Pass the Purell: It's hip to be germ-free

Ironically, though, some of those who flee the faucet are actually diehard germ warriors. “I use a combination of soap and water and antibacterial lotion throughout the day, but if I have to use a public restroom, I will not wash my hands,” says Killian. “You just feel like what’s the point? Everything is so filthy you just have to get out of there and then cleanse yourself with hand sanitizer.”

But Dr. Philip Hagen, a preventive medicine specialist at Mayo Clinic, says that between modern technology — and the mighty human body — we’re covered, even when it comes to “nasty” public restrooms.

“There are increasingly more sinks that turn on based on hand motion and soap dispensers that dispense just the right amount of soap with minimal touching,” he says. “And if people want to use a towel to turn off the faucet or open the door, that’s OK. But we’re likely to pick up bacteria and viruses from our environment fairly quickly and our bodies are well-designed to combat that.”

But while hand sanitizers are quick and convenient and can help kick the “ick factor” of public bathrooms to the curb, not everyone considers them the magic hygiene bullet.

“I’ll use a hand sanitizer in a pinch, like when I’m camping or in porta-potty situation, but I can’t stand the smell,” says Michelle Goodman, a staunch soap and water fan from Seattle.  “It’s like my grandmother’s nursing home and the public restroom at Port Authority all rolled into one. Plus, they really dry out my hands.”

The wee bottles of alcohol-based gel can also put little kids, who've been known to drink the stuff, at risk for getting sick — and drunk.

Others question the long-term effects.

“I don’t use hand sanitizers at all,” says Abigail Grotke, 40, of Takoma Park, Md. “I think they’re a bit scary, particularly with all of these antibiotic concerns  They just seem too cleansing. My mom always said that some germs are good, they build up your immunity. It just doesn’t make sense to use sanitizers instead of soap and water.”

Grotke’s concerns are echoed in the “hygiene hypothesis,” a school of thought that argues society has actually become too “clean” for its own good. That between our designer germ-killing gels, antimicrobial subway gloves and ubiquitous disinfecting wipes, we’ve basically jumped the germ shark and undermined our immune systems.

“Your immune system is like a prizefighter,” says Scott Johnson, a former EMT from Woodstock, Georgia, who uses soap and water and hand sanitizer but stops short of what he calls germ-fighting “paranoia.” “If it’s not working out and sparring and keeping in shape, the skills are going to atrophy and it’s going to become weak.”

But becoming “too clean” is not something Beth Devereaux worries about.  

“I am a hand-washing commando,” says the 40-year-old third and fourth grade school teacher from Seattle. “Anytime there’s a sneeze in the classroom, someone’s going to have to go wash their hands with soap and water.”

Devereaux says she teaches her students to wash their hands every day before lunch and every time they use the bathroom and has them regularly wipe down their tables with bleach wipes, especially during flu season. She also keeps the classroom stocked with plenty of tissue and hand sanitizer and says her germ-busting routine has resulted in less illness for herself and for her students. What’s more, her students like it.

“The kids think it’s cool to have their own little bottles of Purell,” she says.

Diane Mapes is a Seattle freelance writer and author of "How to Date in a Post-Dating World."

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