Germs: Friend or Foe?

I recently read an article in SHAPE magazine about Kate Rope, a self-proclaimed ‘germophobe.’ She is a pro at using her knuckles at the ATM machine, flushing the toilet with her feet, using paper towels to touch every surface, but the news she discovered from her doctor was surprising- to her, to me, and I’m sure many other readers.
She took her concerns to Philip Tierno, Ph.D., director of clinical microbiology and immunology at the NTU Langone Medical Center. He confirmed to Rope that germs are everywhere- “but only 1 to 2 percent of the 60,000 known microbes can do us harm.” Rope and Tierno decided to do a project- she was given two dozen giant cotton swabs that she would rub on the items she touched on a daily basis. Tierno would then analyze the swabs to see the “microscopic invaders” that lived at her home and gym, among other places.
The most disturbing news that came back from those labs results- more than half of the specimens had traces of fecal contamination. Common items such as a shopping cart, buttons on the ATM machine, and a playground jungle gym came back contaminated. Tierno says, “This is proof that most people don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom.” The number one lesson to take away from that: wash your hands, and wash them often! Tierno suggests washing before and after eating and after using the bathroom. It will help wash off any contamination, and frequent hand washing has also been known to reduce the chances of catching colds and other illnesses throughout the year. Rope says that if you can’t always wash your hands, the next best line of defense is alcohol-based sanitizers.
She put the strategies to test. One day, she didn’t wash her hands or use sanitizer, and walked around New York City touching railings, toilets, sinks, and swabbing her hands. The next day, she repeated the process, but cleaned up after touching items. The test results: “At the end of the dirty day, I had E. coli on my hands; on the clean day, the only organisms in the Petri dish are the harmless bacteria that naturally grow on the skin.”
The kitchen can be one of the most dangerous places for contamination. Rope, who considered herself a clean freak, found that her kitchen was full of contamination and bacteria. One of the worst items: the sponge. A tip from Tierno: microwave your sponge in a bowl of water on high for at least two minutes each time you use it to clean up after a meal. This can help rid the germs that frequent sponges (including salmonella) and keep your kitchen cleaner. How often do you clean your kitchen? Probably not enough. You should wipe down counters before and after prepping meals, and it is best to use one shot glass of bleach to a quart of water (or an antibacterial wipe such as Clorox) to keep from contaminating food or other kitchen items.
But what happens if we are too concerned with cleanliness and keeping germs away from our bodies. According to experts, that can actually do more harm than good. Confused? I was too. Mary Ruebush, Ph.D., an immunologist and the author of Why Dirt Is Good, has this to say, “From birth to adolescence, the immune system is a work in progress. If it isn’t challenged, it won’t develop into a successful germ-fighting force, or worse, it will get into trouble by attacking your own body- so you’re at a greater risk for developing allergies.” So being exposed to germs can help teach the body to fight, helping you in the long run to ward off diseases and common illnesses.
So what can we take away from this news? To sanitize or not to sanitize? Wash your hands regularly, especially after going to the bathroom and before and after meals. And use hand sanitizer if you have touched an item that could be especially dirty- such as handrails or a common grocery cart. But there isn’t a need to be a real ‘germophobe.’ If you miss one hand washing, don’t panic. You will be helping you immune system do the work it was made to do.

KATE ROPE is a freelance writer in Brooklyn, New York. Thank you to her and her research for the help in writing this article.