.

 

[SorcererHeidi]

Just got back from a trip where I never touched my face, washed hands before every meal and anytime we could. Always twenty seconds, very thorough. I taught preschool and always taught my kids the ABC song method for timing. Still got nasty sick on my sixth day and was stuck in my hotel to heal. Hubs got it the exact same time so we're guessing it was airborne on the plane. Just remember what Picard said.
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Yep - when I flew frequently, I almost always got sick, regardless of what I did, or didn't do, either on the trip, or on the plane itself. I think a lot of it has to do with the dry, recirculated air on the plane. A lot of people I know always told me it's because I wen to FL when it was wintertime in the NorthEast, and I was changing climates. But it happened when the temps were the same both places, and also when I flew other places, and at other times of the year (just not to WDW - could NOT do the summer there!). The only common denominator was the plane. So I honestly don't think it's too big of a jump to a conclusion.

 

[Linkura]

That's not going to stop you from getting sick. All it takes is people around you to be sick and they can pass it onto you. Not saying you shouldn't do what you're doing if it is something you want to do but it's not a correlation equals causation situation when you're around people, there is only so much you can do.

Mostly agreed. I do think it has helped me personally as I previously got very sick almost every trip. I think also doing a nightly sinus rinse has helped in addition to those.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Mostly agreed. I do think it has helped me personally as I previously got very sick almost every trip. I think also doing a nightly sinus rinse has helped in addition to those.

I would think it's just travel in general. Your sinus rinse likely does much more than killing all the good bacteria along with the bad with all the other cleaning you're doing. I have allergies and the most recommended thing my doc has said for me is to do the nasal rinses as my body tends to overreact when it comes to contaminants so I get sick during travel more often especially during spring and fall and to places with different allergies than home. Like I didn't get sick in CA because the allergies were different than back home with the environment different than back home. Much drier air not as much seasonal changes,etc

Totally my opinion though