Am I a clean freak?

Did you know - that a single sneeze can spread up to 2,000-5,000 bacteria filled droplets into the air at 100 mph. GROSS!

Okay so everyone's opinion of what a "clean freak" is varies. I AM a clean freak AND a germ freak at work, not so much at home. Why? I work in a dental office. I am spattered by microscopic particles of saliva, plaque and who knows what else all day long. All though I wear a mask and glasses it gets on my face, my hair and my clothes. Gross. I smell bad breath and see all kinds of gross and not too gross of things all day long. I AM a clean freak at work and proud of it. It's my job. I must keep the office looking it's best and I must protect myself and my patients from those germs that are spread all over the office. The clean freak part is easy, it's the germ freak part that I find the hardest and most irritating. Many patients come into the office with their colds, sniffles and sneezes. A patient will sit in the chair a put their finger into their mouth to point something out to us and then touch the arm rest, the pen to sign paper work, and the door handle when they leave. Oh yes, I am watching that finger the moment it enters their mouth. For the most part I am pretty good at back tracking their steps once they leave the office and Lysol everything they've touched. It's not the patients fault, nor anyone else, they simply don't think about it. This is probably why my boss and co-worker giggle at me when I am spraying Lysol all over the office. All I can think about while I am at work is GERMS, GERMS, GERMS. They're everywhere.

However, I think that when most people say, "She's such a clean freak", they imply that I am a clean freak as in I worry about the up keep of the house and the germs. That's not my impression of a clean freak. My co-worker, she is a clean freak. Her house is so clean it looks like the picture in a magazine. As far as her "germ freak" tenancies, I have no idea. My house, it is not clean. I am a clutter bug, I struggle with this on a daily basis. I wait til the house gets bad then I tackle the situation. It's a cycle the just repeats itself. As far as germs in my home, I am not as much of a germ freak at home as I am at work. Perhaps that is because I know who is going in and out of my home. I do have a few "strange" quirks. The dish sponge must always be microwaved for 1 minute before it is used, I don't eat or drink after people, I don't really like to use my bath towel more than once, I would prefer the bed sheets were washed everyday if I had the time, towels and sheets MUST be washed on HOT water, I will not eat food that someone has made if I don't know them (This happens sometimes at the office), I will not use a public phone, when we have to stay at a hotel I will not use the comforter and I always bring my own blanket and pillow, I always check my silverware at a restaurant and I will not drink straight from the glass - I need a straw. Call me weird, but that's me. I am sure I have more weird quirks that I don't even think about.

Of all cleaning products I will only use Lysol. I trust Lysol. If it is approved and good enough to use in the dental office, it is good enough for my home. I sometimes research the best ways to clean stuff. Yeah, okay weird. So I sometime research cleaning/germs...whatever. Today I found a fun little website: www.stopgerms.org/study.html
Check it out.