Aseptic technique

[intrepidity]

I'll share some habits used by folks trained in aseptic technique:

1) learn to use your knuckles rather than fingertips, for things like pressing elevator buttons, keys on ATM pads, POS keypads, etc. Start doing it today. Eventually it will become your habit.

2) open swinging doors using your shoulders and elbows. Hold doors open using your knee or foot. Do this most especially with public restroom doors.

3) if you *must* touch your face/nose, use the back of your hand

If you can incorporate just these three things into your daily routine, in addition to of course handwasing, you'll be far ahead of the curve.

[Lars39]

1. Also, use your own ink pen and stylus if you can.

I’ll also use the bottom of my coat or sweater to open doors too

[dawg]

2. Thanks for this!

There's no cost to doing these things, and they might help.

[mahina]

3. Use a tissue or wipe it other barrier at the gas station

So you don’t pick up germs from the nozzle and keypad

[CottonBear]

24. I wear nitrile coated gardening gloves while pumping gas.

I keep them on the floorboard under my seat. I throw them in the wash regularly along with my other gardening/work gloves.

[mahina]

38. Better idea!

[Shermann]

4. Very cool

I do some of those already, I didn't know it had a name.

Damn restroom door handles. Sometimes you can grab those with a paper towel.

[intrepidity]

6. Oh I forgot that one

If you must grab a door handle (not knob), use the crook of a finger. I try to use my pinky.

It's all about avoiding using your fingertips.

Door knobs are a hellacious beast for those trying to practice aseptic technique! Grabbing a paper towel is usually the only way, but that presents its own issues.

[Leghorn21]

5. This is a terrific post, i!! It's these little things we do "mindlessly" that can bring us needless

misery - I'll be sending this around, THANK YOU!!

WELL DONE!

[intrepidity]

7. My pleasure! nt

[Leghorn21]

8. Question, i - wouldn't it be helpful for peeps to just wear a pair of latex gloves when out and

about?? More protection than masks provide, seems like - get home, remove, wash hands thoroughly, carry on

seriously

[intrepidity]

9. No

Gloves give people a false sense of security. Knowing how to avoid touching things that you shouldn't is a very valuable skill.

Obviously gloves have their place. But knowledge is better.

I'm speaking as one who, when learning sterile technique many decades ago, decided to learn it without using gloves. It trained me incredibly well.

[Leghorn21]

10. Thank you again so much!! I will not delete my (dumbass) post, because your answer will explain

why it's not a good idea AT ALL to depend on gloves for protection, in case any other DUers were wondering!!!

Your knowledge is a treasure trove, I'll be back to kick this if it drops out of sight during this insane day -

[intrepidity]

11. Thanks. To be clear, gloves have their place.

But the facts are that we don't always have gloves available, so it is so much better to have a habit that protects you, right?

You can't imagine my inner dialogue while I'm watching movies or TV shows, where there's a crime scene or infectious disease, and seeing how people use their hands unwittingly... Lol

[Niagara]

14. Absolutely.

When I served food at the public school to students and teachers, not only did we wash our hands continuously, we wore nitrile and vinyl disposable gloves. It's a violation with the Board of Health if gloves aren't worn to serve food.

[Ilsa]

18. You might be wearing gloves for protection, but still

touching your face to scratch that itch.

[LAS14]

20. I don't think gloves would keep me from touching my face, and the germs...

... would be on the outside of the gloves.

[Grasswire2]

12. use a paper towel in public restroom to open the door to get out

don't blow dry and then touch the door handle.

I always do this.

[Hugin]

28. I carry a supply of paper towels in my pocket to counter those cheapskate hand dryer only locations.

Be sure to grab a couple of extra for the road from those locations that do provide towels.

[FoxNewsSucks]

30. Gas stations have napkins

in the fountain, coffee and food service areas. I grab a couple on the way to the can, to open the door if they don't have paper towels.

[Hugin]

32. Good plan.

Yeah! Most places do have those.

[bluestarone]

13. Worth a kick!!

[cwydro]

15. Good tips!

I’m not exactly a germaphobe, but have done these for years!

Oh wait...maybe I am.

Rec.

[crickets]

16. Excellent advice. K&R

[Leghorn21]

17. KICK

[HAB911]

19. Stop shaking hands, use an alternative

now is opportune time to change this habit while people will understand the reason without much thought

[LAS14]

21. If it becomes widespread around here I think I'll have to start wearing a face mask...

... just to keep from touching my mouth and nose. I wouldn't need "the right kind."

[Mosby]

22. My tip.

Stay away from fast food for a while, especially places that just combine ingredients without heating like taco bell and chipotle.

A lot of fast food workers don't have good benefits, so they sometimes have to keep working while sick.

That's how all of the outbreaks of norovirus happened at chipotle, one sick employee preps chicken and 100s of people eat it.

[dewsgirl]

27. I have been thinking about this one a lot lately.

[Kingofalldems]

23. Thanks, been doing this for years to protect from colds and flu.

My hands never touch a public door, especially a restroom door.

[CottonBear]

25. I do all of these things. I try to never touch keypads, handles, buttons & knobs

with my fingertips. Plus, I wash my hands thoroughly and frequently with plain soap and warm water.

[zanana1]

29. How do you use a keypad without using your fingers?

[LastDemocratInSC]

34. The tip of the nose.

[mahina]

39. Lol

Or someone else’s fingers. People are often standing nearby and then very willing to help when asked. Now back to serious information

[CottonBear]

37. I use my knuckles or a stylus.

I don’t use my fingertips.

[dewsgirl]

26. I've been using 1 and 2 for a couple weeks now.

I would add a #4 avoid cash if at all possible, if you must handle cash (I realize some don't have a choice) wash your hands as frequently as possible.

[Hugin]

31. #5 Carry a small bottle of 70% hand sanitizer gel in your pocket and use it.

I've been doing this since H1N1.

If you can find the stuff with aloe and vit E it leaves the added benefit of nice soft supple hands.

I wash about every 5th time with soap and water... Just because I can't believe that something you don't rinse off like a gel doesn't get contaminated eventually.

Probably, foolish. But, I learned early, When in doubt, rinse it out.

[dewsgirl]

33. Yes...also avoid restaurants and fast food, if you don't

know who is preparing your food, avoid it for now if you can.

[Hugin]

35. I know it's somewhat out of the scope of the current threat, but, for years I've had a "Mayonnaise

Rule"

I will not eat anything containing mayo or similar sauces where I didn't make it myself or saw it prepared by someone I know very well.

Those who know about my rule always laugh, but, too many times I've had the last laugh.

Yeah, sadly restaurants and fast food are going to take a hit in this. Unbelievably, our society doesn't treat those who prepare our food and educate our children with the respect they rightly deserve.

[dewsgirl]

36. Very true, they rarely get any at all. My parents had that rule as well,

smart rule.
Much of our society has a huge problem with depending on eating out for their nutritional needs, I can see big issues ahead as the situation develops.

[LAS14]

41. My brilliant idea.

Today in church I caught myself rubbing my tickly nose. Rats! I thought. Then I asked hubby for the hand sanitizer he carries around and rubbed some on my nose and a tiny way into the nostrils.

That got me thinking about how often I touch my often itchy eyes and tickly nose. Most often when I'm sitting down. So I've promised myself to use hand sanitizer on my hands as soon as I sit down for a protracted period. Restaurant, car, public transport, concert, etc.