Hand sanitizer

[dragonowner2598]

How many of you guys use hand sanitizer after holding your beardie.



BHL

 

[NavyxWife]

I wash my hands before I handle mine but not afterwards.

 

[ReptiMama2]

I usually just wash my hands. Though, in the classroom with my snake I use hand sanitizer for both myself and my students.

 

[cupcakenbandits]

hmmmm... I just wash before and after. Since I'm home I may as well. I really only use hand sanitizer when I can't get to a sink.

 

[evvdcaec]

Hand sanitizer on top of every viv. I always wash before and after.

 

[grendel9]

I'm pretty good about washing my hands after handling Grendel, because I take immunosuppressants (for Rheumatoid Arthritis). Theoretically, an infection could kill me. But I know I haven't been 100%; it's hard, because she's out with me so much of the time when I'm home. I'm also not a fan of anti-bacterial soap - I just think it creates resistant bacteria. All that being said, I've yet to catch anything from the little goober. Of course, I've had her less than a month ...

 

[gulfbrzdawn]

I don't usually use sanitizer or wash my hands after handling my beardies unless I am going to cook. Then again I wash my hands everytime I am going to prepare food. :roll: Touching my beardie has never been any different than touching my cat, dog or son for that matter, LOL

 

[beardie parents]

I'm the same way as gulfbrzdawn. We wash our hands before handling them if we've been working in the yard (tumbleweeds, etc) because they could get sick from whatever is on our hands, especially if you are going to hand feed them the greens (our girls won't eat greens unless we stick them in their mouths while they are gaping, lazy & spoiled). But we aren't that picky for anything other than that and cooking.

 

[ChinelleKitten]

We wash our hands before handling the beardies if we've been working on vehicles or anything with chemicals but we don't wash after handling them (unless cleaning up poop lol). No one in our house has ever gotten sick from handling them. (altho to be fair i understand if someone has medical concerns where they can't risk getting sick).

 

[dragonowner2598]

Thanks for the comments guys.

 

[jeserah]

Hand sanitizer breeds the super-virus. Hot water and soap does not.

 

[dragonowner2598]

What is super-virus?

 

[jeserah]

Well, I'll try to keep it short:

You know how sanitizers (it doesn't matter the brand) all say that they kill 99.9% of bacteria? That leaves .1% of bacteria not being killed by them. It doesn't seem like a lot, but when you think that bacteria can reproduce from just one individual into millions within a very small amount of time, it becomes important. Basically we are weeding out all the bacteria that cannot survive the hand sanitizer and leaving those that are resistant to it. This happens to be a big problem in hospitals where being clean is essential, but they're doing it to the point of creating a super-virus that can withstand all sorts of sanitizing methods and subsequently get people sick; a vicious cycle.

I know that I can't stop the world's obsession with hand sanitizer, but I try to do my part by getting the information out there and using good ol' warm water and soap instead. There are necessary times to use hand sanitizer (ex, going #2 in the woods whilst camping and not having soap and water, haha) but overall we can cut down our use by a lot if we're more conscious about the consequences.

Agh, it was longer than I wanted it to be, sorry!

 

[ReptiMama2]

Well, I'll try to keep it short:

You know how sanitizers (it doesn't matter the brand) all say that they kill 99.9% of bacteria? That leaves .1% of bacteria not being killed by them. It doesn't seem like a lot, but when you think that bacteria can reproduce from just one individual into millions within a very small amount of time, it becomes important. Basically we are weeding out all the bacteria that cannot survive the hand sanitizer and leaving those that are resistant to it. This happens to be a big problem in hospitals where being clean is essential, but they're doing it to the point of creating a super-virus that can withstand all sorts of sanitizing methods and subsequently get people sick; a vicious cycle.

I know that I can't stop the world's obsession with hand sanitizer, but I try to do my part by getting the information out there and using good ol' warm water and soap instead. There are necessary times to use hand sanitizer (ex, going #2 in the woods whilst camping and not having soap and water, haha) but overall we can cut down our use by a lot if we're more conscious about the consequences.

Agh, it was longer than I wanted it to be, sorry!

Good point! This is how we get all those antibiotic resistant germs like MRSA running a muck! Soap and water will always be the best

 

[irishone70]

Well having spent a LARGE amount of time in hospitals, I can see where this line of thinking comes from; however hand washing isn't 100% either. I see an AWFUL lot of hand washing in the hospitals, so I guess nothing is 100%. You can really only hope for the best at the end of the day. I wash and/or sanitize after holding Spike. Depends on if I am in a big hurry or about to cook. If I am cooking, I will actually do both. Same goes with changing my babies or handling them.