Cell phones and germs

[blackcoffeenosugar]

My opinion on this is the germs on your personal cell, is probably from your body or bodily fluid anyway, i.e. it is not more harmful than what is already on you. Unless of course as in the news you work in a hospital full with sick people.

[Unicorn11B]

Originally Posted by Irish Rose

If a person has to worry about bacteria on their cell phone, then maybe they shouldn't be using one......... I would be more worried about the germs that are on the door handle of public bathrooms if I were you!

And the faucet handles. Those are pretty nasty too.

[mbvdlza]

well, even if it is from your opwn body, you can get some bad life long problems from it, with basic things being gut ecosystems which can give you a HEAVY halitosis for life, ranging to much heavier things. And saying it's your own germs anyway, is not accurate. They breed, mutate and do what bacteria and virii do, and become worse.

By that logic, if you live alone, the germs on your toilet if from your own waste, so its safe to eat there and lick the bowl?

[cenloe]

Originally Posted by blackcoffeenosugar

My opinion on this is the germs on your personal cell, is probably from your body or bodily fluid anyway, i.e. it is not more harmful than what is already on you. Unless of course as in the news you work in a hospital full with sick people.

What an ignorant way of thinking. Your hands come into contact with door handles, hand rails, bathroom faucet handles, etc. (Which collect germs that do not originate from you). After which you touch your cell phone, which in turn touches your face and mouth area. Unless you wash your hands after everytime you touch one of these things, you can be certain that there are germs of many kind on your mobile. Has anyone ever grabbed your cell and checked it out? Just imagine where their hands have been. Clean your cell at least every three days.

My wife recently had an acne outbreak on her face and I noticed that it appeared on the side where she holds her phone. She couldnt understand why she was getting zits all of a sudden and I told her why and to clean her cell with the wipes that I specifically bought for that very purpose. A few days later her skin cleared up.

[cenloe]

Originally Posted by Chiron

I am a surgeon and have had a longstanding interest in surgical infectious disease. There are millions of bacteria, viruses and "germs" are everywhere. You cannot sterilize your skin, your environment much less you phone, so get over it. The mere presence of an organism or pathogen does not equal disease. Rather than efforts to disinfect your phone I suggest spending your time and money to get some really good therapy for your Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Wow, I cant believe youre a health care professional. Im calling bullsh!t on you. Is it really so hard to believe that germs can collect in enough amounts that would sicken a person? People, remember that doctors "practice medicine" and are not scientists. Use common sense and what you know to be right. If youre not sure what is right, do some research. It can be as simple as doing a search on Google. Never trust what anyone tells you without checking it out for yourself first.

Here is some info on cell phones and germs, read it and then clean of your celly my friends.

The Average Mobile Phone Contains More Bacteria Than A Toilet Seat

Cell Phones Filthier Than Bottom of Shoe | Gadget Lab | Wired.com

Dirty Talk: What's Really on Your Cell Phone? - KTLA

[Khalnath]

Public phones can be a nasty offender for transmitting pathogens if not cleaned often. Lots of different people use them.

YOUR cellphone is only going to get germs from YOU, unless you're lending it out all the time or setting it down on dirty surfaces. (Mine is either in my holster or in my hands... mostly in my hands. :P)

Nothing you can do to protect yourself from infection is going to be remotely as effective as washing your hands. It reduces your chances of contracting an infection as well as the chances of spreading one. Your phone just isn't a credible source of infection.

Acne doesn't necessarily mean germs either. If you have oily skin, holding anything against it will trap oil and lead to clogged pores and thus acne. Cleaning the oil off your phone/glasses/watch/etc fixes the problem. No fancy antibacterial doodads required.

[Khalnath]

Originally Posted by cenloe

Wow, I cant believe youre a health care professional. Im calling bullsh!t on you. Is it really so hard to believe that germs can collect in enough amounts that would sicken a person? People, remember that doctors "practice medicine" and are not scientists. Use common sense and what you know to be right. If youre not sure what is right, do some research. It can be as simple as doing a search on Google. Never trust what anyone tells you without checking it out for yourself first.

Here is some info on cell phones and germs, read it and then clean of your celly my friends.

The Average Mobile Phone Contains More Bacteria Than A Toilet Seat

Cell Phones Filthier Than Bottom of Shoe | Gadget Lab | Wired.com

Dirty Talk: What's Really on Your Cell Phone? - KTLA

Jeez, now who's being ignorant? I can't believe you just cited internet sources at a surgeon on a health care issue. It's pretty insulting to claim someone "only practices" something they went to school for 10-15 years to learn how to do. I've got a news flash for you too: In Canada, the overwhelming majority of physicians have an M.Sc. before they get accepted into medical school. Know what that means? THEY'RE SCIENTISTS.

[cenloe]

Originally Posted by Khalnath

Nothing you can do to protect yourself from infection is going to be remotely as effective as washing your hands. It reduces your chances of contracting an infection as well as the chances of spreading one. Your phone just isn't a credible source of infection.

