Getting ready to do your holiday shopping? If you prefer actual stores to online shopping, there are some downsides. Malls mean people, which means germs - lots of germs. Nobody wants to spend the holiday season sick, so try to avoid these spots and items that experts warn are the grossest at the mall.
- ATMs and elevator buttons -They get touched by hundreds of probably unwashed hands every day and one study finds ATM and elevator buttons contain bacteria that can cause diarrhea and other illnesses.
- Escalator handrails- They’re also touched by all those dirty hands on a daily basis, so they can be covered in nastiness like E. coli, urine, blood, and feces. Try not to touch them, but if you must, have the hand sanitizer ready.
- Makeup samples -Next time you’re tempted to try the communal samples at a makeup counter, remember this: dermatologist Whitney Bowe says you can catch the herpes simplex virus from things like lipstick. She says the virus can survive on the surface of a tube for up to a week!
- Food court tables- When you stop for a mid-shopping snack, don’t count on the food court table being germ-free. Stay safe by using your own anti-bacterial wipes before you dine.
- Toy stores- Kids are germ magnets, so anything they touch, lick, roll and rub on themselves can be contaminated with bacteria. So pretty much everything in the toy store.
- Movie theaters- Want to catch a flick when you need a break from all the shopping? Dr. Michael Hall warns that many people don’t cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze, so you could be exposed to lots of germs during cold and flu season.
- Restrooms- Public bathrooms can get gross, especially at the mall during the holidays. One studyfound skin-associated bacteria on areas we touch, like doors, stalls, faucets, and soap dispensers and gut-associated bacteria on toilet seats. So be sure to wash your hands!
- Money- Cash and coins can carry the flu virus and bacteria that can cause food poisoning and other infections, according to the Mayo Clinic. And it can survive on surfaces for two weeks, so decontaminate with soap and water or hand sanitizer after handling money.
Source:Best Life