Comments on: Don’t Touch That Shopping Cart!

By: Jo

Jo — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:46:06 +0000

I keep a small bottle of Purell with me and some paper towels. Most stores don’t have wipes. Target does a real good job of providing wipes and hand cleaner.
And I wash my hands first thing when I get home. I use a nail brush and scrub as if I were going to preform an operation.
One other thing both me and hubby use – Blistex. A little dab rubbed under the nose before we go out. It’s the camphor in it. Remember those camphor balls of long ago? People wore them around their neck to ward off illness. Camphor is a great germ retardant.

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:12:43 +0000

I would be very interested in hearing why “Walmart” would be considered a “high risk” area. Would CostCo? Target? The Ferris Wheel at the county fair?

Bacteria are ubiquitous. They are everywhere and they inhabit every conveivable niche on the planet. They are necessary and good things for the most part. I agree with the poster above who said “germs are good things”. Kids NEED to be exposed to a wide variety of germs and they NEED to get sick every so often.

Having said that, I am a microbiologist by trade and have never once wiped down a shopping cart. Its just not effective nor is it particularly helpful. Just my two cents.

By: Colleen

Colleen — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:13:21 +0000

Wiping down the carts at high risk areas like WalMart has saved my family a lot of sickies. We have a thumb sucker and the rowdy rule is one hand on the cart at all times. I traced our chicken pox last year to the one out of town shopping trip that I forgot to use wipes. Our grocery store now has a dispenser of wipes which is thoughtful of them.

By: MamaPyratekk

MamaPyratekk — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:21:24 +0000

Our store has disinfectant wipes, but honestly my husband and I never go through cleaning off a cart. Although it’s so filthy, how many cases of sickness have actually been attributed to this? We’ve never felt that the cart was so ridiculously dirty that we would need to wipe it down or use a shopping cart cover. I can also say that my son is two and has only been sick twice in his life, once with food poisoning (all of us got sick from that obviously) and once after he played with a girl who we didn’t know was sick. I’m a firm believer in germs being a good thing, they are what help our immunities! The moms I hang out with who are “obsessed” with disinfecting have children who have been sick time and time again compared to my son.

By: Rachelle

Rachelle — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:29:44 +0000

When ds was young, dear hubby and I went to the store together. Hubby would push ds in his stroller while I used the cart. Now that he is much older he just walks with me.

By: Maureen

Maureen — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 02:12:09 +0000

All of our local stores have Clorox wipes in the cart area. I use them on occasion, when I remember. I put my purse in the baby seat and also wrapped or bagged produce. Never had a problem, knock wood. First thing I do when I get home is wash my hands before putting things away.