Acne doesn't necessarily mean germs either. If you have oily skin, holding anything against it will trap oil and lead to clogged pores and thus acne. Cleaning the oil off your phone/glasses/watch/etc fixes the problem. No fancy antibacterial doodads required.

I agree, for the most part. Washing your hands and cleaning your cell are excellent preventative measures. Of course your cell isnt a direct source of infection, no one is saying that your cell generates bacteria, it always comes from somewhere else.

My wifes skin isnt oily, so in the situation I described, her acne was caused from the germs on her cell.

[cenloe]

Originally Posted by Khalnath

Jeez, now who's being ignorant? I can't believe you just cited internet sources at a surgeon on a health care issue. It's pretty insulting to claim someone "only practices" something they went to school for 10-15 years to learn how to do. I've got a news flash for you too: In Canada, the overwhelming majority of physicians have an M.Sc. before they get accepted into medical school. Know what that means? THEY'RE SCIENTISTS.

This is from the first source cited;

Joanne Verran, Professor of Microbiology at Manchester Metropolitan University comments: "Mobile phones, like many everyday objects such a telephones and computer keyboards, harbor bacteria. However, being 'mobile', they are stored in bags or pockets, are handled frequently, and held close to the face. In other words, they come into contact with more parts of our body and a wider range of bacteria than toilet seats!"

"The phones contained more skin bacteria than the any other object; this could be due to the fact that this type of bacteria increases in high temperatures and our phones are perfect for breeding these germs as they're kept warm and cozy in our pockets, handbags and brief cases. These bacteria are toxic to humans, and can cause infections if they have the opportunity to enter the body."

This is from the last source cited (KTLA-Los Angeles)

If all this "dirty talk" makes you not want to use your cell phone, do not despair. You can easily kill the germs with an antibacterial wipe, or a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol. Experts say you should do it every few days.





True, internet sources are not always ideal to use as references, but they are accepted. If you actually read the articles you will see that the info comes from studies conducted by scientists. I dont believe everything I read and neither should anyone else, but just because it comes from the internet doesnt make it false. Journalists are expected to publish factual information and cite sources and usually those sources are credible. I generally trust Wired enough to believe what they publish. Youre going to have to do better than "I can't believe you just cited internet sources at a surgeon on a health care issue." You can shove your smugness up your a$$ "doc". Just make sure you wash your hands afterwards.

[Felicia-SU]

Interesting articles...

I don't understand why people get so angry at the antibacterial movement lol. I like being a germa-phobe! If I'm wasting my time and money what's it to you?
I work with bables and children in my spare time and being a germa-phobe isn't a bad thing to be. I go through hand sanitizer like water. I can't tell you how many colds a little bottle of Lysol have saved me from. In light of the swine flu outbreak most of my antagonists are now hitting me up hand sanitizer and wipes when we go out.

It's really just a personal decision one makes not a Supreme court case. Folks just lighten up!

[cenloe]

Originally Posted by Felicia-SU

Interesting articles...

I don't understand why people get so angry at the antibacterial movement lol. I like being a germa-phobe! If I'm wasting my time and money what's it to you?
I work with bables and children in my spare time and being a germa-phobe isn't a bad thing to be. I go through hand sanitizer like water. I can't tell you how many colds a little bottle of Lysol have saved me from. In light of the swine flu outbreak most of my antagonists are now hitting me up hand sanitizer and wipes when we go out.

It's really just a personal decision one makes not a Supreme court case. Folks just lighten up!

I agree, lets get this thread back on subject shall we? The point was that cleaning off your cell phone is probably a good thing. Nothing wrong with being all little obsessive compulsive about cleanliness, right?

[D2G]

The wipes sound nice I guess, but I simply spray a paper towel with some 409 Antibacterial All-Purpose Cleaner and rub down my BB. Clean as a whistle! Not sure if the 409 does any damage to the plastic finish of the BB, but it is already in pretty rough shape so I am not too worried.

[Khalnath]

If you think your BlackBerry is dirty, I hope you don't keep your toothbrush in the same room as your toilet...

If you really feel the need to use harsh antibacterial cleaners on everything you own, go crazy. My opinion (as a chemist, BTW) is that some of those cleaners are nastier than 99% of the germs they kill. Isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) is one of the best cleaners around for organic dirt (like skin oils and skin cells), and is also an effective antiseptic.

You can get bottles of it at the dollar store, but I guess if it makes you feel better to use some expensive "antibacterial" cleaner... it's your money.

(And no, I don't agree that there isn't anything wrong with being a little OCD about cleanliness. It leads to antibiotic resistant bacteria and people with weaker immune systems. How many times did YOU get sick last year? I didn't.)

[crackzilla]

crazy germ freaks!!!!

[TheScionicMan]

A MicroBan coating would be a nice addition. It kicks booty on my hot tub. I've seen some keyboards with it.