I have a question about bacteria/germs and hand washing...

[AngeloMysterioso]

Now this may be me being utterly thick, but I’m a bit confused. Consider this scenario...

I go food shopping and whilst in the shop my hands come into contact with some nasty germs.

Those germs then transfer onto the things I touch- shopping items, bags etc.

I get home. I touch the door handle, the bathroom door handle, the tap, soap dispenser etc.

I thoroughly wash my hands. Yay!! Germs begone!

I turn off the tap, exit the bathroom, and go and unload my shopping.

What I don’t get is, surely the bacteria that had gone from my hands onto the taps, door handles, shopping etc before I washed my hands will just go back onto my hands when I touch them again? Thus rendering them no longer clean?

Or is that not how it works?

Hey, PoshJock said it first :o

But the virus cannot get through your skin so as long as you don't then touch your eyes, nose or mouth or eat anything before you wash your hands you'll be fine. I always wash my hands after shopping, I once caught hideous norovirus from a shopping trolley. I went to the cafe and ate a cake before washing my hands which I never do and got ill so I'm always strict now, even before the C word.

Ok BertieBotts you get the naughty corner. Poshjock gets a detention...