10 ways to catch germs over the holidays

(Photo: ZUMA Press)

The holiday season is upon us, and your calendar is full of gatherings with friends and family. But oftentimes uninvited guests tag along: germs. And this year — with fears of H1N1 and other illnesses on many people’s minds — it’s particularly smart to minimize your exposure.

Use this list as a guide to know where germs tend to hang out. The point is not to avoid these situations, just be aware and try to stay healthy. Remember to have fun — and wash your hands!

1. Drink from someone else's cup

A common party faux pas is to mistakenly drink from another person's drink. Address that problem (or prevent someone else drinking from yours), by marking your cup.

As a host, you can make it easy for your guests to keep track of their glasses by attaching wine charms to each glass. If you're using compostable cups, let your guests mark their cups with stickers or markers.

As a guest, if you think someone may have taken a sip of your drink, pour it out. Wash your glass and refill your cup.

2. Enjoy a night at the theater

During the holidays, it's fun to attend special performances. Whether you choose to take in a movie, the ballet, a play, or the symphony, you'll be among a large group in an enclosed space where viruses can spread.

Never fear, you don't have to miss out on the fun. Consider renting a movie or having a small group of people over to your house. Also, look into outdoor venues (perhaps a football game or a ice skating) where the air is fresh and flowing.

(Photo: ratterrell / Flickr)

3. Eat after the double-dipper

This year, instead of offering a bowl of salsa with chips or ranch dressing with veggies, try some appetizers that can be eaten in individual portions.

It may take a little more work, but yours and your guests' health are worth it.

Quick tip: If you plan on serving cheese and crackers for nibbling, cut up the pieces of cheese into bite-sized pieces or buy the cheese in cubes.

Then it's easy to stick toothpicks in the cubes or place the pieces on crackers on your food tray.

4. Touch library books

Checking out books from the library is a great way to save money and to keep from accumulating more things, but books do harbor germs from patrons past. You don't have to wear latex gloves to handle them, but keep in mind that the patron before you may have been eating or — worse yet — licking their fingers to turn the pages.

Wash your hands after each reading session and after you leave the library.

5. Take a bite from a friend's fork

When you ask to have a bite of food from someone else's plate, use your own fork. It's easy to think "one bite from my friend's utensil won't hurt," but wouldn't you rather use your own (and be safe) vs. taking a chance and missing next weekend's holiday party?

6. Use a phone

Most of the time, you're the only person handling your cell phone. But do you use a traditional telephone at the office? There could be germs lurking on the receiver and mouthpiece. Consider wiping down your work phone with an antibacterial cloth.

Quick tip: If you have to use a public telephone, carry some portable antibacterial wipes in your purse or jacket pocket.

(Photo: Jason DeRusha / Flickr)

7. Eat from the candy bowl

That bright, shiny candy is tempting, but think about what those candies have been exposed to — dust, sneezes, and any number of hands — before you found it.

It may be the season of sharing, but consider only indulging in individually wrapped candy. And though it's safer, know that germs may lurk on previously pawed pieces.

8. Go to the doctor

We like to think of hospitals as clean places, but the truth is they are full of sick people, not to mention doctors and nurses who may not always wash their hands.

According to studies of hospital settings, health professionals washed their hands in only 48 percent of possible opportunities. Nurses washed 52 percent of the time, while doctors only washed 30 percent.

9. Visit with grandchildren

Fun as they are, kids can be petri dishes for germs. Mom and Dad tend to be immune to their own children’s bugs because of daily exposure, but it may be more difficult for relatives who see the children less frequently to stay healthy. Most susceptible are grandparents who may only see their grandkids during the holidays.

Fear of germs is no reason to stay away, but everyone should wash their hands frequently.

10. Touch bathroom door handles

Many people don’t routinely wash their hands after using the restroom. Though you may thoroughly scrub your hands with soap and water, that may not mean much if you touch a germy door handle on your way out.

To avoid this, cover the door handle with a paper towel before turning it. It may seem wasteful if you typically use a hand dryer, but during this flu season, your health is worth it.

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