Wednesday, June 27, 2007

I Used to be a Germ Phobe

I'll admit it. I was. Most of my Germ Phobias had to do with public restrooms:
  • I would unravel a little bit of the toilet paper and throw it away (in case the person before had touched it) then I'd unravel the toilet paper that I would use.
  • I never actually sat on the toilet to pee. I squatted.
  • If I had to sit (for obvious number two reasons) I would put soap and water on a paper towel and wipe the entire toilet seat. Then I'd take a dry paper towel and wipe it dry. Next, I'd put not one, but two toilet seat covers.
  • I never used my hand to flush the toilet
  • I would meticulously wash my hands afterward. But before I washed my hands, I would crank out the paper towel (so I wouldn't have to touch it after I washed my hands).
  • Using the paper towel that I used to dry my hands, I'd open the door (so I wouldn't have to touch the filthy door handle).

Some non-restroom germ phobe stuff I did included:

  • At restaurants, I would wipe my silverware down with a napkin.
  • I constantly carried a hand sanitizer with me and used it like a maniac.
  • I never opened doors with my whole hand or I used a paper towel to open it.
  • I NEVER drank water from the water cooler at work (this actually reduced the number of times that I got sick during the year). It's disgusting. People are always filling their water bottles and there was constantly lipstick on the spout.
  • I never ate anything that dropped onto the table. Let alone the floor.
Well...now I have kids and all that went out the window. I call them my germ magnets. And man oh man, are they disgusting. If I was still that germ phobe, and I saw what my kids get into, I'd be horrified!
  • My kids pick up crumbs off the floor of my car (that looks like it's a week old) and eat it (I know, why aren't I shop vac-ing my car).
  • My son plays and drinks poop infested water.
  • The Princess actually touches the toilet seat when she pees (aaahhh!) and she touches everything.
  • The kids eat everything that falls on the floor or table.
  • They suck on the wash cloth after I've used it to wash them (Yuck! It's touched their bottoms!).
  • They touch everything and constantly have their hands in their mouths.
  • I'll catch the Princess itching her butt (inside her panties).
So now, I'm like a germ-phobe's worst nightmare. Kids are gross. If you don't have kids...beware if you're a germ phobe!!

9 comments:

Florinda said...

Yeah, kids will pretty much cure you of germophobia, or at least force you to act like you don't have it. My husband and I were talking about that recently, and the fact they also can make you develop a much stronger stomach. It takes a lot more to make you queasy when you deal with their messes all the time. My stepson has pediatric acid-reflux disease; it's under control pretty well now, but the chronic barfing when he was little made my husband a lot less fazed by general grossness.

Butrfly Garden said...

I think I am a bigger germaphobe now...just because I'm older. And I seriously used to live in the dirtiest house in the world. A germaphobe would have DIED there. I used to keep a small bottle of rubbing alcohol to clean the toilet seats there with.

Now at my work, they have little spray things on the walls for the same purpose. That comes in VERY handy since I share a three stall bathroom with a hundred disgusting women. (DIS-GUS-TING women.)

But I was JUST thinking yesterday about how gross is what you aren't used to. I'm still not used to poop and puke. :)

Jennifer said...

We'd go berserk if we were still germ phobs having kids. Kids are so icky!

Shauna Loves Chocolate said...

I'm the mother who says "Don't touch anything" in the bathroom. You're the mother waiting in line snickering at me, aren't you?

super des said...

You sound like "What about Bob".
But don't impose your germ-phobias onto your kids or they will grow up to be freaks.
;)

Brillig said...

hahaha. Yeah... I know exactly what you mean. I try to keep things clean and orderly. I try not to have my kids look like walking balls of goo. And yet....

Anonymous said...

One more reason why kids are the best thing that ever happened to you!

Germs are people too... or something to that effect.

exskindiver said...

i am super with you on your germ phobe rituals.
i bet you still cringe inwardly about everything, you just don't have the energy to keep to your routines.
yup.
and the wiping of the silverware at restaurants--definitely pinoy trait.
your parents passed that on to you didn't they?
heeheehee.
boy, princess is super funny.

Mom Knows Everything said...

Have you heard about the dangers of hand sanitizers? Hand sanitizers are basically pure alcohol. There was a little girl who almost died because she licked her hands after using it. Most schools don't allow it in them. After I heard about this I threw all mine out.