Not long ago, I fought the urge to laugh as my friend smeared a dollop of hand sanitizer all over her orange before peeling and eating it. Was that really necessary?
It's not surprising that bleach wipes, antibiotic mouthwash, and antiseptic wipes are way overused. Scary stories of antibiotic-resistant staph infections ooze from the Ten O'Clock news. Advertisements for household products are so effective that germ-killing agents have become as American as apple pie.
Shouldn't we be worried that using all of these chemicals will kill the benevolent bacteria which live in our guts, breed tremendously hardy pathogens, and prevent us from getting the ambient exposure to pathogens which stimulates our immune systems?
Tell us your funny stories about people who are terrified of germs!
Photo: Kathryn Rotondo / Flickr
