We know our hands are covered in germs.
But do most people wash up before eating? Not even close. Only 1‑in‑8 people do, even though our hands carry hundreds of times more germs than a park bench or escalator handrail. And that means the germs already on our hands are more likely to make us sick than any germy thing we touch in a restaurant. So don’t worry so much about the bacteria-riddled menu or the ketchup bottle that hasn’t been cleaned, ever. Instead, before you pick up that burger, ask yourself, did I wash my hands? Since our hands are in constant contact with our mouth – or what we put IN our mouth – it makes them the fastest route to illness.