Since we're in the thick of flu season and all the warnings are out there to protect yourself by hand washing, have you found that you've created a monster?

I have always kept hand sanitizer in my glove compartment in my car and use it every time we get in it after being out running errands, at the gym and even at play dates.

But now I feel I am using it even inside buildings that offer it every ten steps! I know it's not necessary but it's there, so I use it.

How are you doing? Have your kids caught onto your madness too?

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Nope. I don't use hand sanitizer, and my hand-washing is primarily before cooking or eating, and after using the toilet or cleaning the cat box.

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When life hands you lemons, ask for tequila and salt and call me over!
Any time God closes one door, She always opens another, even though sometimes it's Hell in the hallway.
Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you can't eat it or play with it, pee on it and walk away.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, prepare to die. (Klingon proverb)
Don't point. You'll poke holes in the air and all the faeries will escape.

We have always done hand washing rituals and now we just do it a few more times, we all carry travel size hand sanitizer and I have an economy size one on our kitchen counter. My kids are very diligent about using the sanitizer besides the normal hand washing. These are things that we have always done just because of DD's asthma and allergies.

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Nope

We don't use hand sanitizer and we're careful hand washers, all year round. Luckily, we're just not people that get sick either, so I don't go beyond regular cleaning to 'protect' us.

Not a big fan of hand sanitizer myself but I practice good hand washing all-year round. More particularly if I am actually sick I will wash my hand every time I blow my nose. I frequently wipe the door handles and light switches with Clorox wipes during cough/cold season but that's as far as my obsession goes.

On the subject of hand sanitizer....I had our county health inspector tell me this when I insisted on using hand sanitizer at the farmer's market. He said that over-use of hand sanitizer breaks down natural oils on your hands that protect you from harmful bacteria. He also said that it can dry out your hands causing cracks and fissures in your skin that can make you MORE susceptible to being exposed to harmful germs. He said he understood that we were trying to be more sanitary since we handled food, but he told us simple hand washing was enough and to get rid of the sanitizer....interesting no?

Oh yes but I've always had a hand washing obsession but it has gotten worse! I even make oldest ds change his clothes when he gets home from school and wash his hands the minute he gets in the door. As much as my kids get sick I don't care if it's OCD

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Here is another thought....are you changing the hand-towels in your bathrooms regularly? I change mine daily, and if I'm thinking about it, I flip the towel around during the day to expose a clean side...I know I wash my hands thorougly, but I'm not so sure about my 5YO

Mine get changed when they start to smell funky - about once a week.

__________________
When life hands you lemons, ask for tequila and salt and call me over!
Any time God closes one door, She always opens another, even though sometimes it's Hell in the hallway.
Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you can't eat it or play with it, pee on it and walk away.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, prepare to die. (Klingon proverb)
Don't point. You'll poke holes in the air and all the faeries will escape.

I take no more precautions than usual. Wash hands before/after dealing w/ food; after using the restroom. Wash bathroom towels every week or so. I've never had the flu, never get the shot. I don't even remember to clean things like my phone at work, my home phone, keyboards, etc. I don't use hand sanitizer.

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