Wash your hands!

[mbender88]

Don't forget to wipe your sticks down with alcohol. Never know who last picked those suckers up. I've seen other people mess with my sticks while on break.

I hate when I have to use the same sticks as some sweatmonger...gross! I wipe my sticks but I haven't tried alcohol; does the wood absorb the smell forever or is it bearable?

[Dave Heim]

When all other protective measures fail, there's always this:

[smoggrocks]

lol.

precisely my thoughts, dave, after reading this.


well i'm embarassed to say so, but i only became a more obsessive (or rather--compliant) handwasher in recent years. mainly because all that washing dries my skin out something fierce, and then you gotta spend extra time shmearing on the hand lotion.

when i was a wee one, i was gross. i mean really gross! i used to play in the mud, pick my nose, eat my poo, play with my spit. it drove my mom insane--she'd drag me into the bathroom and i'd make a huge stink coz she'd try to scrub my hands and face. i guess i liked being dirty. maybe some of that carried over into adult life? tee-hee.

now i pay more attention. riding the subway is an act of disgustingosity [that center pole is just totally gross and slimey], so i always wash my hands when i get to work. i wash them after a bathroom run [ahem. usually..but always after 2], after lunch, when i get home, or when they feel cruddy. but i don't really wash too much in-between, like after typing or a handshake (unless i see the person has a cold).

i am very conscientious about washing before and after i cook and before i play drums. cooking is obvious. the washing before playing thing is more ritual. it prepares me for playing, and makes my hands feel supple.

i refuse to use those hand sanitizers, though. a total sham. they installed a dispenser at the entrance to my job and i just balked when i saw it. i think they're the worse things you can use, and they leave you susceptible to greater disease.

i dunno. i realize that cleanliness is important, and i don't want to paint a picture of myself as a slob. but i never got too panicky about germs; i feel that our bodies do a decent job of warding off the main ones, and if we catch a cold, well...worse things could happen. i think it makes more sense to just boost your immune system overall, so when you do catch something, it's not as intense.


so remember: don't shake smoggy's hand if you ever meet her at a pasic convention. 


;D

[Robyn]

Good post!  Ten years ago I had 3 mos. of chemotherapy, to get my WBC count as low as possible w/o killing me. I took my son out of daycare, but I did 3 things very regularly after going out in public:  I washed my hands as soon as I got home, I carried those antibacterial wipes w/ me to wipe down shopping cart handles (long before this became fashionable to do), and I carried/used my own pen (instead of the community pen that most stores have, the one that everybody uses to sign their credit card slip right after they've sneezed into their hands).  During the 3 mos I didn't get sick (beyond the initial disease anyway ::)), and I still do all of those things.

Re: handwashing after using the restroom, esp. a public toilet:  WHO in their right minds would NOT??!  You touch the door handles, the flusher, etc, that every other person has touched, and so then their germs (or whatever might be on their hands) instantly become yours! I'm not so worried about my own germs--it's everyone else's that gross me out! Anyone read about what substances have been found on store cart handles? Feces, vomit, urine, blood, all types of bacteria...mmmmm!! :o  I always feel like puking when I see some young child teething on a cart handle. :-X

robyn

[NY Frank]

... I always feel like puking when I see some young child teething on a cart handle. :-X

Gasp.  That would blow my mind.

[Billy Ward]

I've never been in this section of the Bart site before - Very cool!  I remember a nurse friend telling me that they are taught to wash their hands properly, they should sing "happy Birthday" to themselves while washing.  IT takes that long for all the cleaning to happen.   Every time I wash (once a month whether I need it or not :D) I think of that and start singing it to myself.

[Paicey]

I've never been in this section of the Bart site before - Very cool!  I remember a nurse friend telling me that they are taught to wash their hands properly, they should sing "happy Birthday" to themselves while washing.  IT takes that long for all the cleaning to happen.   Every time I wash (once a month whether I need it or not :D) I think of that and start singing it to myself.

Whoa!, thanks Billy, ive been singing Debbie Boones You light up my life and wondered why my hands were always kinda pruney looking. Happy birthday will get me back for the second set on time for once ;D.

[Nick]

To sterilize your toothbrush, all you need is a little bleach and some water. I learned this from my dentist years ago; 1 part bleach to 100 parts water is enough to kill any germ ... even the AIDS virus. My dentist uses this formula to sterilize his dental tools. You could use this same formula to wipe down any surface needing to be sterilized.

When I sterilize my toothbrush, I usually soak it overnight in the bleach/water solution. The next day I remove the toothbrush from the solution and rinse it with water.

A few of the more modern electric toothbrushes have a UV sterilizer in the charge bay, it's worth looking out for a model that has this when you are buying your next electric..

Also don't keep your toothbrush anywhere near the toilet, when it flushes a fine mist enters the air and can land on your toothbrush.

;)

N

[Jim R.]

Also don't keep your toothbrush anywhere near the toilet, when it flushes a fine mist enters the air and can land on your toothbrush.

We use small toothbrush covers for that reason, and also, its so easy to spray the mirror with Windex and not even give thought to your toothbrush.

[A.Drummer88]

WASH YOUR DRUMS!
keep those drums free from dust - if you think about all the dirt that accumulates from friction and compressing onto the heads of your drums then it could make for a little mess. 

Hopefully no one would let their kit get to dusty that the sound would change - but id say its worth the crispness

[MOUSE]

I have a Trade certificate in Food Hygiene and have worked in the food/ meat industry (qualified tradesman)for 35 years. The past 7 as a pest controller ( also qualified) in same industry, so I know a bit about germs, and vermin.

Bart is correct in what he says, the law here requires any food handler to wash their hands before handling any foodstuff. Problem is that a lot of peole don't realise the time washing hands actually needs to be effective, a quick flick under a tap doen't do it. The time it takes to sing "happy birthday" is long enough to move some of the bacteria. The most important thing is to ensure whatever you dry you hands with, is clean and dry as it is this action that moves most of the germies. Absorbant paper towels are best option.
Often poor drying of hands is a stage where people reinfect their digits by wiping on a dirty towel. As for air blowers, imagine the number of germs inside these that blow onto your nicely cleaned hands  :o avoid them.
Good trick when leaving a loo is to time your departure so when someone else has handled the dirty door lever and opened the door, you slip out. ;D

Most disgusting thing I find as a drummer is the mid gig burst to the loo for a leak and find have to wade through some drunken pigs slop on the floor around the urinal. I tend to drag my feet over as much carpet as I can find on the way back to my kit to try wipe off any pee stain that may foul my precious pedals  ;D

Not to put you off shopping, but have you noticed the nice mummys that their little darlings (dirty naps and all)  into their grocery trolley as they gather their food.
IMO biggest food cause of tummy upsets, would be takeway outlets with high turn over untrained / untrainable staff   i.e starting with M or K.

Any wonder my favourite TV program is Gordon Ramseys "Kitchen Nightmares". ;D

[JeepnDrummer]

I already take these precautions.  I'm amazed at the large number of males who don't wash their hands after doing their business in the restroom.  That's why I started using paper towels to open the door when leaving.  And it's also the reason why I hate bathrooms that only have air hand dryers.