Worst Places to…

Posted by: Janet on: June 22nd, 2010  »  3 comments

MSNBC recently listed some surprisingly bad locations for your health, and the best places to optimize it. I thought some of these were interesting. My own comments are in brackets:

1. Worst place to keep your toothbrush — the bathroom sink
There are 3.2 million microbes per square inch in the average toilet bowl, and all of those germs are propelled out every time you flush, settling on the floor and the sink. Keep your toothbrush behind closed doors in the medicine cabinet or a nearby cupboard. (Eeeewww! Who knew your old toothbrush could double as a toilet brush? Recycle and reuse!)
2. Worst place to stash sneakers and flip-flops — the bedroom closet Shoes track in allergens and contaminants and other nasty stuff. Leave your shoes by the front door. (Ha! I’m a “no-shoes-in-the-house” freak! And for good reason, it seems.)
3. Worst place to fall asleep — under piles of blankets
Being overheated can keep you from sleeping. Let your feet stick out from under your blankets. (Well, I can think of lots of far worse places to fall asleep, personally. Like at a job interview, or while operating a chainsaw, or while sitting for afternoon tea with the Queen. No, that wouldn’t be cool, and besides, you’d end up missing her dish about Fergie.)
4. Worst place to cool leftovers — in the refrigerator
Placing hot leftovers directly in the fridge can cause uneven cooling and possibly food poisoning. Leave food to cool on the counter for up to an hour after cooking, or divide it into smaller containers that can cool faster before refrigerating. (Use glass containers, not plastic.)
5. Worst place to sit on an airplane — the rear
The tail of the plane is where you’ll get the bumpiest ride. Sit as close to the wing as you can. (Geesh! Everyone knows that sitting next to the bathroom is the worst place to park your rear on an airplane.)
6. Worst place to set your handbag — the kitchen counter
Tests have showed up to 10,000 bacteria per square inch on purse bottoms! Put your bag anywhere except where food is prepared or eaten. (Accidentally placing your Coach bag on a cooling stove burner would bug you more than the 10,000 bugs per square inch would.)
7. Worst place to use a public bathroom — the stall in the middle
The center stall has more bacteria. Pick a stall all the way left or right. (They didn’t say why. More people gravitate to the middle? The microbes shoot over to the middle from the left and right? Bacteria just prefer middle stalls? Why?)
8. Worst place to keep medicine — the medicine cabinet
The temperature in a bathroom can get well above the recommended storage temperatures for many common drugs. Keep medicine somewhere cool and dry, such as the pantry. (Yeah, and then guests can randomly open your cupboards and play “Name that Embarrassing Ailment.”)
9. Worst place to use headphones — on an airplane, train, or subway You’re probably turning the volume up too high if you’re listening to headphones in a noisy environment. Listen wherever you don’t have to blast your music to enjoy it, or consider using noise-canceling headphones. (On that note, Greta once sat on an airplane next to a girl who put her bare feet with chipped toenail polish onto the back of the seat tray, and then decided to give herself a little pedicure to while away the time. So, worst place to give yourself a pedicure…?

Comments (3)

  1. Reply

    Ola S. | June 22, 2010 at 9:02 pm →

    I found out about #1 a little while ago (“eeewww!” is an understatement!) and have been closing the lid before flushing ever since.

    As far as #2 goes, I personally think the *smell* would be the biggest issue!! At least that would be the case with MY shoes…. (You’re welcome for sharing that with you! :) )

    And I never knew about #4 – especially the food poisoning bit! Good to know!!

  2. Reply

    Kim B. | June 23, 2010 at 4:16 pm →

    O.K. I’m still recovering from the bottom of my purse thing -
    I’m also still laughing at Greta’s experience with the pedicure.

  3. Reply

    Tracey | August 5, 2010 at 1:12 pm →

    Hello!

    I love, love, love Crazy Plates! I just acquired an old copy of Looneyspoons and am looking forward to Eat, Shrink & Be Merry. Your recipes are delicious and the nutrition information pleasantly surprises me every time!

    I’m new to your blog and really have to disagree with MSNBC’s claim about leftovers!

    Health Canada writes “Refrigerate all leftovers promptly in uncovered, shallow containers so they cool quickly…Leave the lid off or wrap loosely until the food is cooled to refrigeration temperature.”

    The USDA writes, “Place food into shallow containers and immediately put in the refrigerator or freezer for rapid cooling.”

    I just had to look it up. I need to know this stuff now… I’ve been cooking SO much since I found your cookbooks!

    Tracey

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